Fencing at the 1908 Summer Olympics – Men's sabre

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.[1]

Men's sabre
at the Games of the IV Olympiad
VenueFranco-British Exhibition fencing grounds
DatesJuly 17–24
Competitors76 from 11 nations
Medalists
Jenő Fuchs
 Hungary
Béla Zulawszky
 Hungary
Vilém Goppold von Lobsdorf
 Bohemia
Fencing at the
1908 Summer Olympics
Épéemen
Team épéemen
Sabremen
Team sabremen

Background

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.[2]

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.

Competition format

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 to 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.

Schedule
Date Time Round
Friday, 17 July 1908Round 1 pools A–D
Saturday, 18 July 190814:30
16:00
17:30		Round 1 pools E–G
Round 1 pools H–K
Round 1 pools L–M
Monday, 20 July 190811:30
16:15		Quarterfinals A–D
Quarterfinals E–H
Thursday, 23 July 190810:30
16:00		Semifinal A
Semifinal B
Friday, 24 July 190814:45Final

Results

Round 1

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.

Pool A
RankFencerNationWinsLossesNotes
1Siegfried Flesch Austria50Q
2Jetze Doorman Netherlands32Q
Vlastimil Lada-Sázavský Bohemia32Q
4Jean de Mas Latrie France23
5Henri Six Belgium14
Jaroslav Šourek-Tucek Bohemia14

Pool B

The three-way tie for the two remaining places resulted in the British fencer being eliminated.

RankFencerNationWinsLossesNotes
1Otakar Lada Bohemia31Q
2Arthur Murray Great Britain22B
Péter Tóth Hungary22B
Joseph van der Voodt Belgium22B
5Johannes Adam Germany13
Barrage B
RankFencerNationWinsLossesNotes
2Péter Tóth Hungary10Q
Joseph van der Voodt Belgium10Q
4Arthur Murray Great Britain02

Pool C

Renaud lost both his playoff matches, eliminating him and allowing Grade and Jack to advance.

RankFencerNationWinsLossesNotes
1Alfred Labouchere Netherlands41Q
2Etienne Grade Belgium32B
Fritz Jack Germany32B
Jean-Joseph Renaud France32B
5Dino Diana Italy23
6Douglas Godfree Great Britain05
Barrage C
RankFencerNationWinsLossesNotes
2Etienne Grade Belgium10Q
Fritz Jack Germany10Q
4Jean-Joseph Renaud France02

Pool D

The playoff resulted in two losses for Lichtenfels.

RankFencerNationWinsLossesNotes
1William Marsh Great Britain31Q
2René Lateux France22B
Julius Lichtenfels Germany22B
Richard Schoemaker Netherlands22B
5Harald Krenchel Denmark13
Barrage D
RankFencerNationWinsLossesNotes
2René Lateux France10Q
Richard Schoemaker Netherlands10Q
4Julius Lichtenfels Germany02

Pool E

The fifth pool was small, with only 4 fencers. This meant only one, Langevin, was eliminated.

RankFencerNationWinsLossesNotes
1Adrianus de Jong Netherlands21Q
Alessandro Pirzio Biroli Italy21Q
Einar Schwartz-Nielsen Denmark21Q
4Georges Langevin France03

Pool F

Petri defeated van Tomme in the playoff for third place after having lost to the Belgian in the main pool.

RankFencerNationWinsLossesNotes
1Georges de la Falaise France31Q
Jenő Szántay Hungary31Q
3August Petri Germany22B
Antoine van Tomme Belgium22B
5Jacob van Löben Sels Netherlands04
Barrage F
RankFencerNationWinsLossesNotes
3August Petri Germany10Q
4Antoine van Tomme Belgium01

Pool G

Badman defeated van Minden again in the playoff for third place.

RankFencerNationWinsLossesNotes
1Dezső Földes Hungary50Q
2Sante Ceccherini Italy41Q
3Robert Badman Great Britain23B
Lion van Minden Netherlands23B
5Jakob Erkrath de Bary Germany14
Ismaël de Lesseps France14
Barrage G
RankFencerNationWinsLossesNotes
3Robert Badman Great Britain10Q
4Lion van Minden Netherlands01

Pool H
RankFencerNationWinsLossesNotes
1Marcello Bertinetti Italy41Q
Bertrand Marie de Lesseps France41Q
3Béla Zulawszky Hungary32Q
4Robert Krünert Germany23
Charles Wilson Great Britain23
6Walter Gates South Africa05

Pool I
RankFencerNationWinsLossesNotes
1Oszkár Gerde Hungary41Q
Lauritz Østrup Denmark41Q
3Willem van Blijenburgh Netherlands32Q
4André du Bosch Belgium23
Alfred Keene Great Britain23
6Joseph, Marquis de Saint Brisson France05

Pool J

The tenth pool was the largest, at fully twice the size of the fifth. Five of the eight fencers were eliminated. The Bohemian fencer, von Lobsdorf, defeated each of his seven opponents for a decisive first place in the pool. There was no match between Sarzano and Stohr.

RankFencerNationWinsLossesNotes
1Vilém Goppold von Lobsdorf Bohemia70Q
2Paul Anspach Belgium52Q
Jenő Apáthy Hungary52Q
4Edward Brookfield Great Britain34
Johan van Schreven Netherlands34
6Pietro Sarzano Italy24
Georg Stöhr Germany24
8Jean Mikorski France25

Pool K
RankFencerNationWinsLossesNotes
1Jenő Fuchs Hungary50Q
2Gustaaf van Hulstijn Netherlands41Q
3Vilém Tvrzský Bohemia32Q
4Arolodo Pinelli Italy23
5Ernst Moldenhauer Germany14
6Lockhart Leith Great Britain05

Pool L

Chapuis was eliminated in the three-way playoff for second and third.

