Saysunee Jana

{{Infobox fencer

| name = Saysunee Jana

| image = 2024 Summer Paralympics women's wheelchair fencing, France v Thailand - épée (11) (cropped).jpg

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| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1974|6|15|df=y}}

| birth_place = Chiang Mai, Thailand{{cite web |last1=Hodal |first1=Kate |date=5 September 2012 |title=Thailand's 'unbeatable' wheelchair fencer aims for more Paralympic gold |url=https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2012/sep/05/thailands-unbeatable-fencer-expected-win-gold |accessdate=31 December 2019 |website=The Guardian}}

| weapon = Épée, Foil and Sabre

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| country = {{THA}}

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| show-medals = yes

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{{MedalCount

| Paralympic Games | 5|1|4

| World Championships| 5|3|4

| Asian Para Games | 3|7|4

}}

Saysunee Jana ({{Langx|th|สายสุนีย์ จ๊ะนะ}}; born 15 June 1974) is a Thai wheelchair fencer. She became Thailand's first female Paralympic gold medalist when she won the Épée B event at the 2004 Athens Paralympics. She has won five gold, one silver, and four bronze medals in total from six appearances at the Paralympic Games.

Early life and career

When she was 17, Jana was in a motorcycle crash which resulted in her breaking her back and leaving both of her legs paralysed.

Jana first participated in the Paralympic Games in 2004 where she won a gold medal in the Épée B event and a bronze medal in the Foil B event. This made her Thailand's first female Paralympic gold medalist. She won another bronze medal at the 2008 games, a gold medal at the 2012 games and a silver medal at the 2016 games, all of which were in Épée B events.{{cite web |title=Saysunee Jana - Wheelchair Fencing {{!}} Paralympic Athlete Profile |url=https://www.paralympic.org/saysunee-jana |website=International Paralympic Committee |accessdate=2 January 2020 |language=en}} She competed at the 2024 games where she won gold medals in the sabre B,{{cite web |title=Wheelchair Fencing - Women's Sabre Category B Gold Medal Bout |url=https://www.paralympic.org/en/paris-2024-paralympics/results/wheelchair-fencing/women-s-sabre-category-b/fnl-000100-- |work=Paris 2024 Paralympics |access-date=3 September 2024}} foil B{{cite web |title=Wheelchair Fencing - Women's Foil Category B Gold Medal Bout Bout 28|url=https://www.paralympic.org/en/paris-2024-paralympics/results/wheelchair-fencing/women-s-foil-category-b/fnl-000100-- |work=Paris 2024 Paralympics |access-date=5 September 2024}} and épée B{{cite web |title=Wheelchair Fencing - Women's Épée Category B Gold Medal Bout Bout 28 |url=https://www.paralympic.org/en/paris-2024-paralympics/results/wheelchair-fencing/women-s-epee-category-b/fnl-000100-- |work=Paris 2024 Paralympics |access-date=6 September 2024}} individual events and a bronze medal in the épée team event for the first time and the first medal of the Thai team.{{cite web |title=WHEELCHAIR FENCING - WOMEN'S ÉPÉE TEAM BRONZE MEDAL MATCH BOUT 15 |url=https://www.paralympic.org/en/paris-2024-paralympics/results/wheelchair-fencing/women-s-epee-team/fnl-000200-- |work=Paris 2024 Paralympics |access-date=7 September 2024}} She was also the flag bearer for Thailand at the opening ceremony of the 2012 Paralympic Games in London{{cite web |title=List of Opening Ceremony flag bearers |url=https://www.paralympic.org/news/list-opening-ceremony-flag-bearers |website=International Paralympic Committee |accessdate=2 January 2020 |language=en}} and the 2024 Paralympic Games in Paris.{{cite web |title=JANA Saysunee |url=https://www.paralympic.org/en/paris-2024-paralympics/athlete/saysunee-jana_3495754 |work=Paris 2024 Paralympics |access-date=6 September 2024}} ([https://olympics.com/en/paris-2024-paralympics/athlete/saysunee-jana_3495754 alternate link], [https://paris2024.rtve.es/es/paris-2024-paralimpicos/atleta/saysunee-jana_3495754 alternate link 2]) In 2024 she became the first female wheelchair fencer to win three gold medals, one in each of the three wheelchair fencing disciplines (sabre, foil and epee) or all types of the fencing weapons, at any Paralympics.{{Cite web|url=https://www.bangkokpost.com/sports/2861203/saysunee-makes-history-with-paralympics-fencing-treble|title=Saysunee makes history with Paralympics fencing treble|via=www.bangkokpost.com}}{{cite web |title=JANA Saysunee: World’s first female wheelchair fencer to secure trio of Paralympic titles|url=https://wheelchair-fencing.org/news/jana-worlds-first-female-wheelchair-fencer-to-secure-trio-of-paralympic-titles/ |website=www.wheelchair-fencing.org |access-date=6 September 2024}}

This also made her the second wheelchair fencer in any Paralympics to win three gold medals in individual fencing, the first being Roberto Marson in 1968.

References

External links

{{IPC athlete | saysunee-jana}}
[https://web.archive.org/web/20210924105327/https://www.paralympic.org/tokyo-2020/athletes?individualId=220c2561-4f07-39c8-9925-6fe187a8753b Saysunee Jana at the IPC Tokyo 2020 website]

Saysunee Jana

Category:Paralympic medalists in wheelchair fencing

Category:Medalists at the 2004 Summer Paralympics

Category:Medalists at the 2008 Summer Paralympics

Category:Medalists at the 2012 Summer Paralympics

Category:Medalists at the 2016 Summer Paralympics

Category:Medalists at the 2020 Summer Paralympics

Category:Wheelchair fencers at the 2004 Summer Paralympics

Category:Wheelchair fencers at the 2008 Summer Paralympics

Category:Wheelchair fencers at the 2012 Summer Paralympics

Category:Wheelchair fencers at the 2016 Summer Paralympics

Category:Wheelchair fencers at the 2020 Summer Paralympics