| | Event type
Foil, Individual, Women
| Date | 21 – 22 September 1988 |
|---|---|
| Status | Olympic |
| Location | Pen-sing Gyeong-ji-jang, Ol-lim-pik Gong-won, Seoul |
| Participants | 45 from 19 countries |
West Germany had shown a considerable depth of talent since the 1984 Olympics and had taken 5 of the 9 available medals at the intervening World Championships – each by a different fencer. It was expected that the West Germans would all be strong medal contenders but the extent of their domination came as a shock. There was little sign of German superiority in the second pool stages as all three had difficulty qualifying but once in the knockout stages they suddenly found their best form. Anja Fichtel’s victory over Zsuzsa Jánosi of Hungary in the semi-final ensured that the West Germans would take home both gold and silver and with Jánosi losing to Zita-Eva Funkenhauser in the bronze medal match the medal sweep was complete. This just left the matter of which German would be crowned Olympic champion. That honour fell to Fichtel who defeated Sabine Bau to add Olympic gold to her 1986 World title.
Back in 29th place in the classification was 52 year old Kerstin Palm of Sweden making her 7th successive Olympic appearance. Although since beaten, it was a record for any female Olympian at the time.
Round One (21 September 1988 — 8:30)
Top four finishers in each pool advanced to round two.
Pool 1
| Pos | Competitor(s) | NOC | Bouts Won | Bouts Lost | TD | TR | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Zita Funkenhauser |  FRG | 4 | 0 | 20 | 6 | |||
| 2 | Brigitte Gaudin |  FRA | 2 | 2 | 15 | 12 | |||
| 3 | Tomoko Oka |  JPN | 2 | 2 | 13 | 13 | |||
| 4 | Edit Kovács |  HUN | 2 | 2 | 12 | 14 | |||
| 5 | Silvia Koeswandi |  INA | 0 | 4 | 5 | 20 |
| Bout #1 | Zita Funkenhauser | FRG | 5 – 1 | Brigitte Gaudin | FRA |
| Bout #2 | Zita Funkenhauser | FRG | 5 – 1 | Tomoko Oka | JPN |
| Bout #3 | Zita Funkenhauser | FRG | 5 – 0 | Edit Kovács | HUN |
| Bout #4 | Zita Funkenhauser | FRG | 5 – 4 | Silvia Koeswandi | INA |
| Bout #5 | Brigitte Gaudin | FRA | 5 – 2 | Tomoko Oka | JPN |
| Bout #6 | Brigitte Gaudin | FRA | 5 – 0 | Silvia Koeswandi | INA |
| Bout #7 | Tomoko Oka | JPN | 5 – 2 | Edit Kovács | HUN |
| Bout #8 | Tomoko Oka | JPN | 5 – 1 | Silvia Koeswandi | INA |
| Bout #9 | Edit Kovács | HUN | 5 – 4 | Brigitte Gaudin | FRA |
| Bout #10 | Edit Kovács | HUN | 5 – 0 | Silvia Koeswandi | INA |
Pool 2
| Pos | Competitor(s) | NOC | Bouts Won | Bouts Lost | TD | TR | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Laurence Modaine | FRA | 4 | 0 | 20 | 16 | |||
| 2 | Zsuzsa Jánosi | HUN | 3 | 1 | 19 | 11 | |||
| 3 | Sharon Monplaisir |  USA | 2 | 2 | 17 | 15 | |||
