Fencing at the 1912 Summer Olympics – Men's épée

Olympic fencing event
Men's épée
at the Games of the V Olympiad
Gold medalist Paul Anspach
VenueÖstermalm Athletic Grounds
DatesJuly 11–13
Competitors93 from 15 nations
Medalists
1st place, gold medalist(s) Paul Anspach
 Belgium
2nd place, silver medalist(s) Ivan Joseph Martin Osiier
 Denmark
3rd place, bronze medalist(s) Philippe le Hardy
 Belgium
← 1908
1920 →
  • v
  • t
  • e

The men's épée was a fencing event held as part of the Fencing at the 1912 Summer Olympics programme. It was the fourth appearance of the event, which had been introduced in 1900. The competition was held from 11 to 13 July at the Östermalm Athletic Grounds.[1] There were 93 competitors from 15 nations.[1] Each nation could enter up to 12 fencers. The event was won by Paul Anspach of Belgium. His countryman Philippe le Hardy took bronze. Silver went to Denmark's Ivan Joseph Martin Osiier, the only medal won by the perennial Olympian who competed in seven Games over 40 years. The medals were the first in the men's épée for both nations.

Background

This was the fourth appearance of the event, which was not held at the first Games in 1896 (with only foil and sabre events held) but has been held at every Summer Olympics since 1900.[1]

Three of the eight finalists from the 1908 Games returned: fourth-place finisher Robert Montgomerie of Great Britain, fifth-place finisher Paul Anspach of Belgium, and eighth-place finisher Martin Holt of Great Britain. 1904 bronze medalist Albertson Van Zo Post (this time correctly recognized as American rather than Cuban) also returned. The event was heavily impacted by boycotts by two of the top fencing nations over rules disputes. A dispute over the target area for foil fencing resulted in France initially boycotting the foil events and, at the last minute, expanding the boycott to all fencing events. A dispute over the maximum length of the épée blade resulted in Italy boycotting the épée events (though Italy did compete in other fencing events). These disputes would result in the creation of the Fédération Internationale d'Escrime to establish a governing body for the sport.[1][2]

Austria, Greece, Portugal, and the Russian Empire each made their debut in the event. Belgium, Germany, Great Britain, and the United States each appeared for the third time, tied for most among nations.

Competition format

The competition was held over four rounds. In each round, each pool held a round-robin, with bouts to 1 touch. Double-touches counted as touches against both fencers. Rather than hold separate barrages to separate fencers tied in the advancement spot (as had been done in 1908), the head-to-head results of bouts already fenced were used.[1]

  • First round: 16 pools of between 3 and 8 fencers each. The 3 fencers in each pool with the fewest touches against advanced to the quarterfinals. This resulted in some pools where all fencers received a bye.
  • Second round: 8 pools of 6 fencers each. The 3 fencers in each pool with the fewest touches against advanced to the semifinals.
  • Semifinals: 4 pools of 6 fencers each. The 2 fencers in each pool with the fewest touches against advanced to the final.
  • Final: 1 pool of 8 fencers.

Schedule

Date Time Round
Thursday, 11 July 1912 9:00
12:00
15:00		 Round 1 pools A–D
Round 1 pools E–H
Round 1 pools I–L
Friday, 12 July 1912 9:00
12:00
15:00		 Round 1 pools M–P
Quarterfinals pools A–D
Quarterfinals pools E–H
Saturday, 13 July 1912 9:00
14:00		 Semifinals
Final

Results

Round 1

Pool A

Rank Fencer Nation Losses Notes
1 Henrik de Iongh  Netherlands 1 Q
Einar Levison  Denmark 1 Q
3 Sotirios Notaris  Greece 2 Q
4 Victor Willems  Belgium 3
5 Julius Lichtenfels  Germany 4
6 Åke Grönhagen  Sweden 5
7 Gordon Alexander  Great Britain 6
Pavel Guvorsky  Russian Empire 6

