On 11 October, the Sport Wales National Centre in Cardiff hosted the penultimate day of the Cardiff 2026 Para Fencing European Championships; a six-day event that brought 132 athletes from 15 countries to the Welsh capital. Organised by British Fencing in partnership with UK Sport, it was the first European Championships in the discipline held in Britain since Sheffield in 2011 and, this time round, marked the first ranking competition in the qualification window for the LA  2028 Paralympic Games. A gold here in Cardiff therefore carried double the weight, with a European Title and a direct ticket to LA 2028.

In para fencing, as one of the oldest Paralympic sports in history dating back to the 1950s, international events are split into the same three disciplines as standing fencing: Foil, Épée and Sabre. These names represent the distinct weapons used and the disciplines mainly differ in how points are scored. In Épée, the whole body is a valid target but a fencer can only score with the point of their weapon, and there is no right of way so both fencers can score at once. Foil on the other hand, while also being point-only to score, only allows the torso as a valid target and does include a right of way to decide who receives the point when both fencers hit together. This can, for example, be related to who initiated the attack. Finally, Sabre is known for its speed, allowing points to be scored both with the cut of the blade as well as the point, and with the valid target including everything above the fencers’ waists. Regardless of impairment, all para fencers compete in wheelchairs that are fixed to the piste in stationary frames, which means that all three weapons rely heavily on upper-body movement and reach, rather than footwork. This makes the sport very engaging to watch, and showcased some incredible athleticism across the championships in Cardiff.