Thailand’s Saysunee Jana won her third Paralympic title and seventh medal overall at the Grand Palais on Tuesday (3 September), further cementing her status as one of wheelchair fencing’s most prolific athletes.

Jana’s win showed her incredible ability to adapt and deliver in different weapons over a career spanning three decades – her previous two golds from Athens 2004 and London 2012 were in epee.

Her other six silvers and bronze have been won in epee and foil.

But China’s Tokyo 2020 bronze medallist Xiao Rong did not make it easy in the final. Rong built up a four-point lead, forcing Jana to spring into action to draw the match level at 11-11.

The pair then traded blows and with the score level at 14-14, it was Jana who landed the deciding hit.

“I had to be very fast because it was very close. If I took more time, it wouldn’t go my way,” Jana said. “I feel very happy and relieved. It’s the first, and it’s special. I’ve never beaten Xiao [Rong] until now.”

Germany’s Maurice Schmidt finished 10^th in the men’s sabre category A on his Paralympic debut at Tokyo 2020 three years ago. On Tuesday the 25-year-old topped the podium.

His opponent and silver medallist, Great Britain’s defending epee title-holder and World Championships sabre medallist Piers Gilliver, also fenced his way to his first Paralympic sabre final.

In the match, with the score 8-8, Schmidt managed to pull away without conceding another point.

“It’s incredible. I beat opponents I never thought I would beat here. I’m so happy. It all went perfectly,” the German said. “All the training, all the years, all the people that helped me on the way, I’m so thankful. I can’t believe it right now.

“I was so confident, and everything worked today. It was the perfect day.”

Italy’s Edoardo Giordan reached the first Paralympic podium of his career with a win against Ukraine’s Andrii Demchuk in their bronze medal match.

“It’s my first Paralympic medal so you can imagine, I’m in paradise. It’s one of the best days of my life,” Giordan said.

Ukraine’s Olena Fedota-Isaieva secured her second consecutive top three Paralympic Games finish with bronze, to follow on from her silver three years ago. Isaieva beat China’s Ao Lanzhu.

“Today I wanted gold. I was really sad when I lost the semi-final but I take all my power to not cry. I know it means that (when) you lose, the next fight you can’t fight if you’re crying,” Fedota-Isaieva said.

“So I do everything not to start crying, and won bronze.”

Yanke Feng became the first Paralympic champion in wheelchair fencing at Paris 2024 in the men’s sabre category B after a very tight match with Poland’s Michal Dabrowski.

Dabrowski was on a march having put himself in the final at his first Paralympic Games.

The pair traded blows – and the lead – to provide a fantastic showcase of wheelchair fencing for the watching fans.

But it was Feng who just had the edge, sealing the victory by just one point.

China’s Jie Zhang opened China’s account just a few moments before Yang’s victory. He took bronze at his first Games against Poland’s Adrian Castro, knocking him off the podium for the first time in the sabre since Rio 2016.

China’s Haiyan Gu was the victor in the women’s sabre category A, adding to her gold from foil at Tokyo 2020.

Her opponent, Poland’s Kinga Drozdz, left the last Games disappointed having had high hopes the weapon.

This time, despite not taking the gold, Drozdz can still be delighted with her first Paralympic medal.

Elsewhere on the podium French crowds hoped to roar athletes to some of their best results, none more so than Paralympic debutant Brianna Vide.

The 24-year-old landed in the bronze medal match after felling Ukraine’s Tokyo 2020 podium finisher Yevheniia Breus to advance in the repechage.

Unfortunately for Vide and the packed crowds at the Grand Palais, the podium was one step too far for the Frenchwoman.

Georgia’s Nina Tibilashvili – the silver medallist from Tokyo 2020 – held off Bride for a 15-11 victory and a well-deserved bronze.

“This medal is, for me, maybe gold, because today I was very nervous, and today everything for me was very emotional. And now I’m happy, so, so happy,” Tibilashvili said. “Thank you to all my opponents. They are great fencers.

“It’s the Paralympic Games, and it’s a great competition and I tried to do my best.”

The Paris 2024 Paralympic Games continue on Wednesday (3 September) with the men’s and women’s foil category A and B.

Ninety-seven of the world’s best wheelchair fencers from 21 delegations – including the Refugee Paralympic Team – are competing at the iconic Grand Palais until 7 September in individual events in men’s and women’s epee, foil and sabre and team events in foil and epee.

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