Fencing Excellence Unleashed: Four Days of Superb Swordplay Hosted by British Fencing in the Heart of Wales

During an eventful weekend in early January, spanning from the 11th and 14th, British Fencing proudly played host to the Wheelchair Fencing World Cup.

This exciting event, organised in collaboration with World Abilitysport, the International governing body, unfolded at the Sport Wales National Centre in Cardiff, Wales. This marked an extraordinary occasion for British wheelchair fencing athletes, offering a rare opportunity to compete on home soil. Notably, it was the first senior international World Cup fencing event in Great Britain in a decade and the inaugural Fencing World Cup hosted in Wales.

The competition saw over 180 athletes from 30 countries come together for four days of intense competition at the highest level.  

In addition to valuable partnerships, the event received steadfast support from a dedicated team of over 80 volunteers. Their contributions ranged from piste-side tasks to video assistance, complemented by the crucial support of RMA Sport and Leon Paul, offering wheelchair repair services and providing new kits as needed.

Additional measures were taken to enhance the accessibility for both athletes and spectators. The venue was made accessible through multiple entrances, and a comprehensive video was released to accommodate spectators with diverse needs and requirements, informing fans of what to expect from the competition. The entire competition was broadcast on the World Abilityport YouTube channel, where you can rewatch the matches for each category and class.

Fencing styles and classes:

In wheelchair fencing, the athletes are divided into two categories; A and B. Fencers in category A have good trunk control, whereas category B athletes have an impairment that impacts their trunk or their fencing arm.

In the 2024 Fencing World Cup, the athletes also had the opportunity to compete in three styles of fencing: Epee, Foil and Sabre.

Epee fencing uses a lightweight weapon with a blunted point, less than 770 grams in total. To score a point the fencer must touch their opponent in the designated “attack area” on their body with the tip of the blade. In the case of Epee, the target attack area of attack is the entire body, head to toe, including any clothing and equipment. Unlike the sabre and the foil, there are no right-of-way rules regarding attacks. Epee competitors wield electrified fencing swords that meticulously record each point. Furthermore, counterattacks play a pivotal role in epee matches infusing excitement and agility into the action.

Foil is the most common category of competitive fencing. Similar to epee, this discipline also employs a lightweight sword featuring a blunted tip. The foil sword, even lighter than the epee, weighs in at less than 500 grams. To score a point, the sword must touch the opponent in the designated attack area, however in foil, the attack area is much smaller, so precision is vital. The valid target area includes the torso (including the lower part of the bib of the mask) and the groin. The head, arms and legs are considered off-target. Touches made off-target do not count for points, but do not stop play. In foil fencing, the right of way is awarded to the initiator of an attack. This determination governs priority when both players achieve simultaneous hits.

Sabre fencing differs from both epee and foil fencing, due to its slashing technique. Like foil and epee, sabre fencing uses a weapon that is less than 500 grams, but it is a shorter blade with a larger guard which protects your hand. In matches, players can also score points with more parts of their sword, including the sword’s front edge or the last one-third of its back edge as well as its tip. Sabre matches are usually fast and exciting and while weapon technique is not any more complicated, competitors must demonstrate agility and quick reflexes.

Thursday:

China stands as the preeminent force in wheelchair fencing, consistently leading the medal tally at the Paralympics for the past four Games. This dominance is underpinned by a substantial state-funded initiative dedicated to advancing para-sport. In turn, this posed a formidable challenge for Great Britain and other nations, as they endeavoured to mount a comeback against the most formidable competitors.

The first day of competition saw the women’s foil and the men’s sabre in both A and B categories take place. Women’s foil (A) is a category very much dominated by China. Gu Haiyan took Gold in the 2020 Summer Paralympics held in Tokyo, Japan and conquered her components again in Wales last weekend in the same event.

Gu Haiyan

The men’s sabre event saw Britain’s Rashid Shah and Dimitri Coutya in action, with Shah finishing 13th and Coutya 6th. Jie Zhang of China and Andrii Demchuk from Ukraine clinched the gold medals in their respective categories. Noteworthy is Britain’s Piers Gilliver, who exhibited a commendable performance, securing a fourth-place finish after a closely contested 15-13 semi-final with the eventual winner, Andrii Demchuk.

Thursday results:

Wheelchair (A): Women’s Foil

Gu Haiyan – China

Chen Yuandong – China

Zou Xufeng – China

Hajmasi Eva Andrea – Hungary

Wheelchair (B): Women’s Foil

Jana Saysunee – Thailand

Cho Eun Hye – South Korea

Tong Nga Ting – Hong Kong

XiaoRong – China

Wheelchair (A) Men’s Sabre

Demchuk Andrii – Ukraine

Tian Jianquan – China

Manko Artem – Ukraine

Gilliver Piers – Great Britain

Friday:

On the second day of competition, both men’s epee and women’s sabre unfolded across A and B categories, marking a triumphant day for Great Britain. Piers Gilliver and Dimitri Coutya secured gold medals in epee A and B, respectively. Piers Gilliver secured victory by defeating his rival Sun Gang of China with a score of 15-12 in the final.

Gilliver stated, “Me and Sun have been rivals for many years… He beat me in Rio and then I beat him in the semi-finals in Tokyo. We always seem to find each other in touch matches.”

