The men's sabre was one of seven fencing events on the fencing at the 1936 Summer Olympics programme. It was the tenth appearance of the event. The competition was held from 14 August 1936 to 15 August 1936. 71 fencers from 26 nations competed.Official Olympic Report, la84.org. Retrieved 4 September 2018. Nations were limited to three fencers each. The event was won by Endre Kabos of Hungary, the fourth of nine straight Games in which a Hungarian would win the event. Kabos became the second man to win multiple medals in the individual sabre, adding to his 1932 bronze. Gustavo Marzi of Italy took silver, while Hungarian Aladár Gerevich earned bronze.
Background This was the 10th appearance of the event, which is the only fencing event to have been held at every Summer Olympics. Four of the ten finalists from 1932 returned: silver medalist Giulio Gaudini of Italy, bronze medalist Endre Kabos of Hungary, and sixth-place finisher John Huffman and ninth-place finisher Norman Cohn-Armitage of the United States. Hungary, dominant in the event since the 1908 Games, was expected to perform well again. Kabos had won the world championships in 1933 and 1934; teammate Aladár Gerevich had won in 1935.
Brazil and Costa Rica each made their debut in the men's sabre. Italy and Denmark each made their eighth appearance in the event, tied for most of any nation, each having missed two of the first three events but having appeared every Games since 1908.
Competition format
The competition format was pool play round-robin, with bouts to five touches. Not all bouts were played in some pools if not necessary to determine advancement. Two points were awarded for each bout won. Ties were broken through fence-off bouts in early rounds if necessary for determining advancement, but by touches received in final rounds (and for non-advancement-necessary placement in earlier rounds).Official Report, p. 756.
Round 1: There 9 pools of between 7 and 9 fencers each. The top 4 fencers in each pool advanced to the quarterfinals. Quarterfinals: There were 6 pools of 6 fencers each. The top 3 fencers in each quarterfinal advanced to the semifinals. Semifinals: There were 3 pools of 6 fencers each. The top 3 fencers in each semifinal advanced to the final. Final: The final pool had 9 fencers.
Schedule
Date Time Round Friday, 14 August 1936 9:0015:0017:00 Round 1QuarterfinalsSemifinals Saturday, 15 August 1936 15:00 Final
Results
Round 1
The top four fencers in each pool advanced to the quarterfinals.Official Report, p. 798.
Pool 1
Brook defeated Bentancur in the play-off for fourth place and the last advancement spot.
Rank Fencer Nation Points Wins Losses Notes 1 Aladár Gerevich 12 6 0 30 9 2 Marcel Faure 10 5 1 28 14 3 Władysław Segda 10 5 2 31 22 4 Robin Brook 8 4 3 26 24 5 Carmelo Bentancur 8 4 3 28 28 6 José Manuel Brunet 2 1 6 20 33 Menelaos Psarrakis 2 1 6 17 33 8 Georges Heywaert 2 1 6 19 34
Pool 2
Rank Fencer Nation Points Wins Losses Notes 1 Endre Kabos 16 8 0 40 9 2 Jozef Benedik 12 6 2 35 24 3 August Heim 10 5 3 34 25 4 Denis Dolecsko 10 5 3 29 29 5 Efrain Díaz 8 4 4 27 28 Jean Piot 8 4 4 28 28 7 Bengt Ljungquist 6 3 5 28 31 8 Cihat Teğin 2 1 7 22 37 9 Charles Otis 0 0 8 8 40
Pool 3
Rank Fencer Nation Points Wins Losses Notes 1 Edward Gardère 12 6 0 30 16 2 Giulio Gaudini 10 5 1 29 12 3 Nicolae Marinescu 8 4 2 24 17 4 Antonius Montfoort 8 4 2 24 19 5 George Tully 4 2 4 16 21 6 Norman Cohn-Armitage 4 2 4 21 26 7 Orhan Adaş 2 1 5 14 28 8 Moacyr Dunham 0 0 6 11 30
Pool 4
Harry defeated Szatmary in the play-off for fourth place and the last advancement spot.
