Nadasdy denies Kwon second gold at under 23s World Championships

An incredibly close battle in the final saw Hyo Kyeong Kwon execute a stunning comeback to draw level with Nadasdy after trailing by three points at 10-13.

Kwon seemed to have the momentum but Nadasdy managed to land another touch to regain the lead.

The South Korean kept the pressure on, returning once again to bring the score to 14-14. With the tension rising, Nadasdy saw an opportunity and quickly capitalised to leave with gold.

Both women can be satisfied with their performances this week in Busan. Nadasdy leaves with two golds from two events whilst Kwon secured a medal in all three weapons, including two titles.

Thailand’s Aphinya Thondaeng also grabbed a trio of medals, adding bronze in the foil to her haul on Friday. Sitting alongside her on the podium was another South Korean, 18-year-old Yejin Jo.

All semi-finals and finals from Busan 2023 can be watched on demand, alongside results, at the wheelchair fencing website.

Great Britain’s Joshua Waddell blocked Germany’s Julius Haupt’s attempts to secure a trio of titles in the men’s epee.

Haupt entered his third final in a row in high spirits after taking gold in both the foil and sabre in Busan.

But Waddell made his intentions clear from the start, landing the first three touches without reply from Haupt. The German did manage to reduce the gap and stayed within one or two points of his opponent until Waddell reached double figures.

The British 20-year-old, who has been compared to his Paralympic epee champion teammate Piers Gilliver, then extended his lead to end the match 15-9.

France’s Enzo Giorgi, 23, stepped onto his first youth podium since 2017 when he claimed silver at the under 17s World Championships. This time his medal was bronze.

Giorgi’s compatriot, Quentin Fernandez-Anssoux, share third place to add to his silver from the foil earlier in the week.

The men’s epee and women’s foil bring the 2023 Wheelchair Fencing Under 23s World Championships to a close after three days of action.

Athletes will now remain in Busan and be joined by senior fencers for the fifth World Cup of 2023 from 2-5 September, offering world ranking points which go towards qualification for the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games.

The Busan 2023 World Cup is also the last event ahead of the 2023 Wheelchair Fencing World Championships taking place in Terni, Italy, from 2-8 October.