Fencing – Summer Games 2024

There are individual and team events, involving three types of weapons (the foil, the sabre and the épée), each of which has unique characteristics. In the individual competition, the fencer who has the most points at the end of regular time, wins the duel. In the teams competition, the first team to reach

45 points, or the team with the most points at the end of the match, wins. The Fencing events will unfold against a spectacular backdrop, under the great glass-dome roof of the Grand Palais: an unmissable event.

Schedule

Records

Individual Records:

• Most Olympic Gold Medals in Individual Foil (Men):

• Edoardo Mangiarotti (Italy) - Won a total of four gold medals in individual foil (1952, 1956, 1960, and 1964).

• Most Olympic Gold Medals in Individual Sabre (Men):

• Viktor Krovopuskov (Soviet Union) - Won a total of four gold medals in individual sabre (1960, 1964, 1968, and 1972).

• Most Olympic Gold Medals in Individual Epee (Men):

• Aladar Gerevich (Hungary) - Won a total of three gold medals in individual epee (1932, 1936, and 1948).

• Most Olympic Gold Medals in Individual Foil (Women):

• Valentina Vezzali (Italy) - Won a total of three gold medals in individual foil (2000, 2004, and 2008).

• Most Olympic Gold Medals in Individual Sabre (Women):

• Mariel Zagunis (United States) - Won two gold medals in individual sabre (2004 and 2008).

• Most Olympic Gold Medals in Individual Epee (Women):

• Timea Nagy (Hungary) - Won two gold medals in individual epee (1996 and 2000).

Team Records:

• Most Consecutive Olympic Gold Medals in Team Foil (Men):

• Italy won seven consecutive gold medals in the men's team foil event from 1932 to 1960.

• Most Consecutive Olympic Gold Medals in Team Sabre (Men):

• Hungary won six consecutive gold medals in the men's team sabre event from 1932 to 1960.

• Most Consecutive Olympic Gold Medals in Team Epee (Men):

• Italy won five consecutive gold medals in the men's team epee event from 1920 to 1936.

• Most Consecutive Olympic Gold Medals in Team Foil (Women):

• Soviet Union/Russia won five consecutive gold medals in the women's team foil event from 1960 to 1976.

• Most Consecutive Olympic Gold Medals in Team Sabre (Women):

• Soviet Union/Russia won five consecutive gold medals in the women's team sabre event from 1988 to 2000.

• Most Consecutive Olympic Gold Medals in Team Epee (Women):

• France won five consecutive gold medals in the women's team epee event from 1996 to 2012.

Miscellaneous Records:

• Oldest Olympic Fencing Champion:

• Ramón Fonst (Cuba) won a gold medal in individual foil at the 1924 Paris Games at the age of 44.

• Youngest Olympic Fencing Champion:

• Michel Pécheux (France) won a gold medal in team foil at the 1948 London Games at the age of 16.

Did you know that..

1. Ancient Roots: Fencing has ancient roots, and it was one of the original sports included in the modern Olympic Games when they were revived in 1896.

2. Three Disciplines: Fencing in the Summer Games consists of three disciplines: foil, épée, and sabre. Each has its own rules and scoring system.

3. Foil: In foil fencing, the valid target area is the torso, excluding the arms and head. The tip of the foil must make contact with this target area to score points.

4. Épée: Épée is the only discipline where the entire body is a valid target. Points are scored by hitting any part of the opponent's body with the tip of the épée.

5. Sabre: Sabre is a fast-paced discipline where points can be scored by hitting any part of the opponent's body above the waist, excluding the hands. It emphasizes quick and aggressive attacks.