| 4 | Linda Ann Martin |  GBR | 1 | 3 | 15 | 17 | |||
| 5 | Andrea Chaplin |  AUS | 0 | 4 | 8 | 20 |
| Bout #1 | Laurence Modaine | FRA | 5 – 4 | Zsuzsa Jánosi | HUN |
| Bout #2 | Laurence Modaine | FRA | 5 – 4 | Sharon Monplaisir | USA |
| Bout #3 | Laurence Modaine | FRA | 5 – 4 | Linda Ann Martin | GBR |
| Bout #4 | Laurence Modaine | FRA | 5 – 4 | Andrea Chaplin | AUS |
| Bout #5 | Zsuzsa Jánosi | HUN | 5 – 3 | Sharon Monplaisir | USA |
| Bout #6 | Zsuzsa Jánosi | HUN | 5 – 2 | Linda Ann Martin | GBR |
| Bout #7 | Zsuzsa Jánosi | HUN | 5 – 1 | Andrea Chaplin | AUS |
| Bout #8 | Sharon Monplaisir | USA | 5 – 4 | Linda Ann Martin | GBR |
| Bout #9 | Sharon Monplaisir | USA | 5 – 1 | Andrea Chaplin | AUS |
| Bout #10 | Linda Ann Martin | GBR | 5 – 2 | Andrea Chaplin | AUS |
Pool 3
| Pos | Competitor(s) | NOC | Bouts Won | Bouts Lost | TD | TR | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Caitlin Bilodeaux | USA | 3 | 1 | 18 | 10 | |||
| 2 | Anna Sobczak |  POL | 3 | 1 | 18 | 11 | |||
| 3 | Luan Jujie |  CHN | 2 | 2 | 16 | 13 | |||
| 4 | Sin Seong-Ja |  KOR | 2 | 2 | 16 | 16 | |||
| 5 | Yung Yim King |  HKG | 0 | 4 | 2 | 20 |
| Bout #1 | Caitlin Bilodeaux | USA | 5 – 3 | Anna Sobczak | POL |
| Bout #2 | Caitlin Bilodeaux | USA | 5 – 2 | Sin Seong-Ja | KOR |
| Bout #3 | Caitlin Bilodeaux | USA | 5 – 0 | Yung Yim King | HKG |
| Bout #4 | Anna Sobczak | POL | 5 – 2 | Luan Jujie | CHN |
| Bout #5 | Anna Sobczak | POL | 5 – 4 | Sin Seong-Ja | KOR |
| Bout #6 | Anna Sobczak | POL | 5 – 0 | Yung Yim King | HKG |
| Bout #7 | Luan Jujie | CHN | 5 – 3 | Caitlin Bilodeaux | USA |
| Bout #8 | Luan Jujie | CHN | 5 – 0 | Yung Yim King | HKG |
| Bout #9 | Sin Seong-Ja | KOR | 5 – 4 | Luan Jujie | CHN |
| Bout #10 | Sin Seong-Ja | KOR | 5 – 2 | Yung Yim King | HKG |
Pool 4
| Pos | Competitor(s) | NOC | Bouts Won | Bouts Lost | TD | TR | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dorina Vaccaroni |  ITA | 4 | 0 | 20 | 11 | |||
| 2 | Tatyana Sadovskaya |  URS | 3 | 1 | 18 | 14 | |||
| 3 | Zhu Qingyuan | CHN | 2 | 2 | 16 | 14 | |||
| 4 | Mary O'Neill | USA | 1 | 3 | 10 | 18 | |||
| 5 | Mieko Miyahara | JPN | 0 | 4 | 13 | 20 |
| Bout #1 | Dorina Vaccaroni | ITA | 5 – 3 | Tatyana Sadovskaya | URS |
| Bout #2 | Dorina Vaccaroni | ITA | 5 – 4 | Zhu Qingyuan | CHN |
| Bout #3 | Dorina Vaccaroni | ITA | 5 – 0 | Mary O'Neill | USA |
| Bout #4 | Dorina Vaccaroni | ITA | 5 – 4 | Mieko Miyahara | JPN |
| Bout #5 | Tatyana Sadovskaya | URS | 5 – 2 | Zhu Qingyuan | CHN |
| Bout #6 | Tatyana Sadovskaya | URS | 5 – 4 | Mary O'Neill | USA |
| Bout #7 | Tatyana Sadovskaya | URS | 5 – 3 | Mieko Miyahara | JPN |
| Bout #8 | Zhu Qingyuan | CHN | 5 – 1 | Mary O'Neill | USA |