Rank Fencer Nation Points Wins Losses Notes 1 Karl Sudrich 14 7 1 39 23 2 László Rajcsányi 12 6 1 34 14 3 Nikolaos Manolesos 12 6 1 33 23 4 Guy Harry 8 4 4 30 30 5 Kamilló Szathmáry 8 4 4 31 27 6 Hubert de Bèsche 6 3 4 22 25 7 Adolf Stocker 6 3 5 28 32 8 Krešo Tretinjak 0 0 6 13 30 9 Ennio de Oliveira 0 0 7 9 35
Pool 5
Moreno was the winner of the three-way play-off with Kirchmann and Christiansen for fourth place and the last advancement spot.Official Report, p. 799.
Rank Fencer Nation Points Wins Losses Notes 1 Josef Losert 10 5 1 27 15 2 Antoni Sobik 10 5 2 32 20 3 Robert Van Den Neucker 10 5 2 32 22 4 Julio Moreno 6 3 4 22 26 5 Bohuslav Kirchmann 6 3 4 22 27 6 Preben Christiansen 6 3 4 26 29 7 Mohamed Abdel Rahman 4 2 5 20 31 8 Alphonse Ruckstuhl 2 1 5 17 28
Pool 6
Rank Fencer Nation Points Wins Losses Notes 1 Eugène Laermans 10 5 1 24 18 2 Aage Leidersdorff 8 4 0 20 15 3 Hubert Loisel 6 3 2 21 16 Vicente Krause 6 3 2 20 16 5 Tomás Goyoaga 2 1 4 16 23 Enver Balkan 2 1 4 14 23 7 Charles Glasstetter 0 0 4 11 20
Pool 7
The official report lists a three-way for second-place, but under the scoring system in use Wahl was alone due to fewest touches received.
Rank Fencer Nation Points Wins Losses Notes 1 John Huffman 12 6 0 30 13 2 Richard Wahl 8 4 1 21 14 3 Hervarth Frass von Friedenfeldt 8 4 2 25 18 José Julián de la Fuente 8 4 2 25 18 5 Konstantinos Botasis 4 2 4 24 26 6 Don Collinge 4 2 5 20 33 7 Bernardo de la Guardia 2 1 5 17 28 Erik Hammer Sørensen 2 1 5 16 28
Pool 8
Rank Fencer Nation Points Wins Losses Notes 1 Vincenzo Pinton 10 5 0 25 9 2 Dimitar Vasilev 8 4 2 23 17 3 París Rodríguez 8 4 2 27 18 4 Pieter van Wieringen 6 3 3 22 24 5 Ivar Tingdahl 4 2 4 18 26 6 Carmelo Merlo 2 1 4 14 22 7 Pavao Pintarić 2 1 5 16 29
Pool 9
Rank Fencer Nation Points Wins Losses Notes 1 Gustavo Marzi 8 4 1 22 12 2 Frans Mosman 8 4 2 25 17 3 Władysław Dobrowolski 8 4 1 22 19 4 Oliver Trinder 8 4 2 26 20 5 Peter Bruder 6 3 3 22 19 6 Lodovico Alessandri 2 1 5 12 28 7 Milivoj Radović 0 0 6 16 30
Quarterfinals
The top three fencers in each pool advanced to the semifinals.Official Report, p. 800.
Quarterfinal 1
Rank Fencer Nation Points Wins Losses Notes 1 Hubert Loisel 6 3 2 18 12 2 László Rajcsányi 6 3 2 21 15 3 José Julián de la Fuente 6 3 2 16 18 4 Guy Harry 4 2 3 19 18 5 Eugène Laermans 4 2 3 16 21 Jozef Benedik 4 2 3 15 21
Quarterfinal 2
Rank Fencer Nation Points Wins Losses Notes 1 Giulio Gaudini 6 3 1 18 10 2 Pieter van Wieringen 6 3 1 18 13 Władysław Segda 6 3 1 18 13 4 Karl Sudrich 2 1 3 17 18 Richard Wahl 2 1 3 7 18 6 Hervarth Frass von Friedenfeldt 2 1 3 13 19
Quarterfinal 3
Rank Fencer Nation Points Wins Losses Notes 1 Gustavo Marzi 10 5 0 25 13 2 Oliver Trinder 6 3 2 22 13 3 Edward Gardère 6 3 2 21 20 4 August Heim 4 2 3 17 18 5 Aage Leidersdorff 2 1 4 16 23 6 Denis Dolecsko 2 1 4 10 24
Quarterfinal 4
Vasilev won the three-way play-off against Krause and Montfoort for third place and the last advancement spot.
