Shock at the Grand Palais. Double reigning Paralympic champion, Beatrice Maria Vio Grandis, known as “Bebe Vio”, fell in the semi-finals of the wheelchair fencing foil tournament against China’s Xiao Rong (15-9), on Wednesday, September 4. The Italian, visibly bothered by the strap of her wheelchair – to the point of requesting a technical break at the start of the match – never seemed able to reverse the course of the match.
In tears at the end of the final touch, Bebe Vio did not keep, under the glass roof of this jewel of the Beaux-Arts style, the crowns that she had successively conquered in Rio (2016) then Tokyo (2021). The Transalpine consoled itself in the repechage by winning bronze, a metal to which it had not been accustomed for many years.
“I’m so happy with this medal. I’m very proud to have won it in front of my family, my friends, my team members, enjoyed the Italian after her match. My opponent this morning was just better than me. You know, just because you win gold once doesn’t mean you’re always going to [le] win. And then I still have a chance tomorrow [jeudi, en fleuret par équipes]. »
The fact remains that this defeat in the semi-final was felt like an earthquake. A world star of wheelchair fencing who commands admiration and respect, Bebe Vio is a sporting icon. One of those who make the front pages of international magazines (Rolling Stones, Vanity Fair…) or who invite themselves to the table of the powerful, like the former president of the United States Barack Obama. In Italy, she is as famous as the queen of swimming Federica Pellegrini. She also founded the association Art4Sport, which helps amputee children to access sports. This Wednesday, the aisles of the Grand Palais had never counted so manyThe Tricolourthe Italian flag, only for the entry into the competition of the 27-year-old champion.
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Having had all four limbs amputated at the age of 11 following a devastating bout of meningitis – which also left her disfigured – and after a year spent in hospitals and rehabilitation sessions, the young woman, without arms or legs, found the strength to rebuild herself on the fencing piste. With the help of a prosthesis specially designed to allow her to hold a foil. Her aggressive style, like a wasp darting its weapon at her opponents, quickly made her the queen of the discipline, winner of multiple medals in international competitions, and the public’s favourite.
She “causes controversy in the community”
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