Wheelchair fencing: Day one preview

Swords will be drawn for the first time at Rio 2016 as the wheelchair fencing competition gets underway in Carioca Arena 3 on Monday (12 September).

Competing for medals on day one are the male sabre fencers.

In the category A sabre competition Chinese fencers Yijun Chen and Jianquan Tian are expected to battle it out for gold.

At London 2012 it was Chen that emerged victorious from the gold medal match duel with Beijing 2008 champion Tian, who will be hopeful of turning the tables in Rio.

Having defeated Chen in the final at the World Championships in Budapest, Hungary, in September, Tian knows what it takes to beat the world No. 1 and will aim to reclaim the title he won in Beijing.

Looking to prevent an all-Chinese final is Ukraine’s Andrii Demchuk. The reigning European champion competed with the foil and epee at London 2012, but has since switched to become a sabre specialist.

Another Ukrainian hoping to secure a place on the podium is Anton Datsko, who will compete in the men’s sabre category B event. Datsko won silver with the foil at London 2012, but is perhaps better known for his abilities in the sabre competition, where he is the reigning World and European champion.

Vying with Datsko for gold will be Polish world No. 1 Adrian Castro and his countryman Grzegorz Pluta. Pluta is the defending London 2012 champion, though he has not won a major title since the World Cup event in Hong Kong in December 2013.

Italy’s world No. 3 Alessio Sarri is also a contender. The London 2012 bronze medal winner has plenty experience to draw on, given Rio 2016 will be his fourth Paralympic Games.