| Bout #9 | Zhu Qingyuan | CHN | 5 – 3 | Mieko Miyahara | JPN |
| Bout #10 | Mary O'Neill | USA | 5 – 3 | Mieko Miyahara | JPN |
Pool 5
| Pos | Competitor(s) | NOC | Bouts Won | Bouts Lost | TD | TR | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Anja Fichtel | FRG | 4 | 0 | 20 | 6 | |||
| 2 | Sun Hongyun | CHN | 3 | 1 | 15 | 10 | |||
| 3 | Agnieszka Dubrawska | POL | 2 | 2 | 18 | 15 | |||
| 4 | Fiona McIntosh | GBR | 1 | 3 | 11 | 18 | |||
| 5 | Park Eun-Hui | KOR | 0 | 4 | 5 | 20 |
| Bout #1 | Anja Fichtel | FRG | 5 – 0 | Sun Hongyun | CHN |
| Bout #2 | Anja Fichtel | FRG | 5 – 4 | Agnieszka Dubrawska | POL |
| Bout #3 | Anja Fichtel | FRG | 5 – 1 | Fiona McIntosh | GBR |
| Bout #4 | Anja Fichtel | FRG | 5 – 1 | Park Eun-Hui | KOR |
| Bout #5 | Sun Hongyun | CHN | 5 – 4 | Agnieszka Dubrawska | POL |
| Bout #6 | Sun Hongyun | CHN | 5 – 1 | Fiona McIntosh | GBR |
| Bout #7 | Sun Hongyun | CHN | 5 – 0 | Park Eun-Hui | KOR |
| Bout #8 | Agnieszka Dubrawska | POL | 5 – 4 | Fiona McIntosh | GBR |
| Bout #9 | Agnieszka Dubrawska | POL | 5 – 1 | Park Eun-Hui | KOR |
| Bout #10 | Fiona McIntosh | GBR | 5 – 3 | Park Eun-Hui | KOR |
Pool 6
| Pos | Competitor(s) | NOC | Bouts Won | Bouts Lost | TD | TR | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Liz Thurley | GBR | 4 | 0 | 20 | 13 | |||
| 2 | Elisabeta Tufan |  ROU | 3 | 1 | 19 | 9 | |||
| 3 | Isabelle Spennato | FRA | 2 | 2 | 14 | 14 | |||
| 4 | Thalie Tremblay |  CAN | 1 | 3 | 12 | 18 | |||
| 5 | Andrea Piros |  SUI | 0 | 4 | 9 | 20 |
| Bout #1 | Liz Thurley | GBR | 5 – 4 | Elisabeta Tufan | ROU |
| Bout #2 | Liz Thurley | GBR | 5 – 1 | Isabelle Spennato | FRA |
| Bout #3 | Liz Thurley | GBR | 5 – 4 | Thalie Tremblay | CAN |
| Bout #4 | Liz Thurley | GBR | 5 – 4 | Andrea Piros | SUI |
| Bout #5 | Elisabeta Tufan | ROU | 5 – 3 | Isabelle Spennato | FRA |
| Bout #6 | Elisabeta Tufan | ROU | 5 – 0 | Thalie Tremblay | CAN |
| Bout #7 | Elisabeta Tufan | ROU | 5 – 1 | Andrea Piros | SUI |
| Bout #8 | Isabelle Spennato | FRA | 5 – 3 | Thalie Tremblay | CAN |
| Bout #9 | Isabelle Spennato | FRA | 5 – 1 | Andrea Piros | SUI |
| Bout #10 | Thalie Tremblay | CAN | 5 – 3 | Andrea Piros | SUI |
Pool 7
| Pos | Competitor(s) | NOC | Bouts Won | Bouts Lost | TD | TR | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Margherita Zalaffi | ITA | 3 | 1 | 17 | 8 | |||
| 2 | Gertrúd Stefanek | HUN | 2 | 2 | 18 | 14 | |||
| 3 | Madeleine Philion | CAN | 2 | 2 | 12 | 16 | |||
| 4 | Jolanta Królikowska | POL | 2 | 2 | 13 | 17 | |||
| 5 | Akemi Morikawa | JPN | 1 | 3 | 11 | 16 |
| Bout #1 | Margherita Zalaffi | ITA | 5 – 1 | Madeleine Philion | CAN |
| Bout #2 | Margherita Zalaffi | ITA | 5 – 1 | Jolanta Królikowska | POL |
