The men's team épée was one of eight fencing events on the fencing at the 1960 Summer Olympics programme. It was the eleventh appearance of the event. The competition was held on 9 September 1960. 105 fencers from 21 nations competed.
Competition format The competition combined pool play with knockout rounds, a change from prior tournaments which used pool play all the way through. The first round consisted of pools, with the 21 teams entered in the competition divided into 7 pools of 3 teams. The top 2 teams in each pool after a round-robin advanced. The 14 teams remaining after the pool play competed in a four-round single-elimination bracket, with a bronze medal match between the semifinal losers. The winners of the first 2 pools received byes in the round of 16.
Each team match consisted of each of the four fencers on one team facing each fencer on the other team, for a maximum of 16 total bouts. An 8–8 tie would be resolved by touches received in victories. Bouts were to 5 touches (except that bouts would continue until there was a winner and would not end on a double-touch). Only as much fencing was done as was necessary to determine pool placement (in the first round) or the winning team (in the knockout rounds), so not all matches went to the full 16 bouts but instead stopped early (typically when one team had 9 bouts won).Official Report, p. 804.
Rosters
Australia Ivan Lund Richard Stone John Humphreys John Simpson Keith Hackshall
Belgium Pierre Francisse René Van Den Driessche Jacques Debeur Roger Achten François Dehez
Finland Kaj Czarnecki Kurt Lindeman Rolf Wiik Kalevi Pakarinen
France Armand Mouyal Yves Dreyfus Claude Brodin Christian d'Oriola Jack Guittet Gérard Lefranc
Germany Paul Gnaier Fritz Zimmermann Dieter Fänger Georg Neuber Helmut Anschütz Walter Köstner
Great Britain Allan Jay Michael Howard John Pelling Bill Hoskyns Raymond Harrison Michael Alexander
Hungary József Marosi Tamás Gábor István Kausz József Sákovics Árpád Bárány
Ireland George Carpenter Christopher Bland Brian Hamilton Tom Kearney
Italy Edoardo Mangiarotti Giuseppe Delfino Carlo Pavesi Alberto Pellegrino Fiorenzo Marini Gianluigi Saccaro
Japan Heizaburo Okawa Tsugeo Ozawa Sonosuke Fujimaki Kazuhiko Tabuchi
Lebanon Ibrahim Osman Mohamed Ramadan Michel Saykali Hassan El-Said
Luxembourg Roger Theisen Edy Schmit Robert Schiel Rudy Kugeler Eddi Gutenkauf
Mexico Benito Ramos Ángel Roldán Antonio Almada Sergio Escobedo José Pérez
Morocco Abbes Harchi Abderrahman Sebti Charles Ben Itah Abderraouf El-Fassy Mohamed Ben Joullon
Poland Bohdan Gonsior Jerzy Strzałka Wiesław Glos Janusz Kurczab Andrzej Kryński
Portugal José Ferreira Manuel Borrego José Fernandes José de Albuquerque
Soviet Union Guram Kostava Bruno Habārovs Arnold Chernushevich Valentin Chernikov Aleksandr Pavlovsky
Spain Pedro Cabrera Manuel Martínez Jesús Díez Joaquín Moya
Sweden Hans Lagerwall Göran Abrahamsson Ulf Ling-Vannérus Berndt-Otto Rehbinder Carl-Wilhelm Engdahl Orvar Lindwall
Switzerland Hans Bässler Jules Amez-Droz Paul Meister Charles Ribordy Claudio Polledri Michel Steininger
United States James Margolis Roland Wommack David Micahnik Henry Kolowrat Jr. Ralph Spinella
Results
Round 1
Pool A
The United States defeated Portugal, as did Italy. This eliminated Portugal; the United States and Italy faced off to determine their placing within the group. Italy took first in the group with a win over the United States.
Pool B
Japan and Hungary each defeated Mexico, then faced off for place within the group. Hungary won to take first place and a bye in the round of 16.
Pool C
Switzerland and the Soviet Union each defeated Lebanon, though in both cases the bouts were tied at 8–8 and touches received (in victories) were necessary to determine the match winner (Switzerland won 23 touches received to 26; the Soviet Union won 18 to 25). Switzerland and the Soviet Union then faced off for place within the group, with the Soviets winning.
Pool D
Finland and France each defeated Ireland, then faced off for place within the group. France won to take first place.
Pool E
Luxembourg and Great Britain each defeated Morocco, then faced off for place within the group. Great Britain won to take first place (Great Britain's touches-received lead was great enough that the match was stopped at 8–7; even had Luxembourg won the 16th bout, Great Britain would have the tied-breaker).
Pool F
Sweden and Germany each defeated Australia, then faced off for place within the group. Germany won to take first place.
Pool G
Belgium and Poland each defeated Spain, then faced off for place within the group. They tied, 8–8 with 61 touches received each.
Elimination rounds
Final classification
Rank Nation 4 5 9 15
References