GB’s greatest wheelchair fencer Dimitri Coutya ready to lead next generation

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Dimitri Coutya is relishing his role nurturing the next generation of British fencing talent as he eyes up a landmark tenth European crown.

The two-time Paralympic champion, 28, is gearing up for the continental showpiece in Cardiff next month as one of the more experienced members of a youthful British team.

Fourteen home fencers will descend on the Welsh capital hoping to make their mark in the first European-based qualification event ahead of the Los Angeles 2028 Paralympics.

Coutya is a two-time Paralympic, four-time world and eight-time European champion since bursting onto the international scene as a teenager 14 years ago.

And while he ramps up preparation for a third consecutive pair of individual European golds in his epee and foil B events, he hopes sharing his insight with younger members of the team can also help them follow in his footsteps.

“I’ve been finding a lot of meaning in it recently,” he said. “I’m pretty experienced as an athlete now – I’ve been fencing for 17 years and internationally competing for 14 years.

“So, I’m 28, but in some ways, I feel like a bit of an old boy now doing this. I feel proud that, at least at some point in my career, I could say, ‘hey, I’ve done these things, and I’ve achieved what I dreamt of doing when I first started the sport.’

“With it comes a lot of pressure as well – I’m wanting to try and set an example to the newer athletes and the less experienced athletes coming through.

“I feel like it’s good to try and give back to the sport a little bit. I’ve learned so much about myself through doing this sport and achieved so much from it, so to be able to now try and help guide others on a similar journey feels the right thing to do at the moment.

“I’m constantly trying to find ways to do that better, but I’m really enjoying the process so far.”

Next month’s event will take place at the Sport Wales National Centre and marks the first time the European Championships have been held in Cardiff.

Coutya first grabbed gold on the continental stage in the Italian city of Terni back in 2018 before claiming a landmark four triumphs in Warsaw four years later – including in the two team events – and three in Paris ahead of the Paralympics in 2024.

After winning a pair of individual bronzes in Tokyo, he upgraded those to two golds in unforgettable fashion to mark himself out as the planet’s dominant force in his classification.

Global glory in Iksan, South Korea followed last year as Coutya arrives in Cardiff as the reigning Paralympic, world and European champion.

The Bath-based star can’t wait to compete back on home British soil and hopes to use the event as a stepping stone towards a fourth Paralympics at LA28.

“I think it’s always special,” he added. “It’s really exciting, and I feel proud to be able to say that the UK are hosting major championships like this now.

“It’s always such a special feeling to be performing in front of friends and family. You want to put on a good show for them, so it’s wonderful to be having a Europeans on home soil.

“If I managed to double gold here, it would be third time in a row that I’ve managed to do it. That’s a personal little challenge that would be nice to have, but in terms of longer-term preparation, this is just the first stepping stone for LA, which is the real target.”

The Para Fencing European Championships will be held in Cardiff on the 6-11 October 2026, seeing athletes from across Europe compete in the first qualification event for the Los Angeles 2028 Paralympic Games. For more information and tickets visit here

Sportsbeat