Yu Chui Yee eyes triple podium at Asian Championships

By Marianna Strunnikova | For IWAS

Hong Kong’s premier wheelchair fencer, seven time Paralympic champion Yu Chui Yee, is targeting a podium finish in all three weapons at the 2018 International Wheelchair and Amputee Sports Federation (IWAS) Wheelchair Fencing Asian Championships in Jakarta, Indonesia, from 6-11 October.

The season so far has been less intensive than usual for the 34-year old. Yee has competed in two World Cups in Pisa, Italy, and Warsaw, Poland, where she grabbed one gold and two bronze medals in the women’s category A.

However, the main event is yet to come. The key target of this season for Yee is the Asian Championships being held as part of Asian Para Games.

“It is an important competition for me,” she said. “We do believe that we will have a good result in Jakarta while my personal goal is getting medals in every event.”

Yee has good reason to be confident as she has put a lot of effort into her preparations. She works on her physical skills and technique five days a week. In August, she travelled to Russia for a two week training camp.

However, the Asian Championships are just the beginning of a hugely important period. Shortly afterwards, Yee will begin her road to Tokyo 2020.

“The Paralympic qualification will start in November this year, so we will have just a little break before the start of the next season. I am looking forward to it and to the first World Cup in Georgia [in November]. I have to obtain a higher ranking as I will be going into my fifth Paralympics. I aim to be ranked in the top five in both foil and epee.”   

Yee, who gave up swimming to fence at the age of 17, has represented her country at four consecutive Paralympic Games since 2004. She has won eleven medals, seven of which were gold. However, she believes that the brightest episode in her career was her first Paralympics in Athens in 2004:

“It was so amazing not just because I got four gold medals, but because I proved myself and made my mother proud of me. When I was sick, she was so worried about me, and when I decided to join wheelchair fencing, she was supportive. So I was happy to make her proud. No matter what obstacle or disability you may have, you can make your dream come true.”

After the Opening Ceremony on 6 October, the 2018 IWAS Wheelchair Fencing Asian Championships will get underway on 7 October.

More than 70 of the region’s best athletes from 11 countries will conclude the major competition calendar for the year, after Americas and European Championships in September.

More information is available at the Asian Para Games website.

The qualification period for Tokyo 2020 begins in November with two World Cups taking place before the end of the year. Tbilisi, Georgia, will host from 8-11 November followed by Kyoto, Japan, from 13-16 December.