Zou stuns again with second world title

China’s Xu Feng Zou added a second surprise gold on Sunday (20 September) to the epee title she won on the opening day of the International Wheelchair and Amputee Sports Federation (IWAS) Wheelchair Fencing World Championships in Eger, Hungary.

In what has already been a strong championships for the Chinese team, Zou beat teammate and defending world champion Jing Bian to win the women’s sabre category A title. Ranked No.17 in the world before the tournament, Zou was a worthy winner, taking the fight to Bian and emerging with a 15-11 victory.

There was another Chinese victory in the equivalent men’s competition, with Jianquan Tian topping the podium. In a repeat of the 2013 World Championships, Tian faced compatriot Yijun Chen in the final. At that time, Chen was victorious. But he was unable to defend his title against a determined Tian, who won gold with a 15-10 score. Ukraine’s World No.1 Andrii Demchuk finished in joint-third place with France’s Ludovic Lemoine.

The final in the men’s sabre category B was an all-Polish showdown, with Adrian Castro facing fellow countryman Grzegorz Pluta. The favourite going into the match, Castro was pushed hard by Pluta but proved himself the stronger fencer with a 15-13 victory. Ukraine’s Anton Datsko shared the bronze-medal position with China’s Yan Ke Feng.

Ukrainian Tetiana Pozdniak fenced to victory in the women’s sabre category B discipline. Pozdniak looked strong throughout, but she narrowly edged Georgia’s Irma Khetsuriani 15-13 in the gold-medal match. The win puts Pozdniak atop the world rankings.

In the men’s epee category C competition, Russia’s Alexander Logutenko defeated Italian rival William Russo to successfully defend his world champion status. The result now sees the two tied on points at the top of the rankings in the discipline. Russia’s Dmitry Belyaev and Ukraine’s Serhii Shavkun shared third place.

Germany’s Ulrike Lotz-Lanke won through in a small field to take the women’s epee category C title. With just three other competitors in the event, Lotz-Lanke was first tested in the final, where she beat Russia’s Ksenia Ovsyannikova for the gold.

Monday (21 September) sees the men’s teams compete with foil, while the women’s teams do battle with the sabre. Fencers in the men’s and women’s foil category C competitions will also take the piste.

The World Championships run until Thursday (24 September). To follow the IWAS Wheelchair Fencing World Championships in Eger, visit the IWAS’s Facebook page.

Day 2 recap.

Day 1 recap.