Event Overview
The men’s individual sabre competition was part of the fencing programme at the 2020 Summer Olympics, which were held in Tokyo, Japan, in 2021 due to the COVID‑19 pandemic. The event took place at Makuhari Messe, a convention center in Chiba Prefecture, on 24–25 July 2021.
Participants
- Competitors: 36 athletes
- Nations: 18 National Olympic Committees
Competition Format
- Preliminary Pools: Six pools of six fencers each. Every fencer bout was to 5 touches, with the top 24 athletes (based on victories, indicator, and touches scored) advancing.
- Direct Elimination: A single‑elimination tableau of 32 (the top 8 seeds received a bye to the round of 16). Bouts were to 15 touches, divided into three periods of three minutes each, with one‑minute breaks between periods.
- Finals: Winners of the semifinals contested the gold‑medal match; the losers contested the bronze‑medal match.
Medalists
| Medal | Athlete | Nation |
|---|---|---|
| Gold | Áron Szilágyi | Hungary |
| Silver | Luigi Samele | Italy |
| Bronze | Kim Jung-hwan | South Korea |
Áron Szilágyi secured his third consecutive Olympic gold in men’s sabre (2008, 2012, 2020), joining a select group of fencers with three individual Olympic titles.
Schedule
- 24 July 2021: Pool rounds and round of 32 (where applicable).
- 25 July 2021: Rounds of 16, quarterfinals, semifinals, and medal matches.
Notable Points
- The event was conducted without spectators in accordance with pandemic‑related health protocols.
- The competition adhered to the International Fencing Federation (FIE) rules in effect for the 2020 Olympic cycle, including the use of electronic scoring apparatus and the “right‑of‑way” convention governing sabre bouts.
References
- Official Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games website – Fencing results.
- International Fencing Federation (FIE) competition manuals for the 2020 Olympic Games.
