Hungary’s multiple Paralympic, European and world medallist Richard Osvath is hungry to secure the wheelchair fencing Paralympic gold that has so far escaped him, with two years to go until the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games.

Osvath has won five medals at all three levels in the last two years alone, including gold in the men’s foil category A at the 2017 IWAS Wheelchair Fencing World Championships. But he has never been able to call himself a Paralympic champion.

He is currently building towards the 2018 IWAS Wheelchair Fencing European Championships in Terni, Italy, from 17-23 September. He believes that will be a key stop on his toad to Tokyo 2020.

Speaking from a five-week long training camp, Osvath said: “I would like to win a gold medal in the Paralympics. I have already won every kind of medal but the most important is still missing.”

The Hungarian is also the world No.1 in the foil having claimed gold at his home World Cup in Eger in February.

In the sabre Osvath beat Ukraine’s Paralympic champion Andriy Demchuk to the win at the same competition in a rematch of their Rio 2016 Paralympics final. 

Osvath is taking inspiration from all of his results in 2018, not just the positive ones.

“I am absolutely satisfied with my results achieved this year. I didn’t win every competition, but that’s fine since I am motivated by failure,” he said.

Of his competitors, both for Terni 2018 and further head to Tokyo 2020, Osvath refused to name the athletes who keep him awake at night.

“There are several excellent fencers with whom you have to fight hard. I don’t say names because they can read these words encouraging them,” he said with a smile.  “I always prepare for the competition to stand at the highest level of the podium, as well this is my current goal, however I am sure there will be some athletes who would like to stop me.”

The Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games will feature 4,400 athletes who will compete in 537 medal events in 22 sports between 25 August – 6 September.

Wheelchair fencing will see nearly 100 athletes compete in foil, sabre and epee category A and category C indvidual and team events.

More information and results from the 2018 IWAS Wheelchair Fencing European Championships can be found here. Entries can be viewed here.