Georgian wheelchair fencer wins gold in World Cup competition

A Georgian fencer has triumphed at the Wheelchair Fencing World Cup in Paris, France, adding her new gold medal to the silver she won at the World Championships in September.

Irma Khetsuriani won the World Cup competition on Thursday after pipping six other competitors in the Senior Women’s Sabre category. Her final match against Poland’s Patrycja Hareza was a tough game but Khetsuriani emerged victorious with a score of 15-9.

Before reaching the final the Georgian athlete celebrated a string of victories against contestants from France, Greece, the United Kingdom, Poland and Ukraine during the qualifying stage of competition.

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

The Georgian fencer’s latest international result follows her silver medal at the World Championships in Eger, Hungary last month. There she won all of her group stage matches before being defeated by Poland’s Tetiana Pozdniak in the women’s Sabre B final.

Khetsuriani is Georgia’s first female wheelchair fencer. She was left wheelchair-bound after suffering from a spinal disease but found her calling when Georgia’s Paralympic Committee suggested she try wheelchair fencing.

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

Georgia’s Ministry of Sport and Youth Affairs said Khetsuriani hoped to compete in another World Cup stage before this year’s season concluded.