Coutya takes gold for Britain in wheelchair fencing

paul myers

Wed, 4 Sept 2024, 7:41 pm·2-min read

Just over 24 hours after failing in his bid to win the sabre event in the men's wheelchair fencing, Dimitri Coutya claimed the Paralympic gold medal for Britain in the foil with a dominant display over Yanke Feng from China.

Coutya secured his first Paralympic crown 15-7. His success in category B for fencers whose coordination is affected in the trunk and leg followed powerful displays throughout the sessions at the Grand Palais in central Paris.

"It has been a tough day emotionally and mentally," said the 26-year-old who won bronze in the foil in a five medal haul in Tokyo in 2021 and also competed at the Rio Paralympics in 2016. "But that's always the case with the Paralympic Games.

"The environment is incredibly stressful so handling that and being as consistent as possible was the biggest challenge. But I feel I handled it well enough."

Coutya, who sustained a spinal injury at the age of two after being knocked over by a car, initially played wheelchair basketball but switched to fencing in 2009 when he was 11.

Chance

Medal-winning performances at the UK School Games brought him to the attention of coaches in the British paralympics committee and an invitation to train with the squad competing at the Paralympic Games in 2012.

He attended the event in London as part of a programme aimed at inspiring potential Paralympians.

Moments after his victory, Coutya hailed the scheme. "It was an invaluable experience for me because it gave me a real taste of one of the most incredible Olympic and Paralympic Games. It was really brilliant."

"Because that's when people really, really mess it up."