Fencing at the 1932 Summer Olympics

Dates 31 July – 13 August 1932
Medal Events 7

The 1932 fencing events were contested at the State Armory of the 160th Infantry of the California National Guard. There were seven events in 1932, six for men and a women’s individual foil, as there had been in 1924 and 1928. The FIE had been trying to get the IOC to add a women’s foil team event but was unsuccessful. The FIE did not hold its European Championships in the Olympic years but in 1932 it held a women’s foil team European Championship and continued to hold women’s foil team championships in the Olympic years until 1960, when a team foil event for women was added to the Olympic program.

Of the 21 available medals, 16 went to Italy, France, and Hungary, with all three nations winning two men’s events. Italy won eight medals in all – two gold, four silver, two bronze, while France and Hungary both won four total medals.

As in 1928 there was some question within the IOC about continuing to allow women to fence. But the IOC voted 17-2 in favor of keeping women’s foil on the Olympic Program. In 1936 the vote would be unanimous and women have competed in fencing continuously since 1924.

Events

Event Status Date Participants NOCs
Foil, Individual, Men Olympic 2 – 4 August 1932 26 12
Foil, Team, Men Olympic 31 July – 1 August 1932 30 6
Épée, Individual, Men Olympic 8 – 9 August 1932 28 12
Épée, Team, Men Olympic 5 – 7 August 1932 34 7
Sabre, Individual, Men Olympic 12 – 13 August 1932 25 12
Sabre, Team, Men Olympic 10 – 11 August 1932 32 6
Foil, Individual, Women Olympic 2 – 4 August 1932 17 11
108 (91/17) 16 (15/11)

Medals

Event Gold Silver Bronze
Foil, Individual, Men Gustavo MarziITA Joe LevisUSA Giulio GaudiniITA
Foil, Team, Men FranceFRA ItalyITA United StatesUSA
Épée, Individual, Men Giancarlo Cornaggia-MediciITA Géo BuchardFRA Carlo AgostoniITA
Épée, Team, Men FranceFRA ItalyITA United StatesUSA
Sabre, Individual, Men György PillerHUN Giulio GaudiniITA Endre KabosHUN
Sabre, Team, Men HungaryHUN ItalyITA PolandPOL
Foil, Individual, Women Ellen PreisAUT Judy GuinnessGBR Erna BogenHUN

Medal table

NOC Gold Silver Bronze Total
Italy ITA 2 4 2 8
France FRA 2 1 0 3
Hungary HUN 2 0 2 4
Austria AUT 1 0 0 1
United States USA 0 1 2 3
Great Britain GBR 0 1 0 1
Poland POL 0 0 1 1