Paraná competes in the Wheelchair Fencing World Cup in the United Kingdom

First placed in the national Sword ranking and twentieth in the world ranking by Saber, Paraná parafencer Carminha de Oliveira embarks this Monday (8) for one of the biggest challenges of her career in Cardiff, capital of Wales, where she is participating in the World Cup of the World of Wheelchair Fencing. The competition held in the United Kingdom is worth a place to represent Brazil at the Paris-2024 Paralympics. The tournament will be held from January 11-13 at the National Sports Center for Wales.

Born in Foz do Iguaçu and raised in Guaraniaçu, in the western region of Paraná, Carminha represents the capital Curitiba in competitions, receiving encouragement from PROESPORTE/PR, Government of the State of Paraná and COPEL and with support from the Geração Olímpica and Paralímpica Program of the State of Paraná, Curitiba Municipal Sports Incentive Law and Federal Government Athlete Scholarship.

Owner of a series of impressive results at national and international level, Carminha has already been to Tokyo-2020, at the Games held in 2021 – due to the pandemic – and finished the competition in 16th place in the Espada modality. “The expectation for the World Cup in Cardiff is the best and for that I tried to improve, I made some adjustments and I trust in the work that has been developed and I think about doing my best to have an expressive result, to have a better score in the ranking and to get closer and closer to the vacancy”, says the para-fencer.

With atrophy in the lower part of her right leg caused by an expired polio vaccine she received at the age of three, the para-athlete discovered the Paralympic Movement when watching the Rio-2016 Games on television. It was then that Carminha met the Association of the Physically Disabled of Paraná (ADFP) and began to practice table tennis as a parasport.

“Then they invited me to take an experimental fencing class, I liked the sport, I trained from March to November 2016 and started competing in national competitions, that’s when I won my first title”, he adds. Then, in 2017 came the first call-up to the Brazilian National Team, in which Carminha de Oliveira continues to this day. In 2021 came her participation in the Tokyo Paralympics, in Espada, and now the para-athlete is trying to fulfill her dream of reaching the Games once again.

fencing weapons

Sword, Saber and Foil are the three weapons of fencing. All are worth one point at a time, when the opponent is hit. The Sword is a high-end touch weapon. It’s worth touching any part from the waist up: torso, arms, hands, mask. Remembering that, as it is a sport played in a wheelchair, the lower limbs are disregarded for touch and scoring.

The Foil is a convention weapon, which means that it is necessary to follow a rule to validate the touch. The tip touch has priority, that is, it needs to hit the opponent’s weapon before touching. Touching the vital regions of the body is considered valid – in the area equivalent to a tank top.

The Saber is also a convention weapon. Touching can occur on the tip or side of any area of ​​the body, from the waist up: torso, arms, hands and mask, in a metallized vest. The touch is only valid for whoever touches the opponent first.

Versatile, Carminha de Oliveira has good results in all three weapons, which increases her chances of being in the Paralympic Games. “I play all three weapons, the Sword, Saber and Foil. The main chance today of getting into the place for Paris-2024 is the foil and, if I trust in training all three, but what is giving the most chance of a place today is the foil”, concludes the para-athlete.