Fencing at the 1996 Summer Olympics – Men's sabre

The men's sabre was one of ten fencing events on the fencing at the 1996 Summer Olympics programme. It was the twenty-third appearance of the event. The competition was held on July 21, 1996. 43 fencers from 20 nations competed. Nations had been limited to three fencers each since 1928. The event was won by Stanislav Pozdnyakov, prevailing over silver medalist Sergey Sharikov in an all-Russia final. The medals were the first for Russia as an independent nation, separate from the Soviet Union, in the men's sabre. Damien Touya of France won the bronze medal bout, extending France's podium streak to four Games.

Men's sabre at the Games of the XXVI Olympiad
Romanian stamp commemorating 1996 Olympic fencing
Venue	Georgia World Congress Center
Date	July 21, 1996
Competitors	43 from 20 nations
Medalists
Stanislav Pozdnyakov  Russia Sergey Sharikov  Russia Damien Touya  France

Background

This was the 23rd appearance of the event, which is the only fencing event to have been held at every Summer Olympics. Two of the quarterfinalists from 1992 returned: gold medalist Bence Szabó of Hungary and fifth-place finisher Antonio García of Spain. Grigory Kiriyenko of Russia had won two world championships (1989 and 1991) before the 1992 Games but suffered an early exit; he had won two more world championships (1993 and 1995) since then and hoped for better success in Atlanta. His teammates, Stanislav Pozdnyakov and Sergey Sharikov, also came into the tournament among the top five seeds. Germany's Felix Becker was also a world champion (1994).

Algeria, Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Ukraine each made their debut in the men's sabre; Russia competed separately from the other Soviet republics for the first time since 1912. Italy made its 21st appearance in the event, most of any nation, having missed the inaugural 1896 event and the 1904 Games.

Competition format

The 1996 tournament vastly simplified the competition format after a horrendously complex system used in the previous Games in Barcelona. Pool play was eliminated. Double elimination was eliminated. The tournament became a simple single-elimination bracket, with a bronze medal match. Bouts were to 15 touches. Standard sabre rules regarding target area, striking, and priority were used.

Schedule

All times are Eastern Daylight Time (UTC-4)

Date	Time	Round
Sunday, 21 July 1996		Round of 64 Round of 32 Round of 16 Quarterfinals Semifinals Bronze medal match Final

Results

Section 1

	Round of 64					Round of 32					Round of 16					Quarterfinals
						Grigory Kiriyenko (RUS)		15
	Jean-Marie Banos (CAN)		15			Jean-Marie Banos (CAN)		8
	Tom Strzalkowski (USA)		11								Grigory Kiriyenko (RUS)		13
											Rafal Sznajder (POL)		15
						Florin Lupeică (ROU)		11
						Rafal Sznajder (POL)		15
																Rafal Sznajder (POL)		12
																Damien Touya (FRA)		15
						Damien Touya (FRA)		15
	Volodymyr Kaliuzhniy (UKR)		15			Volodymyr Kaliuzhniy (UKR)		11
	Elxan Məmmədov (AZE)		5								Damien Touya (FRA)		15
	Antonio García (ESP)		15								Jean-Philippe Daurelle (FRA)		7
	Carlos Bravo (VEN)		11			Antonio García (ESP)		9
						Jean-Philippe Daurelle (FRA)		15

Section 2

	Round of 64					Round of 32					Round of 16					Quarterfinals
						Sergey Sharikov (RUS)		15
	James Williams (GBR)		15			James Williams (GBR)		11
	Peter Westbrook (USA)		8								Sergey Sharikov (RUS)		15
											Vilmos Szabo (ROU)		8
						Vilmos Szabo (ROU)		15
						Bence Szabó (HUN)		8
																Sergey Sharikov (RUS)		15
																Steffen Wiesinger (GER)		6
						Csaba Köves (HUN)		10
						Steffen Wiesinger (GER)		15
											Steffen Wiesinger (GER)		15
	Jean-Paul Banos (CAN)		15								Tohni Terenzi (ITA)		8
	Archil Lortkipanidze (GEO)		13			Jean-Paul Banos (CAN)		7
						Tohni Terenzi (ITA)		15

