Wheelchair Fencing at Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games: everything you need to know
When and where will Wheelchair Fencing begin? Who are the ones to watch? Here is everything you need to know about Wheelchair Fencing at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games.
The wheelchair fencing competition will be making its 16th appearance at the Paralympic Games.
The sport has featured at every Paralympics since Rome 1960 and was originally developed at Stoke Mandeville Hospital after World War II to aid the recovery of spinal cord patients.
At the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games, the sport will take place from 25-29 August 2021 at Makuhari Messe, located in Chiba Prefecture.
It will include 16 gold medals across eight men's and women's events including two team events. There will be three disciplines at Tokyo 2020: épée, foil and sabre. For the team events, they will only compete in épée and foil.
Italy's Beatrice Vio returns to the Paralympic stage for just her second appearance, coming into Tokyo 2020 with a formidable record. Her debut five years ago at Rio 2016 was also memorable in more ways than one.
At just 19, Bebe captured the world's attention with her emphatic celebration after winning Paralympic gold in the women's foil category B event.
People's Republic of China's RONG Jing took home three gold medals at Rio 2016 across the team and individual events. She will come into Tokyo 2020 as the world no.4.
The competition begins on 25 August with the men's and women's individual sabre events.
Ones to watch
YEE Yu Chui (Hong Kong,China)
With Tokyo 2020 set to be her fifth Paralympic Games, Yee already had 11 Paralympic medal with seven of those being gold. The Hong Kong,China athlete is one of the most respected wheelchair fencers in the world.
Dimitri Coutya (Great Britain)
The British fencer has become one of the top fencers across two different disciplines: epee and foil. While his debut in Rio 2016 didn't see him come away with a medal, losing in the quarter-finals of the epee, he bounced back to claim two world titles the following year.
Saysunee Jana (Thailand)
As a double Paralympic and four-time world champion, Jana is a national hero in her home nation. At Athens 2004, she became Thailand's first female Paralympic champion after winning the women's epee B event. Now at Tokyo 2020, she will be looking to grace the podium for the fifth consecutive time.
Ammar Ali (Iraq)
He will be hoping to turn his Paralympic silver from Rio 2016 into gold at Tokyo 2020. The epee B fencer had an outstanding 2018-19 World Cup season with wins three overall victories. The road to gold won't be easy with the likes of Great Britain's Dimitri Coutya, who is the world no.1.
Wheelchair Fencing Competition Schedule
Venue: Makuhari Messe Hall B
Date: Wed 25 Aug.
- Men's Individual Sabre
- Women's Individual Sabre
Date: Thu 26 Aug.
- Men's Individual Epee
- Women's Individual Epee
Date: Fri 27 Aug.
- Men's Epee Team
- Women's Epee Team
Date: Sat 28 Aug.
- Men's Individual Foil
- Women's Individual Foil
Date: Sun 29 Aug.
- Men's Foil Team
- Women's Foil Team
For the most up-to-date information on the athletes and competition, click here for full schedule (All times in Japan Standard Time)