Rank Fencer Nation Points Wins Losses Notes 1 Endre Kabos 10 5 0 25 9 2 Josef Losert 6 3 2 21 14 3 Dimitar Vasilev 4 2 3 12 16 4 Vicente Krause 4 2 3 20 18 5 Antonius Montfoort 4 2 3 16 21 6 Nikolaos Manolesos 2 1 4 8 24
Quarterfinal 5
Rank Fencer Nation Points Wins Losses Notes 1 París Rodríguez 6 3 1 16 9 2 Aladár Gerevich 6 3 1 17 13 3 Robert Van Den Neucker 6 3 2 20 18 4 Władysław Dobrowolski 4 2 3 19 19 5 John Huffman 2 1 3 12 15 6 Julio Moreno 2 1 3 9 19
Quarterfinal 6
Rank Fencer Nation Points Wins Losses Notes 1 Vincenzo Pinton 8 4 0 20 11 2 Marcel Faure 6 3 1 16 11 3 Antoni Sobik 6 3 1 19 12 4 Frans Mosman 2 1 3 16 17 5 Robin Brook 2 1 3 11 18 6 Nicolae Marinescu 0 0 4 7 20
Semifinals
The top three fencers in each pool advanced to the final.Official Report, p. 801.
Semifinal 1
Rank Fencer Nation Points Wins Losses Notes 1 Aladár Gerevich 6 3 0 15 7 2 Robert Van Den Neucker 6 3 0 15 9 3 Gustavo Marzi 6 3 1 17 11 4 Oliver Trinder 2 1 3 12 17 5 Marcel Faure 2 1 3 11 18 6 Hubert Loisel 0 0 4 12 20
Semifinal 2
Rank Fencer Nation Points Wins Losses Notes 1 Endre Kabos 8 4 0 20 11 2 Antoni Sobik 8 4 1 22 14 3 Giulio Gaudini 6 3 2 20 18 4 París Rodríguez 4 2 3 19 17 5 Pieter van Wieringen 2 1 3 10 15 6 Edward Gardère 0 0 5 9 25
Semifinal 3
Rank Fencer Nation Points Wins Losses Notes 1 Vincenzo Pinton 8 4 0 20 9 2 Josef Losert 6 3 1 17 11 3 László Rajcsányi 6 3 2 20 13 4 Władysław Segda 4 2 3 14 22 5 José Julián de la Fuente 2 1 3 12 18 6 Dimitar Vasilev 0 0 4 10 20
Final
Ties in the final, including the tie for silver, were broken by touches received rather than play-off bouts. Thus, even though Gerevich had defeated Marzi in their bout during the pool play, Marzi took the silver and Gerevich bronze without any rematch due to the 22–26 advantage Marzi had in touches received. Kabos's loss to Marzi was his only loss in the entire tournament, as he finished 24–1 overall.
Rank Fencer Nation Points Wins Losses Endre Kabos 14 7 1 37 20 Gustavo Marzi 12 6 2 35 22 Aladár Gerevich 12 6 2 37 26 4 László Rajcsányi 10 5 3 34 25 5 Vincenzo Pinton 10 5 3 32 28 6 Giulio Gaudini 6 3 5 27 28 7 Antoni Sobik 4 2 6 22 34 8 Josef Losert 4 2 6 20 36 9 Robert Van Den Neucker 0 0 8 15 40
References