Hungary, Italy, leave wheelchair fencing World Cup with hat-trick of golds

Hungarian and Italian wheelchair fencers are departing from Sao Paulo, Brazil, with a trio of gold medals from the International Wheelchair and Amputee Sports Federation (IWAS) Wheelchair Fencing World Cup which took place between 22-25 May.

The competition was the third of its kind this year and attracted a stellar cast of athletes. As well as offering qualification points for the Tokyo 2020 Paralympics, it was also the penultimate World Cup ahead of the World Championships in Cheongju, South Korea.

Full results are available here.

Hungary’s Amarilla Veres toppled her teammate and reigning world champion Zsuszanna Krajnyak in the women’s epee category A.

It was Veres’ first win of the Tokyo 2020 qualification cycle and will stand her in good stead as she tries to improve on her fifth place from the last World Championships later on this year.

Russia’s Alena Evdokimova and Hong Kong’s Paralympic silver medallist Yu Chui Yee claimed bronze.

World champion Krajnyak did however return to form in the foil, beating Evdokimova. Hungary’s Eva Andreja Hajmasi was third alongside Ukraine’s Nataliia Morkvych.

Hungary picked up another gold courtesy of world and Paralympic silver medallist Richard Osvath in the men’s sabre category A. Osvath took on Ukraine’s Paralympic champion Andrii Demchuk in a close final, only winning by three points.

Great Britain’s Piers Gilliver picked up his latest World Cup medal with bronze alongside Italy’s Edorado Giordan.

Italy matched Hungary’s performance, leaving Sao Paulo with three golds of their own. One came from world and Paralympic champion Beatrice Vio in the women’s foil category B.

Russia swept the rest of the podium as Ludmila Vasileva claimed silver alongside bronze medallists Boykova and Irina Mishurova.

In the men’s foil A, Emanuele Lambertini was the victor. However Russia’s Maxim Shaburov will be pleased with silver – his best ever result in the discipline and an improvement on the third place he won when he last took it on in 2014.

Demchuk secured his second medal of the competition with bronze. Shaburov’s compatriot Nikita Nagaev was also third.

Italy rounded off the competition with team gold in the women’s foil.

Loredana Triglia, Andrea Mogos and Vio pipped Hungary’s Mezo Hajmasi and Krajnyak to the gold.

Russia’s Mishurova, Vasileva, Evdokimova and Iuliia Maya were third.

Great Britain’s world champion Dimitri Coutya impressed in both the men’s foil and epee category B, proving that he will once again be a one to watch at the Worlds in September.

In the foil Coutya faced Russia’s Albert Kamalov, easing past his opponent 15-5.

Another Russian, Timur Khamtashin, made into on the podium with bronze. France’s Maxim Valet was also third.

Coutya triumphed in the epee over Ukraine’s Oleg Naumenko. Brazil’s Jovane Guissone delighted the home crowds with bronze. Russia’s Alexander Kuzyukov also left with third place.

Serial epee podium finisher Gilliver bagged his latest gold in the men’s category A.

Bouncing back from a silver medal in Pisa, Italy, in March, Gilliver went toe-to-toe with Germany’s Maurice Schmidt.  

Schmidt – a graduate of the IWAS World Youth Games – was looking to make an impact in his first gold medal bout. The 19-year-old landed four points in total which proved no match for Gilliver, but the German will be happy with his progress.

Ukraine’s Artem Manko and Russia’s Artem Yusopov were third.

Georgian world champion Irma Khetsuriani proved unbeatable once again in the women’s sabre category B, collecting an incredible seventh World Cup gold in a row.

Thailand’s Saysunee Jana tried hard to get close to Khetsuriani in the final but in the end the Georgian stretched ahead for a final score of 15-9.

Ukraine’s Olena Fedota and Hungary’s Boglarka Mezo were third.

Asian champion Jana did however win her second consecutive World Cup gold in the women’s epee category B, to follow up on her win from Pisa.

Jana was too much to handle for Russian world title holder Viktoria Boykova in the final.

Ukraine’s Tetiana Pozniak and Japan’s Anri Sakurai grabbed bronze.

Ukraine’s Worlds silver medallist Yevheniia Breus grabbed her second World Cup sabre gold of the Tokyo 2020 qualification period in the women’s category A.

Breus overcame teammate and world champion Morkvych by just one point. Georgia’s Nino Tibiashvili and Veres were third.

Poland’s Adrian Castro was victorious in the men’s sabre category B against Italy’s Alessio Sarri. France’s Marc Andre Cratere and Castro’s teammate Grzegorz Pluta were third.

Russia secured their lone gold of the competition thanks to their men’s epee team. Yusopov, Kuzyukov, Shaburov and Roman Fedyaev joined forces to win against Poland’s Ramil Rzasa, Dariusz Pender, Michal Nalewajek and Norbert Calka.

Iraq’s Hayder Al-Ogaili, Ali Mnahi, Ammar Ali and Zainulabdeen Al-Madhkhoori took the bronze.

The 2019 IWAS Wheelchair Fencing World Cup will now head to Warsaw, Poland, from 11 July.

The competition will be the last chance for fencers to hone their skills ahead of the IWAS Wheelchair Fencing World Championships in Cheongju from 17-23 September.