Section 3

	Round of 64					Round of 32					Round of 16					Quarterfinals
						József Navarrete (HUN)		15
	Tony Plourde (CAN)		15			Tony Plourde (CAN)		9
	Yan Xiandong (CHN)		9								József Navarrete (HUN)		15
											Norbert Jaskot (POL)		8
						Frank Bleckmann (GER)		10
						Norbert Jaskot (POL)		15
																József Navarrete (HUN)		15
																Felix Becker (GER)		7
						Franck Ducheix (FRA)		15
	Janusz Olech (POL)		15			Janusz Olech (POL)		11
	Bruno Cornet (PAR)		2								Franck Ducheix (FRA)		8
	Peter Cox, Jr. (USA)		15								Felix Becker (GER)		15
	Lee Hyo-Geun (KOR)		9			Peter Cox, Jr. (USA)		12
						Felix Becker (GER)		15

Section 4

	Round of 64					Round of 32					Round of 16					Quarterfinals
						Luigi Tarantino (ITA)		w/o
	Mihai Covaliu (ROU)		15			Mihai Covaliu (ROU)
	Raouf Salim Bernaoui (ALG)		7								Luigi Tarantino (ITA)		9
	Raúl Peinador (ESP)		15								Vadym Huttsait (UKR)		15
	Miguel Robles (BOL)		7			Raúl Peinador (ESP)		13
						Vadym Huttsait (UKR)		15
																Vadym Huttsait (UKR)		14
																Stanislav Pozdnyakov (RUS)		15
						Raffaelo Caserta (ITA)		9
						Fernando Medina (ESP)		15
											Fernando Medina (ESP)		11
	Yu Sang-Ju (KOR)		15								Stanislav Pozdnyakov (RUS)		15
	Seo Seong-Jun (KOR)		11			Yu Sang-Ju (KOR)		6
						Stanislav Pozdnyakov (RUS)		15

Finals

	Semifinals				Final
	Damien Touya (FRA)	14
	Sergey Sharikov (RUS)	15
					Sergey Sharikov (RUS)	12
					Stanislav Pozdnyakov (RUS)	15
	József Navarrete (HUN)	7
	Stanislav Pozdnyakov (RUS)	15
					Bronze medal match
					Damien Touya (FRA)	15
					József Navarrete (HUN)	7

Final classification

Rank	Fencer	Nation
	Stanislav Pozdnyakov	Russia
	Sergey Sharikov	Russia
	Damien Touya	France
4	József Navarrete	Hungary
5	Felix Becker	Germany
6	Vadym Huttsait	Ukraine
7	Rafał Sznajder	Poland
8	Steffen Wiesinger	Germany
9	Grigory Kiriyenko	Russia
10	Tonhi Terenzi	Italy
11	Luigi Tarantino	Italy
12	Jean-Philippe Daurelle	France
13	Franck Ducheix	France
14	Norbert Jaskot	Poland
15	Fernando Medina	Spain
16	Vilmoș Szabo	Romania
17	Bence Szabó	Hungary
18	Csaba Köves	Hungary
19	Raffaelo Caserta	Italy
20	Florin Lupeică	Romania
21	Frank Bleckmann	Germany
22	Janusz Olech	Poland
23	Raúl Peinador	Spain
24	Volodymyr Kaliuzhniy	Ukraine
25	Mihai Covaliu	Romania
26	Antonio García	Spain
27	James Williams	Great Britain
28	Peter Cox, Jr.	United States
29	Jean-Paul Banos	Canada
30	Tony Plourde	Canada
31	Jean-Marie Banos	Canada
32	Yu Sang-Ju	South Korea
33	Seo Seong-Jun	South Korea
34	Tom Strzalkowski	United States
35	Yan Xiandong	China
36	Archil Lortkipanidze	Georgia
37	Peter Westbrook	United States
38	Lee Hyo-Geun	South Korea
39	Carlos Bravo	Venezuela
40	Elxan Məmmədov	Azerbaijan
41	Bruno Cornet	Paraguay
42	Miguel Robles	Bolivia
43	Raouf Salim Bernaoui	Algeria