Ernő Kolczonay

Originally a foil fighter, Ernő Kolczonay switched to the épée with great success, winning medals at European Championships (two), World Championships (six) and Olympic Games (two). His only international title came in 1978, when the Hungarian épée squad won the world title. A year later, Kolczonay gained a silver medal in the individual competition, repeating that result at the Olympics a year later. In 1982, he also placed second in the individual event at the European Championships. Although with less success, Kolczonay continued to fence into the 1990s, finishing out his career with a second Olympic medal with the Hungarian team in Barcelona. He remained active in the fencing scene, working as a coach in both Hungary and Greece. Suffering from a liver ailment, Kolczonay was waiting for a transplant when he died at age 56.