World Cups in the USA, France, highlight 2023 wheelchair fencing calendar

The World Cup in Washington DC will start the new season with a bang from 13-16 January. With LA 2028 on the horizon, and wheelchair fencing bidding to be on the programme, the sport wants to capitalise on the interest shown during Tokyo 2020.

According to analysis done during the last Paralympics, the USA was one of the top 10 countries for TV broadcast of wheelchair fencing overall, and for numbers of social media posts relating to the sport.

In March the World Cup circuit moves to Pisa, Italy – the host country for the previously announced World Championships taking place later in the year in Terni.

All eyes will then be on Nimes from 20-23 April when France will stage their World Cup with just over one year until the Paris 2024 Paralympics. It is hoped that bringing wheelchair fencing to the French public will help build more excitement and interest in the national team who are one of the most prolific in the sport.

In May and June attentions will turn to development as two ‘satellite’ competitions take place in Orange, France, and Klagenfurt, Austria. These events are designed to offer up-and-coming wheelchair fencers and new countries the opportunity to compete on the international stage, before stepping-up to the World Cup. Both countries have hosted successfully in the past.

The second half of the season commences with a World Cup in the familiar location of Warsaw, Poland, from 6-9 July. Fencers will be competing for the last time in the build-up to the World Championships.

Another satellite in Sao Paulo, Brazil, follows in August before the Worlds from 2-8 October. The Asian Championships then take place later that month during the rescheduled Asian Para Games in Hangzhou, China.

Asia will see out the season from 1-9 December when Thailand stages its second World Cup, this time in Nakhon Ratchasima, to follow-on from their successful first edition in 2022. Adding another layer of interest, the competition will be part of the 2023 IWAS World Games.

All events offer points which go towards qualification for Paris 2024.

Check out the full calendar: