Page 13 - Fencing Booklet

Events for women fencers were added to the Olympic contest over the years. Individual
foil for women was first included in the 1924 Olympic Games, and a team event for women was introduced in the 1960 Games. Women’s team and individual épée made their Olympic debut in the 1996 Games. The women’s individual sabre event was added in the 2004 Olympic Games, and the women’s team sabre event was added in the 2008 Games, and from 2004 to 2016 the Olympics rotated out two team
events as a result, as the International Olympic Committee declined to commensurately increase fencing’s medal count.
From the end of the 19th century until after World War II, épée and foil competitions were dominated by the French and Italians. Thereafter, as fencing became more popular worldwide, the Soviet and Hungarian fencers became dominant. Especially in sabre, the Hungarians dominated for much of the 20th century. Some of the most notable fencers of the 20th century included the Hungarian sabreist Aladár Gerevich, who won gold medals in six consecutive Olympics, and the Italian Edoardo Mangiarotti, who won 13 world championship gold medals.
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