Pool B

Rank Fencer Nation Losses Notes
1 Paul Anspach  Belgium 1 Q
Petros Manos  Greece 1 Q
3 Jens Berthelsen  Denmark 3 Q
4 Friedrich Schwarz  Germany 3
5 Knut Enell  Sweden 4
Aleksandr Soldatenkov  Russian Empire 4
A M Hassanein  Egypt DNS

Pool C

Rank Fencer Nation Losses Notes
1 Konstantinos Kotzias  Greece 1 Q
2 Léon Tom  Belgium 2 Q
3 Arthur Griez  Austria 4 Q
4 Hans Bergsland  Norway 4
Vladimir Kayser  Russian Empire 4
— Fernando Correia  Portugal DSQ
Viliam Tvrzský  Bohemia DSQ

Pool D

Rank Fencer Nation Losses Notes
1 Vilém Goppold, Jr.  Bohemia 1 Q
Einar Sörensen  Sweden 1 Q
3 Severin Finne  Norway 2 Q
4 Sherman Hall  United States 4
George van Rossem  Netherlands 4
Vladimir Sarnavsky  Russian Empire 4

Pool E

Rank Fencer Nation Losses Notes
1 Zdeněk Vávra  Bohemia 1 Q
2 Gavriil Bertrain  Russian Empire 1 Q
3 George Breed  United States 1 Q
4 Christopher von Tangen  Norway 3

Pool F

Rank Fencer Nation Losses Notes
1 Jacques Ochs  Belgium 1 Q
Edgar Seligman  Great Britain 1 Q
3 Miloš Klika  Bohemia 3 Q
4 Bjarne Eriksen  Norway 3
5 Lev Martyushev  Russian Empire 4

Pool G

Rank Fencer Nation Losses Notes
1 Lars Aas  Norway 2 Q
2 Philippe le Hardy  Belgium 3 Q
Martin Holt  Great Britain 3 Q
4 Alfred Sauer  United States 3
5 Josef Javůrek  Bohemia 4
Albertus Perk  Netherlands 4
7 Walter Gates  South Africa 5

Pool H

Rank Fencer Nation Losses Notes
1 Robert Montgomerie  Great Britain 1 Q
2 František Kříž  Bohemia 2 Q
Fernand de Montigny  Belgium 2 Q
4 Marc Larimer  United States 3
Harald Platou  Norway 3
6 Heinrich Schrader  Germany 5

Pool I

Rank Fencer Nation Losses Notes
1 Victor Boin  Belgium 0 Q
2 Arthur Everitt  Great Britain 1 Q
3 Sigurd Mathiesen  Norway 2 Q
4 Graeme Hammond  United States 3
5 Jacob van Geuns  Netherlands 4

Pool J

Rank Fencer Nation Losses Notes
1 Hans Thomson  Germany 2 Q
2 Jan de Beaufort  Netherlands 2 Q
3 Louis Sparre  Sweden 2 Q
4 Gaston Salmon  Belgium 3
5 Percival Davson  Great Britain 4
Josef Pfeiffer  Bohemia 4
7 John MacLaughlin  United States 5

Pool K

Rank Fencer Nation Losses Notes
1 Edgar Amphlett  Great Britain — Q
Henri Anspach  Belgium — Q
Frederic Schenck  United States — Q

Pool L

Rank Fencer Nation Losses Notes
1 Ivan Osiier  Denmark 0 Q
2 Zdeněk Bárta  Bohemia 1 Q
3 William Bowman  United States 2 Q
4 Ernest Stenson-Cooke  Great Britain 3

Pool M

Rank Fencer Nation Losses Notes
1 Gustaf Lindblom  Sweden 3 Q
2 Adrianus de Jong  Netherlands 3 Q
3 Georgios Versis  Greece 3 Q
4 Sydney Martineau  Great Britain 3
Hermann Plaskuda  Germany 3
6 Marcel Berré  Belgium 4
7 John Gignoux  United States 5
8 Hans Olsen  Denmark 6

