Fencing at the 1908 Summer Olympics – Men's épée

The men's épée was one of four fencing events on the Fencing at the 1908 Summer Olympics programme. The medals were swept by the French fencers, who also took the gold medal in the team épée event. Each nation could enter up to 12 fencers.[1]

Men's épée
at the Games of the IV Olympiad
VenueFranco-British Exhibition fencing grounds
DatesJuly 17–24
Competitors85 from 12 nations
Medalists
Gaston Alibert  France
Alexandre Lippmann  France
Eugene Olivier  France
Fencing at the
1908 Summer Olympics
Épéemen
Team épéemen
Sabremen
Team sabremen

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. Barrages were used as necessary to determine the advancing fencers.

  • First round: 13 pools of between 5 to 8 fencers each. The 3 fencers in each pool with the fewest touches against advanced to the second round.
  • Second round: 8 pools of 5 fencers each (except one had only 4). The 2 fencers in each pool with the fewest touches against advanced to the semifinals.
  • Semifinals: 2 pools of 8 fencers each. The 4 fencers in each pool with the fewest touches against advanced to the final.
  • Final: 1 pool of 8 fencers.

Results

First round

The first round was conducted in round-robin format, to one touch. Pool sizes ranged from 5 to 8 fencers. Double-touches counted against both fencers. The three contestants who had been struck the fewest times advanced.

Pool A

Fildes and von Rosen had a double-touch, as did Stöhr and Fildes.

PlaceFencerNationForAgainst
1Lauritz Østrup Denmark51
2Bernard Gravier France42
Jaroslav Šourek-Tucek Bohemia42
4Eric Carlberg Sweden33
5Pontus von Rosen Sweden34[2]
6Georg Stöhr Germany25
7Luke Fildes Great Britain26

Pool B

Double-touches were between Gates and van Schreven, Jack and Gates, and Collignon and van Schreven.

PlaceFencerNationForAgainst
1Vlastimil Lada-Sázavský Bohemia51
2Charles Colignon France52
3Pietro Speciale Italy33
4Herbert Sander Denmark24
Johan van Schreven Netherlands44
6Walter Gates South Africa35
Fritz Jack Germany25

Pool C

Blake and Dwinger had the only double-touch in this six-man pool.

PlaceFencerNationForAgainst
1Joseph Marais France50
2Ejnar Levison Denmark32
Gaston Renard Belgium32
4Johannes Adam Germany14
John Blake Great Britain24
Max Dwinger Netherlands24

Pool D

The fourth pool had 8 fencers. Berger was clearly the best of the crowd, going untouched in his seven bouts. When five different fencers tied for second place at 4 touches against apiece, a playoff round-robin was held. The first playoff eliminated only one fencer, with the remaining four again tying and forcing a second playoff. That round resulted in Holt and Tvrzský tying at 1 touch apiece, eliminating the other two fencers.

PlaceFencerNationForAgainst
1Henri-Georges Berger France70
2Otto Becker Denmark44
Hans Bergsland Norway44
Dino Diana Italy44
Martin Holt Great Britain34
Vilém Tvrzský Bohemia44
7André Sarens Belgium36
George van Rossem Netherlands26

Bergsland was hit three times, finishing sixth overall in the pool while the other four fencers in the playoff each received two hits to advance to a second playoff.

PlaceFencerNationForAgainst
2Otto Becker Denmark32
Dino Diana Italy32
Martin Holt Great Britain22
Vilém Tvrzský Bohemia22
6Hans Bergsland Norway13

Holt and Tvrzský tied for an overall second-place finish in the pool with one touch against apiece (Tvrzský won the bout between the two, but was himself hit by Diana). Becker and Diana placed fourth.

PlaceFencerNationForAgainst
2Martin Holt Great Britain21
Vilém Tvrzský Bohemia21
4Otto Becker Denmark12
Dino Diana Italy12

Pool E

The fifth pool also included 8 fencers, but did not require a playoff. The only touch against Alibert came in a double-touch with van Löben Sels.

PlaceFencerNationForAgainst
1Gaston Alibert France71
2Fernand de Montigny Belgium53
Ivan Osiier Denmark53
4Percival Davson Great Britain34
Sante Ceccherini Italy44
6Otakar Lada Bohemia35
7Robert Krünert Germany26
Maurits Jacob van Löben Sels Netherlands36

Pool F

The sixth competition pool was smaller, with only 6 fencers.

