George Worth

Biographical information

RolesCompeted in Olympic Games • Referee
SexMale
Full nameGeorge•Worth
Used nameGeorge•Worth
Other namesGyörgy Woittitz
Born1 April 1915 in Budapest, Budapest (HUN)
Died15 January 2006 in Orangeburg, New York (USA)
Measurements173 cm / 70 kg
AffiliationsSalle Santelli, New York (USA)
NOC United States
Medals OG
Gold 0
Silver 0
Bronze 1
Total 1

Biography

As György Woittitz, George Worth began fencing while a youth in Hungary at the Salle Santelli, the salle d’armes of Italo Santelli, the preeminent sabre coach of all-time and the father of Giorgio Santelli, five-time U.S. Olympic coach. Because of the unstable political climate in Hungary in 1937, Worth decided to emigrate to the United States but was unable to do so directly because of his Jewish faith. He spent two years in Cuba where he won the Cuban national sabre championships and fenced frequently with Commandante Ramón Fonst, the Olympic champion of 1900 and 1904.

Worth came to the US through Miami in 1940 and became a US citizen in February 1944. He was a member of the US Olympic teams in 1948, 1952, 1956 and 1960. In 1948, besides the team bronze medal, he finished fifth in the sabre individual, and this is regarded as the outstanding accomplishment of an American sabreur internationally in that era. Worth won the AFLA National Championship in sabre individual in 1954 and was a member of 14 national championship teams, representing the Salle Santelli his entire career. He was also a member of three Pan American teams, winning a gold medal for sabre team in 1951, 1955, and 1959 and a silver medal in sabre individual in 1951 as well as in 1955. At the 1959 Pan Am Games in Chicago he spoke the Oath of Participation on behalf of all athletes in both English and Spanish.

After immigrating to the United States Worth served in World War II and fought in the Battle of the Bulge, where he won several Bronze Stars. He later served as Captain of the South Orangetown Ambulance Corps and Chief Commissioner of the Orangeburg Fire Department

Results

Games Discipline (Sport) / Event NOC / Team Pos Medal As
1948 Summer Olympics Fencing USA George Worth
Sabre, Individual, Men (Olympic) 5
Sabre, Team, Men (Olympic) United States 3 Bronze
1952 Summer Olympics Fencing USA George Worth
Sabre, Individual, Men (Olympic) 5 p2 r2/4
Sabre, Team, Men (Olympic) United States 4
1956 Summer Olympics Fencing USA George Worth
Sabre, Individual, Men (Olympic) 7 p2 r3/4
Sabre, Team, Men (Olympic) United States =5
1960 Summer Olympics Fencing USA George Worth
Sabre, Team, Men (Olympic) United States 4

Referee

Games Sport (Discipline) / Event NOC / Team Phase Unit Role As
1952 Summer Olympics Fencing USA George Worth
Foil, Individual, Men (Olympic) Final Standings Official
Épée, Individual, Men (Olympic) Final Standings Official
Sabre, Individual, Men (Olympic) Final Standings Official
Foil, Team, Men (Olympic) Final Standings Official
Épée, Team, Men (Olympic) Final Standings Official
Sabre, Team, Men (Olympic) Final Standings Official
Foil, Individual, Women (Olympic) Final Standings Official
1960 Summer Olympics Fencing USA George Worth
Foil, Individual, Men (Olympic) Semi-Finals Pool 1 Jury President
Foil, Individual, Men (Olympic) Semi-Finals Pool 1, Barrage 4-6 Jury President
Foil, Individual, Men (Olympic) Round One Pool 5 Jury President
Sabre, Individual, Men (Olympic) Semi-Finals Pool 1 Jury President
Sabre, Individual, Men (Olympic) Round Two Pool 3 Jury President
Foil, Team, Men (Olympic) Final Pool Soviet Union — Italy Jury President
Foil, Team, Men (Olympic) Final Pool Unified Team of Germany — Hungary Jury President
Foil, Team, Men (Olympic) Semi-Finals Soviet Union — Unified Team of Germany Jury President
Foil, Individual, Women (Olympic) Semi-Finals Pool 1 Jury President
Sabre, Individual, Men (Olympic) Semi-Finals Pool 1, Barrage 4-5 Jury President
1968 Summer Olympics Fencing USA George Worth
Épée, Individual, Men (Olympic) Round One Pool 4 Jury President
Sabre, Individual, Men (Olympic) Round Two Pool 2 Jury President
Foil, Individual, Women (Olympic) Round One Pool 2 Jury President
Épée, Individual, Men (Olympic) Round One Pool 12 Jury President
Épée, Team, Men (Olympic) Round One Great Britain — Brazil Jury President
Épée, Team, Men (Olympic) Round One Great Britain — Cuba Jury President
Épée, Team, Men (Olympic) Round One Mexico — Australia Jury President
Sabre, Team, Men (Olympic) Round One Pool 1 Jury President
1972 Summer Olympics Fencing USA George Worth
Épée, Individual, Men (Olympic) Round One Pool 4 Jury President

Special Notes

Errata

Often used the title Vitéz, but Worth did that in Hungary to hide his Jewish ancestry. At that time Jews could not use the title Vitéz.