“I called my wife to tell her to pack our bags.  We are heading to Rio!” said Wheelchair fencer Pierre Mainville (Saint-Colomban, QC) after he succeeded in his last chance to qualify for the Paralympic Games.  Mainville brought home the gold medal in Sabre B on Thursday at the Americas Championship in Sao Paulo, Brazil.

Perfect in poules, he earned a direct pass to the first round of the elimination table where he faced American Gerard Morena, and defeated him soundly by a score of 15-2.  Mainville then faced another American, Joseph Brinson, in the final and left nothing to chance. Mainville defeated Brinson 15-5 to take gold and the Americas berth at the Paralympic Games in Rio, his first gold medal in International competition!

Rio will be Mainville’s third Paralympic Games. His road to the Games was challenging due to an elbow injury that kept him out of some competitions over the past year and a half.

Mainville was on the podium again in the afternoon Thursday after competing in Men’s Epee B. He earned his second visit to the podium with a bronze medal win. Also making the podium yesterday were Matthieu Hebert and Sylvie Morel who both finished with a bronze medal in their competitions – Hebert in Men’s Epee A and Morel in Women’s Foil A.

Competition continues today in other weapons and categories.

-30-