Pool N

Rank Fencer Nation Losses Notes
1 Albertson van zo Post  United States — Q
Pál Rosty  Hungary — Q
Charles Vanderbyl  Great Britain — Q

Pool O

Rank Fencer Nation Losses Notes
1 Georg Branting  Sweden 1 Q
2 Emil Schön  Germany 2 Q
Trifon Triantafyllakos  Greece 2 Q
4 Willem van Blijenburgh  Netherlands 3
5 Oluf Berntsen  Denmark 4
John Blake  Great Britain 4
7 Béla Békessy  Hungary 5
James Moore  United States 5

Pool P

Rank Fencer Nation Losses Notes
1 Georgios Petropoulos  Greece 1 Q
2 Gerald Ames  Great Britain 2 Q
3 Karel Goppold  Bohemia 2 Q
4 Lauritz Østrup  Denmark 3
5 Walther Meienreis  Germany 4
6 Willem Molijn  Netherlands 5

Quarterfinals

Quarterfinal A

Rank Fencer Nation Losses Notes
1 Ivan Osiier  Denmark 1 Q
Zdeněk Vávra  Bohemia 1 Q
3 Edgar Seligman  Great Britain 2 Q
4 Fernand de Montigny  Belgium 3
Frederic Schenck  United States 3
6 Hendrik de Iongh  Netherlands 4

Quarterfinal B

Rank Fencer Nation Losses Notes
1 Philippe le Hardy  Belgium 0 Q
2 William Bowman  United States 2 Q
3 Miloš Klika  Bohemia 2 Q
4 Sotirios Notaris  Greece 2
5 Gavriil Bertrain  Russian Empire 4
Arthur Everitt  Great Britain 4

Quarterfinal C

Rank Fencer Nation Losses Notes
1 František Kříž  Bohemia 1 Q
2 Edgar Amphlett  Great Britain 2 Q
3 Einar Levison  Denmark 2 Q
4 Jacques Ochs  Belgium 4
Hans Thomson  Germany 4
6 Lars Aas  Norway 4

Quarterfinal D

Rank Fencer Nation Losses Notes
1 Paul Anspach  Belgium 2 Q
2 Robert Montgomerie  Great Britain 2 Q
3 Georgios Petropoulos  Greece 2 Q
4 Jan de Beaufort  Netherlands 3
Arthur Griez  Austria 3
6 Severin Finne  Norway 3

Quarterfinal E

Rank Fencer Nation Losses Notes
1 Einar Sörensen  Sweden 1 Q
2 Gerald Ames  Great Britain 2 Q
Petros Manos  Greece 2 Q
4 George Breed  United States 3
Sigurd Mathiesen  Norway 3
6 Emil Schön  Germany 4

Quarterfinal F

Rank Fencer Nation Losses Notes
1 Vilém Goppold, Jr.  Bohemia 1 Q
2 Victor Boin  Belgium 2 Q
Gustaf Lindblom  Sweden 2 Q
4 Trifon Triantafyllakos  Greece 3
5 Charles Vanderbyl  Great Britain 4
6 Jens Berthelsen  Denmark 5

Quarterfinal G

Rank Fencer Nation Losses Notes
1 Henri Anspach  Belgium 0 Q
2 Adrianus de Jong  Netherlands 2 Q
Pál Rosty  Hungary 2 Q
4 Konstantinos Kotzias  Greece 3
5 Karel Goppold  Bohemia 4
Louis Sparre  Sweden 4

Quarterfinal H

Rank Fencer Nation Losses Notes
1 Léon Tom  Belgium 1 Q
2 Georg Branting  Sweden 1 Q
3 Martin Holt  Great Britain 2 Q
4 Georgios Versis  Greece 3
5 Zdeněk Bárta  Bohemia 4
Albertson van zo Post  United States 3

