All competitions will be shown live at World Abilitysport’s YouTube channel, with expert commentary from Paralympians Cyril More and Lauryn DeLuca and Olympic and Paralympic fencing commentator, Karim Bashir. 

Let’s take a closer look at the epee which will see returning world champions as well as medallists from the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games go for gold. 

Women’s epee 

Hosts South Korea have their most promising medal prospect in the women’s epee category A. 

Hyo Kyeong Kwon made a stunning Paralympic debut in Paris, winning silver at the Grand Palais. Kwon has remained a threat into 2025 with a World Cup win in Pisa, Italy, and a silver in Eger, Hungary, allowing her to preserve her position as the world No.1. 

“I always think you never really know how a match will go until you actually play it. I do not just train for the World Championships. I always train hard for every competition, both international and national tournaments. I will do my best at this World Championships as well,” Kwon said in an interview earlier this month.   

Standing in the way of Kwon’s golden hopes at home will be China’s Paralympic champion Yuandong Chen. Look out also for British world No.2 Gemma Collis and Hong Kong, China’s, multiple Paralympic and worlds medallist, Yu Chui Yee. 

In the category B, Thailand’s Saysunee Jana will return to the piste for the first time since becoming the first woman to win Paralympic titles in all three weapons. All eyes will be on Jana to see if she can continue her form. 

Men’s epee 

The men’s epee category A and B has been dominated by British fencers in recent years. 

Like Jana, Great Britain’s top seed and defending world champion Piers Gilliver has kept everyone guessing in 2025, saving himself for Iksan 2025. 

There he will return to the men’s category A, potentially setting-up a clash with Türkiye’s Paris 2024 bronze medallist Hakan Akkaya. Gilliver will be keen to top the standings once more and add to his collection which now also includes Paris 2024 silver. 

Teammate Dimitri Coutya got his hands on a much-coveted gold medal last summer in the category B, improving on his bronze from Tokyo 2020.  

Coutya also makes his first appearance this year in Iksan where Latvia’s Olegs Garkuls-Gurlevics is amongst those awaiting him. The Latvian has had a storming 12 months, finishing on three World Cup podiums, to make his way to world No.2. 

Also targeting a good performance with the results to match is Thailand’s Visit Kingmanaw, the man Coutya beat to gold in Paris. 

In the men’s epee category C the main title contenders include Italy’s defending champion Leonardo Rigo, world No.1 Serhii Shavkun of Ukraine and his teammate Serhii Sheptitskyi, and another Latvian, Dimitrijs Valainis. These fencers made up the podium at the last World Championships in 2023 and return to the fray once more in Iksan. 

Team epee 

China’s Xufeng Zou, Yuangdon Chen and Kang Su joined forces at both Paris 2024 and Terni 2023 to win the double. They return and will be joined by Xiujian Wang in the women’s team epee. 

Korea might hope for another medal here too, with Kwon leading the charge alongside Sunmi Kim, Eun Hye Cho and Yejin Jo. 

China, Iraq and Great Britain are the ones to watch here as the Paralympic podium finishers. Iraq will be hoping for a repeat performance from the 2023 World Championships when they delivered an upset, beating China to gold. 

The Iksan 2025 Para Fencing World Championships will feature 240 fencers vying for medals in the men’s epee and foil category A, B and C, women’s epee and foil category A and B, men’s and women’s sabre category A and B as well as men’s and women’s team events, between 2-7 September. 

Iksan 2025 takes place exactly one year after the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games and three years before the LA 2028 Paralympics.