Wheelchair Fencing Presented at FIE World Championships in Leipzig, Germany.

Representatives of the IWAS Wheelchair Fencing Executive Committee presented wheelchair fencing to spectators, athletes, coaches and the other fencing leaders and sports managers during the 2017 FIE World Fencing Championships held in Leipzig, Germany.

IWAS Wheelchair Fencing Chairman, Pal Szekeres, Secretary General, Udo Ziegler, Head of the Promotion Commission, Ksenia Ovsyannikova and Head of the German Wheelchair Fencing team, Ira Ziegler attended the competition, hosted in Arena Leipzig Stadium in Eastern Germany to promote wheelchair fencing.

The bronze medal winners of the IWAS Wheelchair Fencing U17 & U23 World Championships, Maurice Schmidt (U23) and Julius Haupt (U17) provided spectators, athletes and coaches attending the Championship with exciting live bouts in both foil and sabre. 

The Wheelchair Fencing was supported by the top fencing athletes including, Aron Szilagyi (HUN – Olympic Champion Rio 2016), Inna Deriglazova (RUS – Olympic Champion 2016 and World Champion 2017), Yuki Ota (JPN – World Champion 2015), Yana Egoryan (RUS – Olympic Champion 2016 individual & team) and Claudia Bokel (GER – 2001 World Champion Epee, 2006 European Champion Epee). The competition venue also played host to constructive discussions with Japanese representatives from the Tokyo 2020 Games and Promotion Commission members Lars Pickardt (GER), Vincent Elias (AUS) and Carl Borack (USA).

Many thanks to the following organisations that supported the stand;

German Wheelchair Fencing Section of DRS

German Sport Federations for Olympic sport (DOSB)

German Sport Federation for Paralympic sports (DBS)

Lars Pickardt, Vice President of the DBS (German Federation for Para-Sports) and National Paralympic Committee and Chairman of its German Youth Organization.

Gudrun Doll-Tepper, Vice President of the DOSB (German Olympic Sports Federation – non-governmental umbrella organization of German sport), a Member of the IOC Commission "Women and Sport", Member of Honour and special adviser of International Council of Sport Science and Physical Education (ICSSPE).

Special thanks to the German Fencing Federation, FIE and the Local Organising Committee for their support and the opportunity to present our sport at this fantastic sporting event!

Article by: Ksenia Ovsyannikova