Jovane Guissone wins first ever gold in fencing in the Paralympics

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Publicado em Quarta, 05 Setembro 2012 20:48

This Wednesday (05.09), Jovane Guissone won Brazil?s first ever gold medal in wheelchair fencing in the epee at the London Paralympic Games. At the Excel Arena, in the final he beat his opponent from Hong Kong, Chik Tam, 15-14.

The new Paralympic champion had many fights during the competition. In the qualifying round, he lost two and won two. "I didn?t start very well, lost two fights and thought that I wouldn?t qualify for the final phase". In the gold medal fight, the Brazilian had to come back from behind, as at one time he was losing 13-11. "I was nervous, but managed to get my game in. In the end, when I managed to draw level 14-14, I saw that I had to risk it and attack to take the gold", he pointed out.

Guissone made sure to thank the support given by the Athlete Grant Programme so he could train for London 2012. According to him, the programme of the Ministry of Sport helped him a lot in his preparation. "Without the grant I?m nothing. It is with the grant that I support myself. My day-to-day life is focused on the sport and these funds pay for my training and expenses", he explained, a little after receiving the first ever medal for Brazil in the sport.

The athlete from the state of Rio Grande do Sul lost the movement in this legs when he was shot, reacting to a robbery. Jovane started practicing fencing in 2008 and in 2011, became the first Brazilian to manage a podium finish in an international competition, when he won the bronze in the World Cup in Canada. This year, he improved his performance and was silver in the World Cup in Germany.

Wheelchair fencing
Brazil was represented by a man in the sport for the first time at the London Games. The sport is practiced by amputees and people with spinal injuries or cerebral palsy. The chairs are fixed in place to the ground with frames made from carbon fibre. The metal platform is 1.5m by 4m and the distance between fencers is determined by the one who has the shortest arm.

In the fights with the epee and foil, points are scored is the tip of the weapon touches the adversary's torso. In the fight with the sabre, points are scored if the tip as well as the blade of the weapon touches an opponent. There are three weapons: foil (men and women), epee (men and women) and sabre (men).

Rafael Brais, from London
Photo: Luciana Vermell/CPB
Ascom - Ministry of Sport
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