Famous Fencers
The fencers who changed the sport — and what we can learn from them
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As a foil fencer, I started noticing how different each weapon feels — but also how ideas like timing, distance, and control show up in all of them.
Foil
Foil
As my main weapon, foil is where I pay the most attention to timing and distance.
Olympic Champion (Tokyo 2020 & Paris 2024), World Championship medalist
→ What I notice: his distance control feels very precise — he waits for the right moment instead of rushing
Olympic bronze medalist (Tokyo 2020), multiple-time World Championship medalist
→ What I notice: his style looks very smooth and efficient — nothing feels wasted, which is something I’m trying to work on
Olympic Champion (Tokyo 2020), World Champion, four-time Olympian
→ What I notice: how calm and controlled she is, especially in close distance — it makes me realize how important timing is, not just speed
Six-time Olympic gold medalist, one of the greatest fencers in history
→ What I notice: her consistency at the highest level is incredible — it makes me think about how important focus is over time
Épée
Watching épée made me realize how much patience and timing matter when every touch counts.
Eduardo Mangiarotti
Eduardo Mangiarotti
One of the greatest fencers in history, known for his dominance in épée and foil with 13 Olympic medals.
→ What I notice: he fenced multiple weapons at a high level — that’s something I find really impressive and hard to imagine
Olympic champion in men’s épée (Rio 2016), known for his comeback victory and mental resilience under pressure.
→ What I notice: he stays very composed even under pressure — épée seems more about patience than reacting fast
Two-time Olympic champion in women’s épée (2000, 2004), known for her strength, and precision at the highest level.
→ What I notice: her movements look strong and direct — it feels very different from foil, where touches are lighter
Olympic champion in women’s épée (Paris 2024), known for her tactical control and composed fencing style under pressure.
→ What I notice: she uses distance really carefully — it makes me realize how important timing is in all weapons
Sabre
Sabre
Sabre feels very different — faster and more explosive, with decisions happening almost instantly.
Three-time Olympic champion in men’s sabre (2012, 2016, 2020), known for his speed and tactical dominance at the highest level.
→ What I notice: everything happens so fast — sabre feels like it’s about making decisions instantly
Won five Olympic gold medals in 1920, the most ever by a fencer at a single Games, known for his dominance across foil and sabre.
→ What I notice: he succeeded in both sabre and foil — it makes me curious how different training used to be
Two-time Olympic champion in women’s sabre (2004, 2008), known for her explosive attacks and for helping revive U.S. fencing on the global stage.
→ What I notice: her attacks are very direct and confident — it feels like commitment is really important in sabre
Olympic and world champion in women’s sabre, known for her aggressive style, speed, and long-standing dominance on the international stage.
→ What I notice: her energy is very strong — it feels like sabre is not just technical but also very mental
All images used under their respective Creative Commons licenses. See photo credits below.
Photo of Cheung Ka Long via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 3.0) Photo of Lee Kiefer via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 3.0) Photo of Gerek Meinhardt via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 3.0)
Photo of Valentina Vezzali via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 3.0) Photo of Eduardo Mangiarotti via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 3.0) Photo of Park Sang-young via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 3.0)
Photo of Tímea Nagy via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 3.0) Photo of Vivian Kong via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 3.0) Photo of Áron Szilágyi via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 3.0)
Photo of Nedo Nadi via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 3.0) Photo of Mariel Zagunis via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 3.0) Photo of Olga Kharlan via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 3.0)
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