| Bout #3 | Margherita Zalaffi | ITA | 5 – 1 | Akemi Morikawa | JPN |
| Bout #4 | Gertrúd Stefanek | HUN | 5 – 2 | Margherita Zalaffi | ITA |
| Bout #5 | Gertrúd Stefanek | HUN | 5 – 2 | Akemi Morikawa | JPN |
| Bout #6 | Madeleine Philion | CAN | 5 – 4 | Gertrúd Stefanek | HUN |
| Bout #7 | Madeleine Philion | CAN | 5 – 2 | Jolanta Królikowska | POL |
| Bout #8 | Jolanta Królikowska | POL | 5 – 4 | Gertrúd Stefanek | HUN |
| Bout #9 | Jolanta Królikowska | POL | 5 – 3 | Akemi Morikawa | JPN |
| Bout #10 | Akemi Morikawa | JPN | 5 – 1 | Madeleine Philion | CAN |
Pool 8
| Pos | Competitor(s) | NOC | Bouts Won | Bouts Lost | TD | TR | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sabine Bau | FRG | 4 | 0 | 20 | 14 | |||
| 2 | Yelena Glikina | URS | 3 | 1 | 17 | 11 | |||
| 3 | Kerstin Palm |  SWE | 2 | 2 | 16 | 15 | |||
| 4 | Reka Lazăr | ROU | 1 | 3 | 13 | 15 | |||
| 5 | Fabiana López |  MEX | 0 | 4 | 9 | 20 |
| Bout #1 | Sabine Bau | FRG | 5 – 2 | Yelena Glikina | URS |
| Bout #2 | Sabine Bau | FRG | 5 – 4 | Kerstin Palm | SWE |
| Bout #3 | Sabine Bau | FRG | 5 – 4 | Reka Lazăr | ROU |
| Bout #4 | Sabine Bau | FRG | 5 – 4 | Fabiana López | MEX |
| Bout #5 | Yelena Glikina | URS | 5 – 2 | Kerstin Palm | SWE |
| Bout #6 | Yelena Glikina | URS | 5 – 3 | Reka Lazăr | ROU |
| Bout #7 | Yelena Glikina | URS | 5 – 1 | Fabiana López | MEX |
| Bout #8 | Kerstin Palm | SWE | 5 – 1 | Reka Lazăr | ROU |
| Bout #9 | Kerstin Palm | SWE | 5 – 4 | Fabiana López | MEX |
| Bout #10 | Reka Lazăr | ROU | 5 – 0 | Fabiana López | MEX |
Pool 9
| Pos | Competitor(s) | NOC | Bouts Won | Bouts Lost | TD | TR | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tak Jeong-Im | KOR | 3 | 1 | 17 | 13 | |||
| 2 | Olga Voshchakina | URS | 2 | 2 | 17 | 14 | |||
| 3 | Annapia Gandolfi | ITA | 2 | 2 | 16 | 14 | |||
| 4 | Jacynthe Poirier | CAN | 2 | 2 | 11 | 15 | |||
| 5 | Alessandra Mariéthoz | SUI | 1 | 3 | 10 | 15 |
| Bout #1 | Tak Jeong-Im | KOR | 5 – 4 | Olga Voshchakina | URS |
| Bout #2 | Tak Jeong-Im | KOR | 5 – 3 | Annapia Gandolfi | ITA |
| Bout #3 | Tak Jeong-Im | KOR | 5 – 1 | Alessandra Mariéthoz | SUI |
| Bout #4 | Olga Voshchakina | URS | 5 – 3 | Annapia Gandolfi | ITA |
| Bout #5 | Olga Voshchakina | URS | 5 – 1 | Alessandra Mariéthoz | SUI |
| Bout #6 | Annapia Gandolfi | ITA | 5 – 1 | Jacynthe Poirier | CAN |
| Bout #7 | Annapia Gandolfi | ITA | 5 – 3 | Alessandra Mariéthoz | SUI |
| Bout #8 | Jacynthe Poirier | CAN | 5 – 2 | Tak Jeong-Im | KOR |
| Bout #9 | Jacynthe Poirier | CAN | 5 – 3 | Olga Voshchakina | URS |
| Bout #10 | Alessandra Mariéthoz | SUI | 5 – 0 | Jacynthe Poirier | CAN |
Round Two (21 September 1988 — 13:00)
Top four finishers in each pool advanced to round three.
