British Fencing welcome Team USA to Wheelchair Fencing National Training Centre as international camp brings LA 2028 into focus
Team USA para fencers stepped up their preparations for a home Paralympic Games at LA 2028 by spending a week with the world-renowned British Fencing team at their University of Bath training base.
It is the first time the British team, featuring Paralympic gold-medallists Dimitri Coutya and Piers Gilliver, has opened its dedicated Wheelchair Fencing National Training Centre – based in the Team Bath Sports Training Village – up to other international squads.
The camp saw athletes from the two countries train alongside each other, enjoy high-level bouts and share knowledge ahead of the LA 2028 Paralympic qualification campaign, which begins later this year.
Eric Soyka, National Para Fencing Coach for Team USA, said: “Some of the best fencers in the world are here in Great Britain, so being able to fence them and get regular bouting time for a week is going to be enormously helpful to our athletes.
“We reached out to British Fencing to see what training opportunities we could share together as we prepare for the LA Paralympic cycle. A lot of our facilities in the US are split between the able-bodied and para fencing world, so to have access to somewhere that is fully dedicated to para fencing is wonderful.”
The 2026 para fencing season begins next week (19-22 February) with the first World Cup in Pisa, Italy. Further World Cups follow in Budapest, Florida and Thailand before the Brits get their two-year qualification campaign for LA 2028 under way on home soil when Cardiff hosts the European Championships from 6-11 October.
Visit teambath.com/fencing to find out more about fencing at the University of Bath.