PlaceFencerNationForAgainst
1François Rom Belgium41
2Giulio Cagiati Italy42
Sydney Martineau Great Britain32
4Henry Peyron Sweden33
5Albert Naumann Germany14
Bedrich Schejbal Bohemia14

Pool G
PlaceFencerNationForAgainst
1Leaf Daniell Great Britain51
2Vilém Goppold von Lobsdorf Bohemia42
3Fernand Bosmans Belgium43
Frédéric Dubourdieu France43
Emil Schön Germany43
6Dezső Földes Hungary15
7Willem Hubert van Blijenburgh Netherlands16

The Official Report says only that Bosmans defeated Dubourdieu and Schön in the playoff, without giving further detail.

PlaceFencerNation
3Fernand Bosmans Belgium
4Frédéric Dubourdieu France
Emil Schön Germany

Pool H
PlaceFencerNationForAgainst
1Alfred Labouchere Netherlands51
2Paul Anspach Belgium52
3Ralph Chalmers Great Britain33
Jacques Rodocanachi France33
5Jacob Erkrath de Bary Germany44
Alessandro Pirzio Biroli Italy34
7František Šourek-Tuček[3] Bohemia06

The single bout between Rodocanachi and Chalmers to break the tie for third resulted in a win for the Frenchman.

PlaceFencerNationForAgainst
3Jacques Rodocanachi France10
4Ralph Chalmers Great Britain01

Pool I

The ninth pool was the first of the second day of competition, 18 July.

PlaceFencerNationForAgainst
1Robert Montgomerie Great Britain61
2Gustaf Lindblom Sweden53
Giuseppe Mangiarotti Italy53
René Quenessen France33
5Frantz Jørgensen Denmark34
6Percy Nobbs Canada26
August Petri Germany26

Mangiarotti was defeated in the three-way playoff for the two remaining advancement spots.

PlaceFencerNation
2Gustaf Lindblom Sweden
René Quenessen France
4Giuseppe Mangiarotti Italy

Pool J
PlaceFencerNationForAgainst
1Edgar Amphlett Great Britain41
Jetze Doorman Netherlands41
3Eugène Olivier France32
4Zulavszky Béla Hungary24
Ernst Moldenhauer Germany14
Pietro Sarzano Italy24

Pool K

The eleventh pool was the smallest, with only 5 fencers.

PlaceFencerNationForAgainst
1Marcelo Bertinetti Italy31
2Cecil Haig Great Britain22
Pierre le Blon Belgium32
Simon Okker Netherlands32
5Georg Branting Sweden04

In the playoff for the second and third spots, le Blon won with Haig taking the final spot. Okker was eliminated.

PlaceFencerNation
2Pierre le Blon Belgium
3Cecil Haig Great Britain
4Simon Okker Netherlands

Pool L
PlaceFencerNationForAgainst
1Alexandre Lippmann France41
François Stuyck Belgium51
3Riccardo Nowak Italy32
4Birger Cnattingius Sweden14
Edgar Seligman Great Britain24
6Gösta Olson Sweden15

Pool M

The final pool also had only 5 fencers.

PlaceFencerNationForAgainst
1Jean Stern France41
2Henry Davids Great Britain22
Marcel van Langenhove Belgium22
4Julius Lichtenfels Germany23
Tóth Péter Hungary13

Second round

Seven of the eight second round pools had 5 fencers, with the eighth having only 4. 2 advanced to the semifinals from each pool.

Pool 1
PlaceFencerNationForAgainst
1Pierre le Blon Belgium41
2Jetze Doorman Netherlands22
Jean Stern France22
4François Stuyck Belgium13
5Ejnar Levison Denmark14

Doorman again lost to Stern in the playoff bout.

PlaceFencerNationForAgainst
2Jean Stern France10
3Jetze Doorman Netherlands01

Pool 2
PlaceFencerNationForAgainst
1Lauritz Østrup Denmark31
2Ivan Osiier Denmark22
Gaston Renard Belgium22
Jacques Rodocanachi France22
5Edgar Amphlett Great Britain13

Renard won the playoff pool, with no further details given in the Official Report.

PlaceFencerNation
2Gaston Renard Belgium
3Ivan Osiier Denmark
Jacques Rodocanachi France

Pool 3

Alibert continued on his perfect streak, winning four more bouts untouched.

