Excitement and expectation is high as new mixed team formats, shorter team events and a full quota of individual and team medals in sabre have been introduced.

A total of 16 golds will be up for grabs including individual men’s and women’s epee, foil and sabre in category A and B, men’s and women’s team sabre and mixed team epee and foil.

There are a total of 96 ‘slots’ available in wheelchair fencing – 48 male and 48 female.

The qualification window opens on 1 October this year and closes on 31 May 2028. It will encompass regional Championships in 2026 and 2028 and the 2027 World Championships taking place in Hong Kong, China, as well as all World Cups during that time.

Athletes will gain points for their performances at these competitions which will accumulate in the World Abilitysport Para Fencing Paralympic Team, Mixed Team and Individual Ranking Lists. The World Championships carry the highest number of points, followed by regional Championships and then World Cups.

Countries have the opportunity to qualify athletes based on their performances during the qualification window. Here is how…

With new mixed team events on the schedule for foil and epee, the first slots will be awarded to the top ranked teams on the World Abilitysport Para Fencing Paralympic Mixed Team ranking lists in both weapons. They will qualify two male and two female category A and category B fencers through this method to compete in both individual and team events.

For each qualified country, qualification slots will be allocated to their highest-ranked athletes in each category and gender in the weapon in which the mixed team qualified.

The next qualification method is via regional standings in the Americas/Africa, Europe and Asia/Oceania. Those not already qualified by the mixed team method but are the top-ranked team in their region will also receive two male and two female category A and category B fencers for individual and team events through this method. This helps ensure global representation.

Within sabre, where there will be both individual and team events for men and women at LA 2028, the top-ranked team in both the men’s and women’s Paralympic rankings will receive team and individual slots for two of its top-ranked individual athletes from the category A and one from category B. The same process as for the mixed team allocation will take place within regions for the sabre.

The final way for athletes to qualify is via the World Abilitysport Individual Ranking lists. Only countries who have not qualified a team in each respective weapon can receive slots here.

In team events ‘top ranked’ means a country has secured a place in the top 14 in the required lists, plus hosts USA.  Athletes may also qualify for any other individual event if they are ranked in the top 30, even if they have not qualified through one of the team methods.

This only represents the main features of the qualification system for wheelchair fencing for LA 2028. The full Qualification Regulations are available at paralympic.org and should be referred to by those hoping to qualify for the next Paralympics.

The release of the qualification regulations joins schedule announcements for LA 2028, including which medal events will take place on which day at the LA Convention Centre. Wheelchair fencing begins on 16 August, the day after the Opening Ceremony, and opens with the mixed team epee and mixed team foil. The full schedule by event can be viewed here.