Page 12 - Fencing Booklet

Organized
Sport
Fencing became an increasingly organized competitive sport late in the 19th century. Basic conventions were first collected and set down in the 1880s by the French fencing master Camille Prévost. Officially recognized fencing associations also began to appear: the Amateur Fencers League of America was founded in 1891, the Amateur Fencing Association of Great Britain in 1902, and the Fédération Nationale des Sociétés d’Escrime et Salles d’Armes de France in 1906. Collegiate fencing in the United States was organized around this time as well: the Intercollegiate Fencing Association held
its first matches in 1894 (the sport in American universities is now governed by the National Collegiate Athletic Association).
Meanwhile, fencing for men had been part of the Olympic Games since their revival in 1896. In 1900 the épée joined the foil and sabre as
individual events in the Olympic program. Team competition in the foil was introduced in the 1904 Games, followed by the sabre and épée
in 1908. By the early 20th century, numerous disputes had arisen over various fencing rules. For instance, at the 1912 Olympic Games, France withdrew its entire team over a dispute regarding the target area for foil, and the Italians refused to fence in the épée events because
of a rejected request to increase the allowed length of the épée blade. As a result, in 1913
the Fédération Internationale d’Escrime was founded and thereafter was the governing body of international fencing for amateurs, both in the Olympic Games and in world championships.
YMPIC
LYMPIC
LYMPIC
OLYMPIC
OLYMPIC
12
O
L
O