Pool 1
| Pos | Competitor(s) | NOC | Bouts Won | Bouts Lost | TD | TR | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Yelena Glikina | URS | 4 | 1 | 24 | 11 | |||
| 2 | Sun Hongyun | CHN | 4 | 1 | 20 | 19 | |||
| 3 | Zita Funkenhauser | FRG | 3 | 2 | 19 | 13 | |||
| 4 | Tomoko Oka | JPN | 3 | 2 | 18 | 17 | |||
| 5 | Kerstin Palm | SWE | 1 | 4 | 15 | 21 | |||
| 6 | Mary O'Neill | USA | 0 | 5 | 10 | 25 |
| Bout #1 | Yelena Glikina | URS | 5 – 2 | Zita Funkenhauser | FRG |
| Bout #2 | Yelena Glikina | URS | 5 – 0 | Tomoko Oka | JPN |
| Bout #3 | Yelena Glikina | URS | 5 – 2 | Kerstin Palm | SWE |
| Bout #4 | Yelena Glikina | URS | 5 – 2 | Mary O'Neill | USA |
| Bout #5 | Sun Hongyun | CHN | 5 – 4 | Yelena Glikina | URS |
| Bout #6 | Sun Hongyun | CHN | 5 – 3 | Tomoko Oka | JPN |
| Bout #7 | Sun Hongyun | CHN | 5 – 3 | Kerstin Palm | SWE |
| Bout #8 | Sun Hongyun | CHN | 5 – 4 | Mary O'Neill | USA |
| Bout #9 | Zita Funkenhauser | FRG | 5 – 0 | Sun Hongyun | CHN |
| Bout #10 | Zita Funkenhauser | FRG | 5 – 3 | Kerstin Palm | SWE |
| Bout #11 | Zita Funkenhauser | FRG | 5 – 0 | Mary O'Neill | USA |
| Bout #12 | Tomoko Oka | JPN | 5 – 2 | Zita Funkenhauser | FRG |
| Bout #13 | Tomoko Oka | JPN | 5 – 2 | Kerstin Palm | SWE |
| Bout #14 | Tomoko Oka | JPN | 5 – 3 | Mary O'Neill | USA |
| Bout #15 | Kerstin Palm | SWE | 5 – 1 | Mary O'Neill | USA |
Pool 2
| Pos | Competitor(s) | NOC | Bouts Won | Bouts Lost | TD | TR | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tak Jeong-Im | KOR | 5 | 0 | 25 | 17 | |||
| 2 | Anja Fichtel | FRG | 3 | 2 | 22 | 14 | |||
| 3 | Isabelle Spennato | FRA | 2 | 3 | 19 | 19 | |||
| 4 | Anna Sobczak | POL | 2 | 3 | 20 | 20 | |||
| 5 | Annapia Gandolfi | ITA | 2 | 3 | 15 | 23 | |||
| 6 | Thalie Tremblay | CAN | 1 | 4 | 14 | 22 |
| Bout #1 | Tak Jeong-Im | KOR | 5 – 4 | Anja Fichtel | FRG |
| Bout #2 | Tak Jeong-Im | KOR | 5 – 4 | Isabelle Spennato | FRA |
| Bout #3 | Tak Jeong-Im | KOR | 5 – 3 | Anna Sobczak | POL |
| Bout #4 | Tak Jeong-Im | KOR | 5 – 2 | Annapia Gandolfi | ITA |
| Bout #5 | Tak Jeong-Im | KOR | 5 – 4 | Thalie Tremblay | CAN |
| Bout #6 | Anja Fichtel | FRG | 5 – 3 | Anna Sobczak | POL |
| Bout #7 | Anja Fichtel | FRG | 5 – 1 | Annapia Gandolfi | ITA |
| Bout #8 | Anja Fichtel | FRG | 5 – 0 | Thalie Tremblay | CAN |
| Bout #9 | Isabelle Spennato | FRA | 5 – 3 | Anja Fichtel | FRG |
| Bout #10 | Isabelle Spennato | FRA | 5 – 1 | Thalie Tremblay | CAN |
| Bout #11 | Anna Sobczak | POL | 5 – 1 | Isabelle Spennato | FRA |
| Bout #12 | Anna Sobczak | POL | 5 – 4 | Thalie Tremblay | CAN |
| Bout #13 | Annapia Gandolfi | ITA | 5 – 4 | Isabelle Spennato | FRA |
| Bout #14 | Annapia Gandolfi | ITA | 5 – 4 | Anna Sobczak | POL |
