Fencing at the 1912 Summer Olympics – Men's sabre

The men's sabre was a fencing event held as part of the Fencing at the 1912 Summer Olympics programme. It was the fifth appearance of the event.

Men's sabre
at the Games of the V Olympiad
Hungarian fencers Lajos Werkner, Oszkar Gerde, Jenö Fuchs, and Péter Tóth (1908)
VenueÖstermalm Athletic Grounds
DatesJuly 16–18
Competitors64 from 12 nations
Medalists
1st place, gold medalist(s) Jenő Fuchs  Hungary
2nd place, silver medalist(s) Béla Békessy  Hungary
3rd place, bronze medalist(s) Ervin Mészáros  Hungary
← 1908
1920 →

The Hungarian fencers dominated the competition, with all 12 advancing to the semifinals. In 2 of the 4 semifinals, the Hungarians took the top three places. In a third, Hungarian fencers took the two qualifying spots while the third Hungarian did not start. In the remaining semifinal, Nedo Nadi of Italy placed second to become the only non-Hungarian fencer to advance to the final (the three Hungarians took first, third, and fourth in that semifinal).

The final consisted of 7 Hungarian fencers and Nadi. Nadi took fifth. Jenő Fuchs successfully defended his 1908 Olympic title, the first man to win multiple medals in the sabre. Béla Békessy took silver and Ervin Mészáros earned bronze.

Background

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This was the fifth appearance of the event, which is the only fencing event to have been held at every Summer Olympics. Four of the eight finalists from 1908 returned: gold medalist Jenő Fuchs, silver medalist Béla Zulawszky, fifth-place finisher Péter Tóth, and sixth-place finisher Lajos Werkner, all of Hungary. Hungary was dominant in the sabre; Fuchs' 1908 victory started a run that lasted through 1964 in which the only Games that Hungary did not win the event was the one to which the nation was not invited (1920).[1]

Russia and Sweden each made their debut in the men's sabre. Austria made its fourth appearance in the event, most of any nation, having missed only the 1904 Games in St. Louis.

Competition format

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The competition was held over four rounds. In each round, each pool held a round-robin. European sabre rules at the time used a larger target area than the post-World War I standard. In 1896, 1900, and 1908, the target area had been the whole body; the 1912 rules reduced that to "all body parts, located above the horizontal line passing through the crotch". (The 1904 competition used the American rules which became the standard now used.) Double hits were possible under the rules of the time.[1][2]

  • First round: 16 pools of between 3 and 5 fencers each. The top 3 fencers in each pool advanced to the quarterfinals.
  • Quarterfinals: 8 pools of 6 fencers each (before withdrawals). The top 3 fencers in each pool advanced to the semifinals.
  • Semifinals: 4 pools of 6 fencers each. The top 2 fencers in each pool advanced to the final.
  • Final: 1 pool of 8 fencers.

Schedule

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Date Time Round
Tuesday, 16 July 1912 9:00
12:00
15:00
Round 1 pools A–D
Round 1 pools E–H
Round 1 pools I–L
Wednesday, 17 July 1912 9:00
12:00
15:00
Round 1 pools M–P
Quarterfinals pools A–D
Quarterfinals pools E–H
Thursday, 18 July 1912 9:00
14:00
Semifinals
Final

Results

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Round 1

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Pool A

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Rank Fencer Nation Wins Notes
1 Giovanni Benfratello   Italy 3 Q
2 Lajos Werkner   Hungary 2 Q
3 Vladimir Danich   Russian Empire 1 Q
4 Gustaf Armgarth   Sweden 0

Pool B

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Rank Fencer Nation Wins Notes
1 Julius Lichtenfels   Germany 3 Q
Béla Zulavsky   Hungary 3 Q
3 Vladimir Andreyev   Russian Empire 2 Q
4 Friedrich Golling   Austria 2
5 Helge Werner   Sweden 0

Pool C

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Rank Fencer Nation Wins Notes
1 Karl Münich   Austria 3 Q
2 Hans Thomson   Germany 2 Q
3 Jens Berthelsen   Denmark 1 Q
4 Boris Nepokupnoy   Russian Empire 0

Pool D

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Rank Fencer Nation Wins Notes
1 Edoardo Alaimo   Italy 4 Q
2 Oluf Berntsen   Denmark 2 Q
Albert Bogen   Austria 2 Q
4 Zdeněk Bárta   Bohemia 1
Aleksandr Shkylev   Russian Empire 1