RankFencerNationWinsLossesNotes
1George van Rossem Netherlands41Q
2C. Barry Notley Great Britain32B
Bedrich Schejbal Bohemia32B
Louis Chapuis France32B
5Alexis Simonson Belgium23
6Albert Naumann Germany05
Barrage L
RankFencerNationNotes
2C. Barry Notley Great BritainQ
Bedrich Schejbal BohemiaQ
4Louis Chapuis France

Pool M

The final pool was one of the larger pools, with 7 fencers.

RankFencerNationWinsLossesNotes
1Lajos Werkner Hungary51Q
2Riccardo Nowak Italy42Q
Emil Schön Germany42Q
4Marc Perrodon France33
5Jan de Beaufort Netherlands24
František Šourek-Tuček[3] Bohemia24
7Alfred Chalke Great Britain15

Quarterfinals

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

Quarterfinal 1

Notley's pair of victories in the playoff gave him second in the pool, allowing him to advance.

RankFencerNationWinsLossesNotes
1Jenő Fuchs Hungary31Q
2Etienne Grade Belgium22B
C. Barry Notley Great Britain22B
Richard Schoemaker Netherlands22B
5René Lateux France13
Barrage 1
RankFencerNationWinsLossesNotes
2C. Barry Notley Great Britain20Q
3Etienne Grade Belgium01
Richard Schoemaker Netherlands01

Quarterfinal 2
RankFencerNationWinsLossesNotes
1Lajos Werkner Hungary40Q
2Dezső Földes Hungary31Q
3George van Rossem Netherlands22
4Robert Badman Great Britain13
5Fritz Jack Germany13

Quarterfinal 3
RankFencerNationWinsLossesNotes
1Vilém Goppold von Lobsdorf Bohemia31Q
Joseph van der Voodt Belgium31Q
3William Marsh Great Britain22
4Adrianus de Jong Netherlands13
Riccardo Nowak Italy13

Quarterfinal 4
RankFencerNationWinsLossesNotes
1Bertrand Marie de Lesseps France30Q
2Béla Zulawszky Hungary21Q
3Bedrich Schejbal Bohemia12
4Vilém Tvrzský Bohemia03
—Gustaaf van Hulstijn NetherlandsDNS

Quarterfinal 5
RankFencerNationWinsLossesNotes
1Oszkar Gerde Hungary40Q
2Sante Ceccherini Italy31Q
3Otakar Lada Bohemia22
4Emil Schön Germany13
5Paul Anspach Belgium04

Quarterfinal 6
RankFencerNationWinsLossesNotes
1Péter Tóth Hungary40Q
2Jenő Szántay Hungary31Q
3Willem van Blijenburgh Netherlands13
Siegfried Flesch Austria13
Alfred Labouchere Netherlands13

Quarterfinal 7

Doorman, who had lost to Petri in the main pool, defeated the German in the playoff for second place.

RankFencerNationWinsLossesNotes
1Marcello Bertinetti Italy40Q
2Jetze Doorman Netherlands22B
August Petri Germany22B
4Vlastimil Lada-Sázavský Bohemia13
Alessandro Pirzio Biroli Italy13
Barrage 7
RankFencerNationWinsLossesNotes
2Jetze Doorman Netherlands10Q
3August Petri Germany01

Quarterfinal 8
RankFencerNationWinsLossesNotes
1Jenő Apáthy Hungary21B
Georges de la Falaise France21B
Lauritz Østrup Denmark21B
4Einar Schwartz-Nielsen Denmark03
Barrage 8
RankFencerNationWinsLossesNotes
1Georges de la Falaise France20Q
2Lauritz Østrup Denmark11Q
3Jenő Apáthy Hungary02

Semifinals

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

Semifinal 1
RankFencerNationWinsLossesNotes
1Jenő Fuchs Hungary61Q
2Lajos Werkner Hungary52Q
3Georges de la Falaise France43Q
Jenő Szántay Hungary43Q
5Marcello Bertinetti Italy34
Dezső Földes Hungary34
7C. Barry Notley Great Britain25
8Bertrand Marie de Lesseps France16

Semifinal 2

Four fencers tied at 5-2 records, all advancing to the finals. Ceccherini gave up after his first four bouts, giving Tóth, van der Voodt, and Doorman wins by walkover.

RankFencerNationWinsLossesNotes
1Jetze Doorman Netherlands52Q
Vilém Goppold von Lobsdorf Bohemia52Q
Péter Tóth Hungary52Q
Béla Zulawszky Hungary52Q
5Oszkár Gerde Hungary43
6Lauritz Østrup Denmark34
7Joseph van der Voodt Belgium16
8Sante Ceccherini Italy07

Final

Fuchs and de Lobsdorf did not finish within the time limit, resulting in a loss for both of them. The playoff match for the gold medal was won by Fuchs, with the one-touch bout decided by a parry and riposte to his fellow Hungarian's head.

RankFencerNationWinsLosses
1Jenő Fuchs Hungary61
Béla Zulawszky Hungary61
Vilém Goppold von Lobsdorf Bohemia43
4Jenő Szántay Hungary34
5Péter Tóth Hungary34
6Lajos Werkner Hungary25
7Jetze Doorman Netherlands16
Georges de la Falaise France16
Barrage
RankFencerNationWinsLosses
Jenő Fuchs Hungary10
Béla Zulawszky Hungary01

Notes
  1. Official Report, p.34.
  2. "Sabre, Individual, Men". Olympedia. Retrieved 22 November 2020.
  3. "Interia - Polska i świat: informacje, sport, gwiazdy". www.interia.pl.

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 1 May 2006. Available electronically at .
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.