Fencing at the 1908 Summer Olympics – Men's sabre

Fencing at the Olympics

The men's sabre was one of four fencing events on the Fencing at the 1908 Summer Olympics programme. The top two places were won by Hungarian fencers, who also took the gold medal in the team sabre event. Jenő Fuchs took the gold medal and Béla Zulawszky the silver. Bronze went to Bohemian Vilém Goppold von Lobsdorf. There were 76 competitors from 11 nations. Each nation could enter up to 12 fencers.

This was the fourth appearance of the event, which is the only fencing event to have been held at every Summer Olympics. The 1900 gold medalist, Georges de la Falaise of France, returned after not competing in 1904. Belgium, Bohemia, Great Britain, the Netherlands, and South Africa each made their debut in the men's sabre. Austria made its third appearance in the event, most of any nation, having missed only the 1904 Games in St. Louis.

The competition was held over four rounds. In each round, each pool held a round robin, with bouts to 3 touches. European sabre rules at the time used a target area of the whole body, in contrast to above the waist target area provided for by the American rules of the time, used in the 1904 Games, and which became standard after World War I. Barrages were used as necessary to determine the advancing fencers. First round: 13 pools of between 4 and 8 fencers each. The 3 fencers in each pool with the fewest bouts lost advanced to the second round. Quarterfinals: 8 pools of 5 fencers each (except one had only 4 by design and one had only 4 due to a non starter). The 2 fencers in each pool with the fewest bouts lost advanced to the semifinals. Semifinals: 2 pools of 8 fencers each. The 4 fencers in each pool with the fewest bouts lost advanced to the final. Final: 1 pool of 8 fencers.

The first round was conducted in round robin format, to three touches. Pool sizes ranged from 4 to 8 fencers. The three contestants who had lost the fewest bouts advanced.

There were eight second round pools, ranging in size from 4 to 5.

There were two semifinals, each of 8 fencers. The top 4 in each advanced to the final.

Rank Fencer Nation Wins Losses Notes 1 Jenő Fuchs 6 1 Q (Qualified for final) 2 Lajos Werkner 5 2 Q (Qualified for final) 3 Georges de la Falaise 4 3 Q (Qualified for final) Jenő Szántay 4 3 Q (Qualified for final) 5 Marcello Bertinetti 3 4 Dezső Földes 3 4 7 C. Barry Notley 2 5 8 Bertrand Marie de Lesseps 1 6