WELSH GOLD: HAT-TRICK FOR COUTYA WITH FOIL VICTORY

Dimitri Coutya added individual men’s foil B gold to his epee and sabre on day five at the 2026 Para Fencing European Championships in Cardiff. The first GBR para fencer to win individual gold in all three weapons at a European Championships.

10th October 2026 – GBR at a glance:

Individual Men’s Foil B: Gold

Medal tally: 4 bronze, 3 gold

Dimitri Coutya smiles holding up a medal and dragon plush toy. The silver medallist is next to him. — *Image: Luke Simcock*

On the fifth day of the Cardiff 2026 European Championships, Dimitri Coutya secured another title: this time gold in the men’s foil B. This came only one day after achieving gold in the men’s sabre B, and three days after he won the men’s epee B.

In doing so, Coutya made history by becoming the first-ever GBR para fencer to win gold in all three weapons at a European Championships.

Four foil para fencers are on a podium smiling to the camera and wearing medals. Two officials are behind them. — *Image: Luke Simcock*

Ranked second going into the competition, Coutya was exempt from the poule fights and went straight into the direct elimination round. He sailed through his first fight to win 15-1 against Istvan Gergely (HUN) in the tableau of 16. He then faced Dmytro Serozhenko in the quarterfinal, the two fighting neck-and-neck until Coutya pulled away, leading and closing the fight out 15-8.

After earning a place on the podium, Coutya’s next fight was against Ukraine’s Oleg Naumenko. The Ukrainian made a dominant start, leading 7-1. With resilience and patience, however, Coutya made a brilliant comeback, winning the fight 15-12.

In the final, Coutya fought Italy’s Michele Massa for the title of European Champion. The battle was back-and-forth: an initial lead from Coutya being rapidly closed by Massa. Once again, a cool and calm temperament from Coutya allowed him to maintain his lead. He scored the remaining touches to take the score to 15-9, earning the title of European Champion.

Dimitri Coutya celebrates a win by yelling and raising his fist. Spectators are watching — *Image: Luke Simcock*

After winning gold, Dimitri spoke about his day:

“It was a tough day today, mentally. Particularly the opponents I’m fencing, they were constantly changing, constantly adapting, and the fights were running away from me, particularly at the start of quite a few of them. So I had to really battle through and keep the focus going. It made the medal all the more special.”

He added:

“I really didn’t know what to expect coming here. I’m really happy to have come away with these results, but again, it’s a testament to the work that the team around me, and my friends and family, have put in to help get me into the shape I’m in today. A big thank you to all of them.”

Image: Luke Simcock

BF Head of Paralympic Performance, Chris Price, said of Coutya’s performance and the lead-up to the event:

“In a word, incredible. I think that if people understood the journey that Dim [Dimitri] has been on over the last three, four months, it only serves to make the story of this championship even more incredible than it already is. As far as I’m aware, he is the first GBR para fencer to win three gold medals, across the three weapons, at the same Championships.”

Follow the action in Cardiff:

View the full timetable on the event webpage.

Follow the event on BF social media: BF Instagram, BF Facebook

The event is livestreamed via the World Abilitysport YouTube channel.

Tickets for the event are available to buy here.

Photos will be uploaded to the BF Digital Portal here.

Follow the results via Fencing Time Live here.

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Listen to “Off Piste”, the immersive, accessible audio experience of the event here: