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Fencing
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| Photo by Nick Wilson (Getty Images) |
Fencing for athletes in wheelchairs was first introduced by Sir Ludwig Guttmann in 1953 and has been a part of the Paralympic program since 1960.
Athletes compete in wheelchairs that are fixed to the floor. Though they rely on ducking, half-turns and leaning to dodge their competitors’ touches, fencers can never raise up from the seat. The first fencer to score five touches is declared the winner. Athletes play the best out of three rounds.
Athletes compete in single and team formats. Weapon categories for men include foil, epee and sabre. Women compete in foil and epee. Athletes are divided into A, B and C classifications, depending on their strength and mobility. Class A players have the greatest range of strength and mobility, while Class C players have the least.
The first U.S. medals in wheelchair fencing came in Tokyo in 1964. J. Waterman won the silver in women’s foil, then teamed with C. Giesse and E. Cox for a silver in the women’s team foil. Paralympic fencing competition is open to male and female athletes in the categories for amputees, spinal cord injured/wheelchair and cerebral palsy/brain injury/stroke. For additional information on eligibility, click on the Classification link on the left side of this page.
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