Georgian Fencer Wins Gold Medal at World Cup Competition

Georgian fencer Irma Khetsuriani won the gold medal at the Wheelchair Fencing World Cup in Paris, France, after defeating six other competitors in the Senior Women’s Sabre category.

Khetsuriani’s final match was against Poland’s Patrycja Hareza, which she won with a 15 to 9 score. Before reaching the finals, the Georgian athlete defeated contestants from France, Greece, the United Kingdom, Poland and Ukraine during the qualifying stage of competition.

The Georgian fencer gained the silver medal at the World Championships in Eger, Hungary in September, where she won all group stage matches before being defeated by Poland’s Tetiana Pozdniak in the women’s Sabre B final.

The World Cup event, run by the International Wheelchair and Amputee Sports Federation, featured teams from 26 countries in all categories.

While most competitors specialized in one of the three types of fencing weapons – Sabre, Foil and Épée – Khetsuriani competed in all three categories.

Khetsuriani is Georgia’s first female wheelchair fencer. After suffering from a spinal disease, Georgia’s Paralympic Committee suggested her to try wheelchair fencing. Khetsuriani plans to compete in another World Cup stage before the end of this year’s season.

Ana Akhalaia