Guissone back on top at wheelchair fencing World Cup

14/02/2020

Brazil’s London 2012 Paralympic champion Jovane Guissone topped his first men’s epee category B podium in six years at the International Wheelchair and Amputee Sports Federation (IWAS) Wheelchair Fencing World Cup in Eger, Hungary, on Friday (14 February).

Full results and live coverage are available at the new IWAS Wheelchair Fencing website.

Guissone, who is the reigning Americas champion, last won at this level in 2014.

But the Brazilian was in great form, carving an impressive path to the final.

Belarus’ Worlds bronze medallist Andrei Pranevich fell foul of Guissone’s momentum in the quarter-finals, despite earlier beating British world champion Dimitri Coutya.

Guissone then overcame Russia’s Alexander Kurzin in the semi-finals before meeting France’s Yannick Ifebe in the final.

Ifebe, a former European title-holder, could not match Guissone’s tactics and the match ended 15-8.

Brazil's Jovane Guissone screams in delight as he rips off his fencing mask

Kurzin still reached the top three, taking home bronze alongside France’ Yohan Peter.

Hungary’s Richard Osvath secured his second gold medal in as many days in the men’s foil category A.

Adding to his sabre win from Thursday, Osvath proved he is still a main contender in the foil after losing his world title last year.

Going toe-to-toe with Italy’s Emanuele Lambertini, Osvath emerged the victor with a 7-point buffer.

Ukraine’s Andre Demchuk and Russia’s Oleg Gavrilenko were third.

Watch the women's sabre at Eger 2020

Poland’s Kinga Drozdz continued her podium record in the women’s sabre category A, following on from her silver medal-winning World Championships debut in 2019.

This time the 25-year-old took down Ukrainian European champion Nataliia Morkvych to take top spot. It is Drozdz’s third World Cup win in under a year.

Morkvych’s teammate Yevheniia Breus took bronze. Georgia’s Nino Tibiashvili also fenced her way into third.

In the women’s sabre category B, Olena Fedota continued a great day for Ukraine.

Fedota faced-down challenges from Worlds silver medallist Boglarka Mezo of Georgia in the semi-finals. She then met Russia’s Irina Mishurova in the gold medal match.

Mishurova proved to be no match for Fedota who eased past her opponent 15-3.

Mezo settled for bronze and Italy’s Rosanna Pasquino joined her on the podium.

The 2020 IWAS Wheelchair Fencing World Cup continues in Eger until Sunday (16 February) when the women’s foil and men’s sabre team events will conclude competition.