Paralympic Fencing

I bet you didn't know that wheelchair fencing was a Paralympic sport! It was introduced at the 1960 Paralympic Games in Rome, and more than 20 countries particiapte.

In the able-bodied sport of Fencing, two fencers compete on a 14-metre strip. In Wheelchair Fencing, the competition is static. The wheelchairs are fixed in place to the ground by metal frames and the chair is preferably clamped to both sides of the frame to keep the chair from tipping. The fencer with the shortest arms decides if the playing area will be at his distance or that of his opponent. One hand holds the fencing weapon and the other is used to hold onto the chair when lunging and recovering.

Pretty cool, huh? Check out this video I found on YouTube:


Foil and epee wheelchair fencing are open to both men and women, but saber is limited to men. That seems a little unfair to me, considering how well our women's able-bodied saber fencing team is doing in international competitions right now.