Semifinals

Semifinal A

Rank Fencer Nation Losses Notes
1 Einar Sörensen  Sweden 1 Q
Léon Tom  Belgium 1 Q
3 William Bowman  United States 3
Petros Manos  Greece 3
5 Edgar Amphlett  Great Britain 4
Zdeněk Vávra  Bohemia 4

Semifinal B

Rank Fencer Nation Losses Notes
1 Edgar Seligman  Great Britain 0 Q
2 Paul Anspach  Belgium 0 Q
3 Adrianus de Jong  Netherlands 2
4 Gerald Ames  Great Britain 3
Pál Rosty  Hungary 3
6 Miloš Klika  Bohemia 5

Semifinal C

Rank Fencer Nation Losses Notes
1 Victor Boin  Belgium 2 Q
Ivan Osiier  Denmark 2 Q
3 Henri Anspach  Belgium 2
4 Gustaf Lindblom  Sweden 3
Robert Montgomerie  Great Britain 3
6 František Kříž  Bohemia 5

Semifinal D

Rank Fencer Nation Losses Notes
1 Philippe le Hardy  Belgium 2 Q
Martin Holt  Great Britain 2 Q
3 Georgios Petropoulos  Greece 2
4 Georg Branting  Sweden 4
Einar Levison  Denmark 4
6 Vilém Goppold, Jr.  Bohemia 4

Final

Three of Holt's matches were double-losses: those against le Hardy, Boin, and Seligman.

Rank Fencer Nation Wins Losses
1st place, gold medalist(s) Paul Anspach  Belgium 6 1
2nd place, silver medalist(s) Ivan Osiier  Denmark 5 2
3rd place, bronze medalist(s) Philippe le Hardy  Belgium 4 3
4 Victor Boin  Belgium 4 3
5 Einar Sörensen  Sweden 3 4
6 Edgar Seligman  Great Britain 2 5
7 Léon Tom  Belgium 1 6
8 Martin Holt  Great Britain 0 7

