Épée, Individual, Men

Hungary had been the great power in Olympic sabre fencing for decades but as their success in that discipline began to tail off they found a new focus in the épée and In 1968 Győző Kulcsár had become their first champion at the weapon. In between Olympics Hungary had been successful in team competition at the World Championship although the Soviets had provided the individual champions in 1970 and 1971. Csaba Fenyvesi was 29-years-old in München and had been a member of the champion Hungarian teams without achieving individual medal success at major championships.

Ironically the deciding bout of the competition was one where Csaba Fenyvesi of Hungary and Jacques Ladègaillerie were tied in their bout at the end of regulation time and were accorded a double loss, with a 5-5 score.. Had Ladègaillerie won he would have matched the Hungarian’s win-loss but the tie consigned him to win silver behind Fenyvesi. Defending champion Kulcsár won bronze.

One of the favorites sadly did not fare well. West German Rudi Maier had won the 1971 Heidenheim Pokal, considered the Wimbledon of fencing, and was the first German to win it in 15 years. He had also placed seventh at the 1971 World Championships. In pool four in München, he drew Ladègaillerie in his first match and was leading, 3-1, when, as Maier walked back to the en garde line, he collapsed and lost consciousness. Maier was rushed to the hospital but was rendered quadriplegic from uncertain causes, although a blood clot on the brain was suspected. Maier never regained much function and was permanently confined to a wheelchair.