Busan World Cup to preview upcoming World Championships

An impressive field of wheelchair fencers are in Busan, South Korea, ready to take to the pistes from Saturday (2 September) for the last World Cup ahead of October’s World Championships.

The competition will be available live and on demand at wheelchair fencing’s website, alongside live results.

Amongst the quality group of fencers are youngsters who have stayed on after competing at the 2023 Wheelchair Fencing Under 23s World Championships.

These include South Korea’s Hyo Kyeong Kwon. A fencer who has made it onto the podium at multiple World Cups in 2022 and 2023, Kwon secured three youth world medals already this week including gold in the epee. The 22-year-old is also the world No.3 in the women’s epee category A.

The respective world No.1 and No.2 – Poland’s Marta Fidrych and Great Britain’s Gemma Collis – are also in Busan ready to take Kwon on, on her home turf.

With the senior World Championships returning after a four-year hiatus and taking place in their backyard, Italian fencers are also readying themselves for a stunning display from 2-8 October.

Andreea Mogos is the top seed in the women’s foil category A and is preparing to improve on her bronze medal from the last Worlds in 2019.

Hong Kong’s Yu Chui Yee – a multiple Paralympian and former champion – remains a challenger for medals as the world No.2. Hungary’s Eva Andrea Hajmasi rounds off the top three and is counting down to the Worlds where she will go for her first title having finished second last time around.

In the men’s foil category A two Italians occupy the top of the world rankings.

Emanuele Lambertini and Matteo Betti last faced each other in a final at the opening World Cup of the season in Washington D.C. USA. Betti emerged the victor on that occasion but Lambertini is a more consistent podium finisher, managing to secure his status as the World No.1.

And as the clock has now ticked past the one year to go mark until the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games, French fencers are also making their presence known.

Rio 2016 Paralympic bronze medallist Maxime Valet and European podium finisher Laurent Vadon are both enjoying a good build up to their home Games in the men’s foil category B.

They do however sit behind Great Britain’s Dimitri Coutya, the almost unbeatable top seed, European champion and Paralympic and World medallist.

Valet is also the World No.2 in the men’s sabre.

The fifth and penultimate World Cup of 2023 runs from 2-5 September in Busan. Athletes will contest medals in the men’s and women’s epee, foil and sabre category A and B. As teams they will go for gold in the men’s foil, women’s epee and mixed sabre.