Piers Gilliver

Later on, Dimitri Coutya made it an unprecedented two British gold medals in one day, beating Qin Benjun of China with a commanding score of 15-7. This accomplishment not only underscored Britain's triumph in the competition but also marked a historic milestone for British fencing. It represented the inaugural occasion where two British gold medals were clinched on home soil in a single day at the World Cup level—a feat unparalleled since 1981.

Coutya's previous World Cup medal with the epee dates back to January 2023 in Washington D.C. Reflecting on his recent triumph, he expressed, “This one is a weapon I really care about but also struggle with it sometimes. For it to come together today on home soil is really fantastic, and it just felt good for it to be working.” 

Dimitri Coutya

In the women's competition, China's Gu Haiyan achieved yet another triumphant victory, securing the gold medal in the sabre event. Unfortunately for Britain’s Gemma Collis, it was not to be, and she ended up finishing 6th.

Friday Results:

Wheelchair (A) Men’s Epee:

Gilliver Piers – Great Britain

Sun Gang – China

Dei Rossi Matteo – Italy

Schmidt Maurice – Germany

Wheelchair B) Men's epee:

Coutya Dimitri – Great Britain

Qin Benjun – CHINA

Banach Patryk – POLAND

Zhang Jie – China

Wheelchair (A) Women’s Sabre:

Gu Haiyan – China

Tibilashvili Nino – Georgia

Veres Amarilla – Hungary

Zou Xufeng - China

Wheelchair (B) Women’s Sabre

Xiao Rong – China

Jana Saysunee – Thailand

Khetsuriani Irma – Georgia

Pasquino Rossana – Italy

Saturday:

On the third day of competition, Dimitri Coutya successfully beat China’s newcomer Qin Bengjun in the foil event to take home his second gold medal of the weekend.

Dimitri states “These are really important competitions in the build-up to Paris… To come away with a second gold this week in front of home crowds is something I'm glad to have experienced.”

In the women’s epee competition, Saysunee Jana from Thailand dominated the field in the category B event, securing gold over China’s Xiao Rong. Nonetheless, Xiao Rong had a fabulous World Cup securing a gold, silver, and bronze medal over the full weekend. In the epee competition (category A), Jana maintained her undefeated streak in the weapon since 2020, showcasing dominance in her strongest discipline once again last weekend. Unfortunately, Gemma Collis faced additional disappointment as she concluded her performance in 7th place, succumbing to Amarilla Veres of Hungary in the quarterfinals.

In the men's foil event (category A), an all-Chinese medal table unfolded, with Paralympic champion Sun Gang emerging victorious over the Asian title holder, Saichun Zhong.

Saturday Results:

Wheelchair (A) Men’s Foil:

Sun Gang – China

Zhong Saichun – China

Chen Liqiang – China

Osvath Richard – Hungary

Wheelchair (B) Men’s Foil:

Coutya Dimitri – Great Britain

Qin Benjun – China

Datsko Anton – Ukraine

Hu Daoliang – China

Wheelchair (A) Women’s Epee:

Chen Yuandong - China

Gu Haiyan – China

Thongdaeng Aphinya – Thailand

Veres Amarilla – Hungary

Wheelchair (B) Women’s Epee:

Jana Saysunee – Thailand

Xiao Rong – China

Sakurai Anri – Japan

Cho Eun Hye – South Korea

Sunday:

The concluding day of the competition delivered thrilling moments, featuring the team events, including the women's epee, men's foil, and mixed sabre.

The men's foil event proved to be an exhilarating spectacle for home fans, as the prospect of securing another gold medal loomed large. The GB team, consisting of Oliver Lam-Watson, Dimitri, and Piers (with Josh Waddell in reserve), initially triumphed over Ukraine and then advanced to face France in a highly anticipated semi-final. The British team played an exceptional game and never went behind in points. Dimitri Coutya pushed the team ahead 12 points to secure the British team's place in the final against China.

Regrettably, the British team encountered a familiar outcome, reminiscent of the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games, where China once again triumphed over Great Britain. The Chinese team was led by Paralympic champions Sun Gang and Feng Yanke in categories A and B. Despite Gilliver performing admirably against Sun, securing an impressive 10 hits, the match was already tilted in Sun's favour. With only five points needed for China to clinch the gold, Sun emerged victorious with a final score of 45-38.

Great Britain Men's Team

In the women's Epee competition, China secured victory by defeating Poland with a commanding score of 45-33, clinching the gold, while Hungary claimed the bronze. In the mixed sabre competition, China earned a direct entry to the final, facing off against Ukraine and France. China effortlessly secured the gold against Ukraine with a final score of 20 points to 10.

The Chinese wheelchair fencers swept the board on the final day of action at the World Cup on Sunday, claiming all three teams' golds on offer.

In the ultimate medal count, China dominated the standings in Cardiff, securing a total of 24 medals, including 9 gold, 8 silver, and 7 bronze. Great Britain followed closely with a notable five medals – three gold, one silver, and one bronze.

To see the final medal table click here.

Paris qualification and the next major competition:

Although Great Britain didn't emerge victorious against the Chinese team in the men's foil final, the match was still an important silver medal. Great Britain aimed to finish above Italy, as the two teams vied for the coveted title of the top-placed team in Europe by the end of the qualifying period in May. This distinction would grant an automatic qualification spot for the upcoming Paris event later this year.

The next senior competition will be the 2024 Wheelchair Fencing European Championships in Paris, France, on the 5-10 March 2024.