Sport A-Z: Wheelchair Fencing

Wheelchair fencing was developed by Sir Ludwig Guttmann at the Stoke Mandeville Hospital and was introduced to the world at the Rome 1960 Paralympic Games.

Men and women with amputations, spinal-cord injuries and cerebral palsy are eligible to compete in foil epee (men and women) and saber (men) events. Their wheelchairs are fastened to the floor during competition.


The International Paralympic Committee (IPC) is committed to enabling Paralympic athletes to achieve sporting excellence and to develop sport opportunities for all persons with a disability from the beginner to elite level. In addition, the IPC aims to promote the Paralympic values, which include courage, determination, inspiration and equality. For further information, please visit http://www.paralympic.org.

To watch videos on demand from Paralympic Games and to subscribe to ParalympicSport.TV, please go to www.youtube.com/ParalympicSportTV. Also, you may follow the Paralympic Movement on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/ParalympicGames or on
Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/paralympic.