Two finals, two European titles — and one extraordinary day for Poland’s para-fencers in Cardiff.
Poland won two team gold medals at the European Para-Fencing Championships on 8 October, with Kinga Dróżdż and Karolina Strawińska featuring in both victories. The women’s épée team defeated Ukraine 30–29 in a final decided by the last exchange, before the mixed sabre team beat France 20–12 for Poland’s second title of the day.
One point separates Poland and Ukraine
The first gold came through Dróżdż, Strawińska and Marta Fidrych in the women’s team épée.
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Their route to the final began with a 30–26 semi-final victory over France. Poland had trailed early in the match before turning the contest around and building a three-point advantage at 25–22. Fidrych then completed the win to send the team into the gold-medal match.
Ukraine provided an even harder test.
The Ukrainian team moved two points ahead at 15–13, but Strawińska helped swing the contest back towards Poland. Dróżdż then extended the advantage to 25–22, leaving Fidrych to face Yevheniia Breus in the final bout.
Ukraine fought back to 29–28.
With the European title hanging on the final action, a simultaneous hit gave both fencers a point — enough for Poland to reach 30 first and win 30–29.
Fidrych later described the responsibility of closing a team match as particularly intense, while Dróżdż pointed to the atmosphere within the Polish team and the willingness of all three athletes to fight for every point.
There was little time to savour the result before another Polish team was chasing gold.
A second title in the mixed sabre
Dróżdż and Strawińska returned for the mixed team sabre alongside Adrian Castro and Rafał Ziomek.
Once again, Ukraine stood between Poland and the final.
Dróżdż opened strongly against Breus, but Ukraine recovered and moved 15–12 ahead with only the final contest remaining. Castro then produced the decisive turnaround, outscoring Dmytro Serozhenko 8–3 to give Poland a 20–18 victory and a place in the final.
Against France, the Polish team took control much earlier.
Ziomek opened with a 5–3 win over Serge Robin. Strawińska added to the advantage, and after Castro’s bout against Laurent Vadon Poland led 15–9.
That left Dróżdż to finish the job. Her 5–3 victory over Clémence Delavoipière completed a 20–12 Polish win and secured the country’s second European title in a matter of hours.
Three medals already for Strawińska
The Cardiff championships have been particularly productive for Karolina Strawińska.
Thursday’s two golds took her personal tally to three medals, following the silver she had already won alongside Marta Fidrych, Norbert Całka and Rafał Pikoluk in the mixed team épée on the opening day of competition.
That earlier silver came in one of the new mixed-team formats introduced at the European Championships. World Para Fencing says more than 130 fencers from 14 countries are competing in Cardiff, with the championships running from 6 to 11 October.
The tournament is not over, meaning Poland’s final medal count may yet grow.
But whatever follows, 8 October has already given the team one of its defining days in Cardiff: a one-point thriller against Ukraine, a commanding final against France, and two Polish teams ending the evening as European champions.