Results summary

Rank Fencer Nation Round 1
Rank		 Quarterfinals
Rank		 Semifinals
Rank		 Final
Wins Losses
1st place, gold medalist(s) Paul Anspach  Belgium 1st 1st 2nd 6 1
2nd place, silver medalist(s) Ivan Osiier  Denmark 1st 1st 1st 5 2
3rd place, bronze medalist(s) Philippe le Hardy  Belgium 2nd 1st 1st 4 3
4 Victor Boin  Belgium 1st 2nd 1st 4 3
5 Einar Sörensen  Sweden 1st 1st 1st 3 4
6 Edgar Seligman  Great Britain 1st 3rd 1st 2 5
7 Léon Tom  Belgium 2nd 1st 1st 1 6
8 Martin Holt  Great Britain 2nd 3rd 1st 0 7
9 Henri Anspach  Belgium 1st 1st 3rd Did not advance
William Bowman  United States 3rd 2nd 3rd
Adrianus de Jong  Netherlands 2nd 2nd 3rd
Petros Manos  Greece 1st 2nd 3rd
Georgios Petropoulos  Greece 1st 3rd 3rd
14 Gerald Ames  Great Britain 2nd 2nd 4th
Georg Branting  Sweden 1st 2nd 4th
Einar Levison  Denmark 1st 3rd 4th
Gustaf Lindblom  Sweden 1st 2nd 4th
Robert Montgomerie  Great Britain 1st 2nd 4th
Pál Rosty  Hungary 1st 2nd 4th
20 Edgar Amphlett  Great Britain 1st 2nd 5th
Zdeněk Vávra  Bohemia 1st 1st 5th
22 Vilém Goppold, Jr.  Bohemia 1st 1st 6th
Miloš Klika  Bohemia 3rd 3rd 6th
František Kříž  Bohemia 2nd 1st 6th
25 Jan de Beaufort  Netherlands 2nd 4th Did not advance
George Breed  United States 3rd 4th
Arthur Griez  Austria 3rd 4th
Konstantinos Kotzias  Greece 1st 4th
Sigurd Mathiesen  Norway 3rd 4th
Fernand de Montigny  Belgium 2nd 4th
Sotirios Notaris  Greece 3rd 4th
Jacques Ochs  Belgium 1st 4th
Frederic Schenck  United States 1st 4th
Hans Thomson  Germany 1st 4th
Trifon Triantafyllakos  Greece 2nd 4th
Georgios Versis  Greece 3rd 4th
37 Zdeněk Bárta  Bohemia 2nd 5th
Gavriil Bertrain  Russian Empire 2nd 5th
Arthur Everitt  Great Britain 2nd 5th
Karel Goppold  Bohemia 3rd 5th
Albertson van zo Post  United States 1st 5th
Louis Sparre  Sweden 3rd 5th
Charles Vanderbyl  Great Britain 1st 5th
44 Lars Aas  Norway 1st 6th
Jens Berthelsen  Denmark 3rd 6th
Severin Finne  Norway 3rd 6th
Hendrik de Iongh  Netherlands 1st 6th
Emil Schön  Germany 2nd 6th
49 Hans Bergsland  Norway 4th Did not advance
Willem van Blijenburgh  Netherlands 4th
Bjarne Eriksen  Norway 4th
Sherman Hall  United States 4th
Graeme Hammond  United States 4th
Vladimir Kayser  Russian Empire 4th
Marc Larimer  United States 4th
Sydney Martineau  Great Britain 4th
Lauritz Østrup  Denmark 4th
Hermann Plaskuda  Germany 4th
Harald Platou  Norway 4th
George van Rossem  Netherlands 4th
Gaston Salmon  Belgium 4th
Vladimir Sarnavsky  Russian Empire 4th
Alfred Sauer  United States 4th
Friedrich Schwarz  Germany 4th
Ernest Stenson-Cooke  Great Britain 4th
Christopher von Tangen  Norway 4th
Victor Willems  Belgium 4th
68 Oluf Berntsen  Denmark 5th
John Blake  Great Britain 5th
Percival Davson  Great Britain 5th
Knut Enell  Sweden 5th
Jacob van Geuns  Netherlands 5th
Josef Javůrek  Bohemia 5th
Julius Lichtenfels  Germany 5th
Lev Martyushev  Russian Empire 5th
Walther Meienreis  Germany 5th
Albertus Perk  Netherlands 5th
Josef Pfeiffer  Bohemia 5th
Aleksandr Soldatenkov  Russian Empire 5th
80 Marcel Berré  Belgium 6th
Åke Grönhagen  Sweden 6th
Willem Molijn  Netherlands 6th
Heinrich Schrader  Germany 6th
84 Gordon Alexander  Great Britain 7th
Béla Békessy  Hungary 7th
Walter Gate  South Africa 7th
John Gignoux  United States 7th
Pavel Guvorsky  Russian Empire 7th
John MacLaughlin  United States 7th
James Moore  United States 7th
91 Hans Olsen  Denmark 8th
92 Fernando Correia  Portugal DSQ
Viliam Tvrzský  Bohemia DSQ
— A M Hassanein  Egypt DNS

References

  1. ^ a b c d e "Épée, Individual, Men". Olympedia. Retrieved 4 March 2021.
  2. ^ Official Report, p. 455.
  • Bergvall, Erik, ed. (1913). The Official Report of the Olympic Games of Stockholm 1912. Translated by Adams-Ray, Edward. Stockholm: Wahlström & Widstrand.
  • Wudarski, Pawel (1999). "Wyniki Igrzysk Olimpijskich" (in Polish). Archived from the original on 16 February 2009. Retrieved 12 January 2007.
  • v
  • t
  • e
Olympic Fencing Champions in Men's Individual Épée