Zsuzsanna Krajnyák (born 23 December 1978) is a Hungarian Paralympic wheelchair fencer. She has won 11 medals at the Paralympic Games, with the first two coming at the

2000 Summer Paralympics The 2000 Summer Paralympic Games or the XI Summer Paralympics were held in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, between 18 and 29 October. The Sydney Paralympics was last time that the Summer Paralympics which were organized by two different ...

in Sydney, where she won two bronze medals. She has also won medals at European and World Championships. Krajnyák was nominated for the Laureus World Sports Award for Sportsperson of the Year with a Disability in 2006.

Early life

Krajnyák was born on 23 December 1978. With her left leg have a

birth defect A birth defect, also known as a congenital disorder, is an abnormal condition that is present at birth regardless of its cause. Birth defects may result in disabilities that may be physical, intellectual, or developmental. The disabilities ca ...

, Krajnyák became a swimmer when she was six. She then moved on to fencing and

wheelchair fencing Wheelchair fencing is a version of fencing for athletes with a disability. Wheelchair fencing is governed by the International Wheelchair and Amputee Sports Federation that is a federation of the International Paralympic Committee, and is one o ...

Career

International Wheelchair and Amputee Sports Federation The International Wheelchair and Amputee Sports Federation (IWAS) is an international sports organisation that governs sports for athletes with physical impairments. IWAS is a registered charity with its headquarters located at Aylesbury Colle ...

competitions, Krajnyák competed at the European Championships from 2001 to 2018 as a wheelchair fencer. With her performances at the epee,

foil Foil may refer to: Materials * Foil (metal), a quite thin sheet of metal, usually manufactured with a rolling mill machine * Metal leaf, a very thin sheet of decorative metal * Aluminium foil, a type of wrapping for food * Tin foil, metal foil ...

, and team events, Krajnyák won a total of ten medals. Krajnyák also won gold at the 2017 World Championships in the women's épée A event. As a World Cup competitor in Class A events, she was beaten by

Gemma Collis-McCann Gemma Collis-McCann (born 10 October 1992) is a British Paralympic wheelchair fencer who competed in the Paralympics in 2012 and 2016. She is vice-chair of the International Wheelchair and Amputee Sports Federation's Wheelchair Fencing Athlete ...

in the deciding match of the women's epee during the 2018 World Cup in Montreal. She received a silver medal after losing the match 15–13. During the Montreal event, Krajnyák also won gold in women's foil. At the

IWAS World Games The International Wheelchair and Amputee Sports (IWAS) World Games (or IWAS World Games) are a multi-sport competition for athletes with a disability, which were the forerunner of the Paralympic Games. The competition has been formerly known as t ...

, Krajnyák received gold at the women's foil event during the 2019 edition.

Paralympics

Krajnyák first competed in the Paralympics at the

where she won a bronze in the foil and épée events. Alongside a bronze in the épée event at the

2004 Summer Paralympics ) , nations = 136 , athletes = 3,806 , events = 519 in 19 sports , opening = 17 September , closing = 28 September , opened_by = President Costis Stephanopoulos , cauldron = Georgios Toptsis , stadium = Olympi ...

, Krajnyák also won a silver in the women's team foil and épée. After not medalling at the

2008 Summer Paralympics The 2008 Summer Paralympic Games (), the 13th Summer Paralympic Games, took place in Beijing, China from September 6 to 17, 2008. As with the 2008 Summer Olympics, equestrian events were held in Hong Kong and sailing events in Qingdao. It was f ...

, Krajnyak won silver medals in the individual and team épée events in the

2012 Summer Paralympics The 2012 Summer Paralympics, branded as the London 2012 Paralympic Games, were an international multi-sport parasports event held from 29 August to 9 September 2012 in London, England, United Kingdom. They were the 14th Summer Paralympic Gam ...

. In 2016, she earned two Paralympic medals. She earned a silver medal in the team foil competition with a bronze in the team épée and individual foil competitions at the

2016 Summer Paralympics The 2016 Summer Paralympics (), the 15th Summer Paralympic Games, were a major international multi-sport event for disabled sports, athletes with disabilities governed by the International Paralympic Committee, held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, fro ...

. In the postponed 2020 Summer Paralympics in Tokyo she was part of Poland's team with Eva Hajmasi and Gyongyi Dani and they achieved the bronze medal position in the women's team foil. The silver and gold medals were taken by Italy and China respectively.

Awards and honours

In 2006, Krajnyák was nominated for the Laureus World Sports Award for Sportsperson of the Year with a Disability. In 2016, Krajnyák was named the Disabled Sportswoman of the Year by the Hungarian Sports Journalists Association. Krajnyák was also a co-winner of the disabled team of the year award by the Hungarian Sports Journalists’ Association for 2021. In January 2022 the wheel chair fencing team of Krajnyák, Gyöngyi Dani, Dr. Boglárka Mező Madarászné and Éva Hajmási were Hungary's "best disabled team of the year".

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Krajnyak, Zsuzsanna 1978 births Wheelchair fencers at the 2000 Summer Paralympics Wheelchair fencers at the 2004 Summer Paralympics Wheelchair fencers at the 2008 Summer Paralympics Wheelchair fencers at the 2012 Summer Paralympics Wheelchair fencers at the 2016 Summer Paralympics Wheelchair fencers at the 2020 Summer Paralympics Paralympic silver medalists for Hungary Paralympic bronze medalists for Hungary Hungarian female épée fencers Living people Medalists at the 2000 Summer Paralympics Medalists at the 2004 Summer Paralympics Medalists at the 2012 Summer Paralympics Medalists at the 2016 Summer Paralympics Medalists at the 2020 Summer Paralympics Paralympic medalists in wheelchair fencing Paralympic wheelchair fencers of Hungary Hungarian female foil fencers Place of birth missing (living people) 21st-century Hungarian women