PlaceFencerNationForAgainst
1Gaston Alibert France40
2Henri-Georges Berger France32
Vilém Goppold von Lobsdorf Bohemia22
4Pietro Speciale Italy13
5Henry Davids Great Britain14

Berger won the playoff, defeating von Lobsdorf again.

PlaceFencerNationForAgainst
2Henri-Georges Berger France10
3Vilém Goppold von Lobsdorf Bohemia01

Pool 4
PlaceFencerNationForAgainst
1Martin Holt Great Britain31
2Bernard Gravier France22
Robert Montgomerie Great Britain22
Vilém Tvrzský Bohemia22
5Joseph Marais France13

Montgomerie won against Gravier and Tvrzský in the three-way playoff for the second semifinal spot.

PlaceFencerNation
2Robert Montgomerie Great Britain
3Bernard Gravier France
Vilém Tvrzský Bohemia

Pool 5
PlaceFencerNationForAgainst
1Gustaf Lindblom Sweden31
Alexandre Lippmann France41
3Leaf Daniell Great Britain32
4Marcelo Bertinetti Italy13
5Vlastimil Lada-Sázavský Bohemia04

Pool 6
PlaceFencerNationForAgainst
1François Rom Belgium31
2Fernand Bosmans Belgium42
3Charles Colignon France13
Marcel van Langenhove Belgium23
Riccardo Nowak Italy23

Pool 7
PlaceFencerNationForAgainst
1Paul Anspach Belgium31
2Alfred Labouchere Netherlands22
Sydney Martineau Great Britain22
Fernand de Montigny Belgium22
5Jaroslav Šourek-Tucek Bohemia13

Labouchere won the three-way playoff for second place and a semifinal spot.

PlaceFencerNation
2Alfred Labouchere Netherlands
3Sydney Martineau Great Britain
Fernand de Montigny Belgium

Pool 8
PlaceFencerNationForAgainst
1Cecil Haig Great Britain21
Eugène Olivier France21
3Giulio Cagiati Italy12
René Quenessen France12

Semifinals

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

Semifinal 1

Alibert was hit twice, both in double-touches.

PlaceFencerNationForAgainst
1Gaston Alibert France72
2Cecil Haig Great Britain43
Alfred Labouchere Netherlands43
4Robert Montgomerie Great Britain34
5Henri-Georges Berger France45
Gaston Renard Belgium35
François Rom Belgium55
8Fernand Bosmans Belgium47

Semifinal 2
PlaceFencerNationForAgainst
1Paul Anspach Belgium52
2Martin Holt Great Britain43
3Alexandre Lippmann France54
Eugène Olivier France54
Jean Stern France34
6Gustaf Lindblom Sweden45
Lauritz Østrup Denmark55
8Pierre le Blon Belgium26
PlaceFencerNationForAgainst
3Alexandre Lippmann France20
4Eugène Olivier France11
5Jean Stern France02

Final

The final resulted in Alibert taking the championship after again hitting all opponents, though he suffered another pair of double-touches. There was a three-way tie for second place between two Frenchman and Montgomerie of the British team.

PlaceFencerNationForAgainst
Gaston Alibert France72
2Alexandre Lippmann France53
Robert Montgomerie Great Britain63
Eugène Olivier France43
5Paul Anspach Belgium25
Cecil Haig Great Britain25
Alfred Labouchere Netherlands25
8Martin Holt Great Britain26

The playoff pool for second and third resulted in wins for the two French fencers, completing France's medal sweep in the event.

PlaceFencerNationForAgainst
Alexandre Lippmann France20
Eugène Olivier France11
4Robert Montgomerie Great Britain02

Notes
  1. Official Report, p.34.
  2. The Official Report lists von Rosen's hits against as "3", but shows him being hit by Carlberg, Gravier, and Østrup as well as scoring a double-touch against Fildes for a total of 4 hits against.
  3. "comdat.w.interia.pl" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2011-07-19. Retrieved 2006-05-06.

Sources
  • Cook, Theodore Andrea (1908). The Fourth Olympiad, Being the Official Report. London: British Olympic Association.
  • De Wael, Herman. Herman's Full Olympians: "Fencing 1908". Accessed 29 April 2006. Available electronically at .
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