Fencing at the 1912 Summer Olympics – Men's épée

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.

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 →

Background

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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

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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

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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

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Round 1

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Pool A

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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

Pool L

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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

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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

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

Pool O

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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

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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

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Quarterfinal A

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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Semifinal A

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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

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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

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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

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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

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

Rank Fencer Nation Wins Losses
  Paul Anspach   Belgium 6 1
  Ivan Osiier   Denmark 5 2
  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

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Rank Fencer Nation Round 1
Rank
Quarterfinals
Rank
Semifinals
Rank
Final
Wins Losses
  Paul Anspach   Belgium 1st 1st 2nd 6 1
  Ivan Osiier   Denmark 1st 1st 1st 5 2
  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

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  1. ^ a b c d e "Épée, Individual, Men". Olympedia. Retrieved 4 March 2021.
  2. ^ Official Report, p. 455.