Similar to boxing, success in fencing depends on the fencer's ability to judge distance. While trying to stay out of an opponent's reach, the fencer must get close enough to strike when the opponent is least prepared.
In the dueling days of old, the man who lived won. Though the sport has come a long way, it is not without its dangers. As recently as 1980, Soviet Vladimir LAPITSKY was nearly killed in a team foil semifinal when his opponent's foil managed to penetrate his chest wall. While he survived, his teammate, Vladimir SMIRNOV, was killed in a similar incident at the 1982 world championships.
Spectators new to the sport will find it surprisingly difficult to follow due to the quickness of parries and thrusts. The sport is easier to watch when you focus on the fencer. Two fencers, competing on a long, narrow strip, move so fast that the hits are scored electronically. Unfortunately for the uninitiated, winning is more than just a matter of who touches whom. Everything is based on touches and rights of way (see Spectator's Guide to Fencing for details).
No country's teammates have better mastered the combination of timing and agility than Hungary. A Hungarian won the individual sabre title at every Olympic Games between 1908 and 1964 except when they did not attend in 1920 due to World War I. Aladar GEREVICH headed the effort. He alone won 10 Olympic medals, nine with a sabre. Bence SZABO's recent win in Barcelona recalled those glory days. Hungary strongly dominated the team sabre event as well, garnering eight consecutive titles until they were ousted by the Soviets in 1964.
Surprisingly, Hungary ranks third in medals won, behind France and Italy. Of all the fencers in Olympic history, none were better known than two Italians. In 1920, Nedo NADI won three gold medals and one silver. But there was one man who was better: his brother. Aldo NEDI set what may remain an all-time Olympic record: five gold medals in the Antwerp Games. For more than a decade, Aldo remained undefeated in any weapon used in single encounters. The two brothers fought each other only once, in demonstration. They decided to draw.
This year the struggle between the three leaders will continue. Only time will tell if there is a Vladimir LAPINSKY, Aladar GEREVICH or even an Aldo NEDI in the ranks of these Centennial Olympic Games.
This is an official publication of The Atlanta Committee for the Olympic Games Sports Publications Department. Written by Dianna Drayson and Jennifer Knight.
| An estimated 5.3 million visted Centennial Olympic Park between opening day - 13 July - and closing day - 4 August, making the park the most single most visited Olympic site during the Games. |