Pool E

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Rank Fencer Nation Wins Notes
1 Charles Vanderbyl   Great Britain 3 Q
2 Josef Javůrek   Bohemia 3 Q
3 Josef Puhm   Austria 2 Q
4 Carl-Gustaf Klerck   Sweden 1
Georgy Zakyrich   Russian Empire 1

Pool F

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Rank Fencer Nation Wins Notes
1 Einar Levison   Denmark 3 Q
2 Alfred Martin   Great Britain 2 Q
3 Anatoly Timofeyev   Russian Empire 1 Q
4 Johannes Kolling   Netherlands 0

Pool G

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Rank Fencer Nation Wins Notes
1 Béla Békessy   Hungary 3 Q
2 Franz Dereani   Austria 1 Q
3 William Marsh   Great Britain 1 Q
4 Konstantin Vaterkampf   Russian Empire 1

Pool H

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Rank Fencer Nation Wins Notes
1 Hendrik de Iongh   Netherlands 3 Q
Péter Tóth   Hungary 3 Q
3 Sven Nordenström   Sweden 2 Q
4 Douglas Godfree   Great Britain 1
Aleksandr Mordovin   Russian Empire 1

Pool I

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Rank Fencer Nation Wins Notes
1 Nikolay Kuznetsov   Russian Empire Q
Ervin Mészáros   Hungary Q
Georg Stöhr   Germany Q

Pool J

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Rank Fencer Nation Wins Notes
1 Jenő Fuchs   Hungary Q
Apollon Guiber von Greifenfels   Russian Empire Q
Carl Personne   Sweden Q

Poolol K

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Rank Fencer Nation Wins Notes
1 Boris Arsenyev   Russian Empire Q
Bertalan Dunay   Hungary Q
Ernest zu Hohenlohe   Austria Q

Pool L

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Rank Fencer Nation Wins Notes
1 Zoltán Schenker   Hungary 3 Q
2 Friedrich Schwarz   Germany 2 Q
3 Harry Butterworth   Great Britain 1 Q
4 Pavel Filatov   Russian Empire 1

Pool M

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Rank Fencer Nation Wins Notes
1 Francesco Pietrasanta   Italy 3 Q
2 Pál Pajzs   Hungary 1 Q
3 Alfred Syson   Great Britain 1 Q
4 Walter Gate   South Africa 1

Pool N

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Rank Fencer Nation Wins Notes
1 Oszkár Gerde   Hungary 3 Q
2 Nedo Nadi   Italy 2 Q
3 Albertson van zo Post   United States 1 Q
4 Archibald Corble   Great Britain 0

Pool O

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Rank Fencer Nation Wins Notes
1 Dezső Földes   Hungary Q
Alfred Keene   Great Britain Q
Alfred Sauer   United States Q

Pool P

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Rank Fencer Nation Wins Notes
1 László Berti   Hungary 3 Q
2 Aristide Pontanani   Italy 2 Q
3 Edward Brookfield   Great Britain 1 Q
4 Gunnar Lindholm   Sweden 0

Quarterfinals

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Quarterfinal A

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Rank Fencer Nation Losses Notes
1 László Berti   Hungary 0 Q
2 Bertalan Dunay   Hungary 1 Q
3 Vladimir Andreyev   Russian Empire 2 Q
4 Giovanni Benfratello   Italy 3
5 Einar Levison   Denmark 4
Georg Stöhr   Germany 4

Quarterfinal B

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Rank Fencer Nation Losses Notes
1 Lajos Werkner   Hungary 0 Q
2 Oszkár Gerde   Hungary 1 Q
3 Anatoly Timofeyev   Russian Empire 2 Q
4 Harry Butterworth   Great Britain 3
Alfred Sauer   United States 3
Albert Bogen   Austria DNS

Quarterfinal C

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Rank Fencer Nation Losses Notes
1 Ervin Mészáros   Hungary 0 Q
2 Friedrich Schwarz   Germany 1 Q
3 William Marsh   Great Britain 2 Q
4 Ernest zu Hohenlohe   Austria 3
Edoardo Alaimo   Italy DNS
Vladimir Danich   Russian Empire DNS

