Wheelchair fencers double-up on gold at World Cup

All semi-finals and finals are available on demand at IWAS Wheelchair Fencing’s website alongside live results.

Thailand’s Saysunee Jana grabbed her second gold in the women’s epee category B.

Having won the sabre on Thursday (19 May), Jana’s confidence was high in her favourite event.

The Thai fencer has won a medal in the epee at the last five Paralympics and won all her matches comfortably on the way to the final against Germany’s Sylvi Tauber.

Tauber, who was competing in her first World Cup final in the weapon, had to settle for silver as Jana’s form carried her to gold.

Hong Kong’s Nga Ting Tong claimed bronze for her maiden World Cup medal. France’s Cecile Demaude joined her in third place.

Paralympic champion Piers Gilliver was dominant in his first outing of 2022 in the men’s epee category A. Easing through the qualifying rounds the 27-year-old faced Italy’s Emanuele Lambertini, the world No.4 and winner from the first World Cup in Sao Paulo, Brazil, in the final.

Gilliver proved too much for Lambertini to handle, maintaining his form after winning his first Paralympic title in 2021. Gilliver also topped the standings in the foil on Thursday.

Poland’s Norbert Calka reached his first World Cup podium since 2018 with bronze. There was also cause for celebration for France as 20-year-old Luca Platania Parisi claimed his maiden podium.

Dimitri Coutya was the other British fencer to take a second victory on Thursday, this time in the men’s epee category B.

Coutya found his way through the first competition of his season to take on France’s Marc Andre Cratere for gold. Coutya’s record as the world champion and Paralympic bronze medallist led him to a 15-7 win, adding to his foil victory from Thursday.

Germany’s Balwinder Cheema and Poland’s Michael Dabrowski were third.

Georgia’s World No.2 Nino Tibilashvili got her hands on the gold in the women’s sabre category A, improving on her bronze from Sao Paulo.

Tibilashvili faced current world rankings leader Kinga Drozdz of Poland in the final, executing a 15-9 win.

Hungary’s Eva Andreja Hajmasi reached third on her season debut in the sabre alongside Great Britain’s Gemma Collis.

The 2022 IWAS Wheelchair Fencing World Cup continues in Chon Buri on Saturday (20 May) with the men’s sabre category A and B and women’s foil category A and B.

Live coverage is available of every semi-final and final at the IWAS Wheelchair Fencing website alongside live results.