Double gold for Hungary at wheelchair fencing World Cup

Results and videos are available at the IWAS Wheelchair Fencing website. Pictures for editorial use can be downloaded from the IWAS Flickr.

Hungary’s triple Paralympic medallist Richard Osvath put pay to the hosts hopes of a gold in the men’s foil category A.

Fencing against Matteo Betti, Osvath built up a five point lead at 13-8 and looked like he had the edge. But Betti, perhaps buoyed by competing at home, clawed himself back into contention.

With the score at 13-14 to Osvath everything was to play for. However it was not to be for Betti as Osvath landed the winning hit.

Italy picked up another medal courtesy of Emanuele Lambertini with bronze. France’s Damian Tokatlian landed beside him on the third step of the podium.

Hungary grabbed another gold in the men’s epee category B. Istvan Tarjanyi claimed top spot after beating Poland’s Kamil Rzasa.

Another Polish fencer – Patryk Banach finished third alongside France’s Peter Yohan.

Belarusian Kristina Fiaklistava won her first World Cup gold in the women’s epee category B.

Competing since 2014, Fiaklistava had managed several second and third place finishes but today was her day to finally grab the gold.

The Belarusian took on Italy’s Rosanna Pasquino in the final, easing past her 7-3.

Great Britain’s Justine Moore and Japan’s Anri Sakurai took the bronze. It was Moore’s first podium finish.

Poland’s Kinga Drozdz put some of the ghosts of Tokyo 2020 to rest with a win in the women’s sabre A.

Drozdz went into the Paralympics as one of the top performers in the weapon, but could not convert her form into a podium.

On Thursday she sailed through the rounds to face Georgia’s Gvantsa Zadishvili in the final. Zadishvili has herself had an impressive route to the gold medal match, having overcome teammate and Tokyo 2020 silver medallist Nino Tibilashvili.

But Zadishvili struggled to match Drozdz’s technique, losing 15-8. She will however be comforted by her first individual medal at this level.

Great Britain’s Gemma Collis-McCann and Tibilashvili finished third.

Competition continue in Pisa on Friday with the men’s and women’s epee category A, the women’s sabre category B and the men’s foil category B.