Quarterfinal D

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Rank Fencer Nation Losses Notes
1 Béla Békessy   Hungary 1 Q
Dezső Földes   Hungary 1 Q
3 Oluf Berntsen   Denmark 2 Q
4 Nikolay Kuznetsov   Russian Empire 3
Aristide Pontenani   Italy 3
Karl Münich   Austria DNS

Quarterfinal E

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Rank Fencer Nation Losses Notes
1 Zoltán Schenker   Hungary 1 Q
2 Apollon Guiber von Greifenfels   Russian Empire 2 Q
Charles Vanderbyl   Great Britain 2 Q
4 Hans Thomson   Germany 2
5 Edward Brookfield   Great Britain 3
Franz Dereani   Austria DNS

Quarterfinal F

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Rank Fencer Nation Losses Notes
1 Jenő Fuchs   Hungary 0 Q
Alfred Syson   Great Britain 0 Q
3 Boris Arsenyev   Russian Empire 2 Q
4 Jens Berthelsen   Denmark 3
Hendrik de Iongh   Netherlands DNS
Josef Javůrek   Bohemia DNS

Quarterfinal G

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Rank Fencer Nation Losses Notes
1 Nedo Nadi   Italy 1 Q
Pál Pajzs   Hungary 1 Q
3 Béla Zulavsky   Hungary 2 Q
4 Alfred Keene   Great Britain 2
5 Sven Nordenström   Sweden 4
Josef Puhm   Austria DNS

Quarterfinal H

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Rank Fencer Nation Losses Notes
1 Péter Tóth   Hungary 0 Q
2 Julius Lichtenels   Germany 1 Q
Carl Personne   Sweden 1 Q
4 Francesco Pietrasanta   Italy 1
5 Alfred Martin   Great Britain 4
Albertson van zo Post   United States DNS

Semifinals

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Semifinal A

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Rank Fencer Nation Wins Notes
1 Béla Békessy   Hungary 4 Q
2 Nedo Nadi   Italy 3 Q
3 Béla Zulavsky   Hungary 2
4 Bertalan Dunay   Hungary 1
5 Friedrich Schwarz   Germany 0
Anatoly Timofeyev   Russian Empire DNS

Semifinal B

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Rank Fencer Nation Wins Notes
1 Péter Tóth   Hungary 2 Q
2 Jenő Fuchs   Hungary 1 Q
3 Alfred Syson   Great Britain 0
Vladimir Andreyev   Russian Empire DNS
Oszkár Gerde   Hungary DNS
Julius Lichtenfels   Germany DNS

Semifinal C

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Rank Fencer Nation Wins Notes
1 Ervin Mészáros   Hungary 5 Q
2 Dezső Földes   Hungary 4 Q
3 Pál Pajzs   Hungary 3
4 Charles Vanderbyl   Great Britain 2
5 Boris Arsenyev   Russian Empire 1
6 Carl Personne   Sweden 0

Semifinal D

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Rank Fencer Nation Wins Notes
1 Lajos Werkner   Hungary 5 Q
2 Zoltán Schenker   Hungary 4 Q
3 László Berti   Hungary 3
4 Apollon Guiber von Greifenfels   Russian Empire 2
5 William Marsh   Great Britain 1
6 Oluf Berntsen   Denmark 0

Final

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Rank Fencer Nation Wins Losses TF TA
  Jenő Fuchs   Hungary 6 1 18 10
  Béla Békessy   Hungary 5 2 17 11
  Ervin Mészáros   Hungary 5 2 17 12
4 Zoltán Schenker   Hungary 4 3 17 13
5 Nedo Nadi   Italy 4 3 16 17
6 Péter Tóth   Hungary 2 5 12 17
7 Lajos Werkner   Hungary 1 6 13 19
8 Dezső Földes   Hungary 1 6 9 20

References

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  1. ^ a b "Sabre, Individual, Men". Olympedia. Retrieved 22 November 2020.
  2. ^ Official Report, p. 1024.
  • Bergvall, Erik (ed.) (1913). Adams-Ray, Edward (trans.). (ed.). The Official Report of the Olympic Games of Stockholm 1912. Stockholm: Wahlström & Widstrand. {{cite book}}: |first= has generic name (help)
  • Wudarski, Pawel (1999). "Wyniki Igrzysk Olimpijskich" (in Polish). Archived from the original on 16 February 2009. Retrieved 15 January 2007.