| Bout #15 | Thalie Tremblay | CAN | 5 – 2 | Annapia Gandolfi | ITA |
Pool 3
| Pos | Competitor(s) | NOC | Bouts Won | Bouts Lost | TD | TR | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tatyana Sadovskaya | URS | 4 | 1 | 22 | 12 | |||
| 2 | Dorina Vaccaroni | ITA | 3 | 2 | 20 | 15 | |||
| 3 | Zsuzsa Jánosi | HUN | 3 | 2 | 22 | 18 | |||
| 4 | Sin Seong-Ja | KOR | 3 | 2 | 20 | 21 | |||
| 5 | Linda Ann Martin | GBR | 1 | 4 | 17 | 22 | |||
| 6 | Sharon Monplaisir | USA | 1 | 4 | 11 | 24 |
| Bout #1 | Tatyana Sadovskaya | URS | 5 – 3 | Zsuzsa Jánosi | HUN |
| Bout #2 | Tatyana Sadovskaya | URS | 5 – 1 | Sin Seong-Ja | KOR |
| Bout #3 | Tatyana Sadovskaya | URS | 5 – 3 | Linda Ann Martin | GBR |
| Bout #4 | Tatyana Sadovskaya | URS | 5 – 0 | Sharon Monplaisir | USA |
| Bout #5 | Dorina Vaccaroni | ITA | 5 – 2 | Tatyana Sadovskaya | URS |
| Bout #6 | Dorina Vaccaroni | ITA | 5 – 3 | Linda Ann Martin | GBR |
| Bout #7 | Dorina Vaccaroni | ITA | 5 – 0 | Sharon Monplaisir | USA |
| Bout #8 | Zsuzsa Jánosi | HUN | 5 – 2 | Dorina Vaccaroni | ITA |
| Bout #9 | Zsuzsa Jánosi | HUN | 5 – 4 | Sin Seong-Ja | KOR |
| Bout #10 | Zsuzsa Jánosi | HUN | 5 – 2 | Linda Ann Martin | GBR |
| Bout #11 | Sin Seong-Ja | KOR | 5 – 3 | Dorina Vaccaroni | ITA |
| Bout #12 | Sin Seong-Ja | KOR | 5 – 4 | Linda Ann Martin | GBR |
| Bout #13 | Sin Seong-Ja | KOR | 5 – 4 | Sharon Monplaisir | USA |
| Bout #14 | Linda Ann Martin | GBR | 5 – 2 | Sharon Monplaisir | USA |
| Bout #15 | Sharon Monplaisir | USA | 5 – 4 | Zsuzsa Jánosi | HUN |
Pool 4
| Pos | Competitor(s) | NOC | Bouts Won | Bouts Lost | TD | TR | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Caitlin Bilodeaux | USA | 4 | 1 | 22 | 14 | |||
| 2 | Gertrúd Stefanek | HUN | 4 | 1 | 20 | 14 | |||
| 3 | Liz Thurley | GBR | 3 | 2 | 19 | 17 | |||
| 4 | Fiona McIntosh | GBR | 2 | 3 | 18 | 20 | |||
| 5 | Jacynthe Poirier | CAN | 1 | 4 | 15 | 22 | |||
| 6 | Zhu Qingyuan | CHN | 1 | 4 | 16 | 23 |
| Bout #1 | Caitlin Bilodeaux | USA | 5 – 2 | Liz Thurley | GBR |
| Bout #2 | Caitlin Bilodeaux | USA | 5 – 1 | Fiona McIntosh | GBR |
| Bout #3 | Caitlin Bilodeaux | USA | 5 – 4 | Jacynthe Poirier | CAN |
| Bout #4 | Caitlin Bilodeaux | USA | 5 – 2 | Zhu Qingyuan | CHN |
| Bout #5 | Gertrúd Stefanek | HUN | 5 – 2 | Caitlin Bilodeaux | USA |
| Bout #6 | Gertrúd Stefanek | HUN | 5 – 4 | Fiona McIntosh | GBR |
| Bout #7 | Gertrúd Stefanek | HUN | 5 – 0 | Jacynthe Poirier | CAN |
| Bout #8 | Gertrúd Stefanek | HUN | 5 – 3 | Zhu Qingyuan | CHN |
| Bout #9 | Liz Thurley | GBR | 5 – 0 | Gertrúd Stefanek | HUN |
| Bout #10 | Liz Thurley | GBR | 5 – 3 | Fiona McIntosh | GBR |
| Bout #11 | Liz Thurley | GBR | 5 – 4 | Zhu Qingyuan | CHN |
| Bout #12 | Fiona McIntosh | GBR | 5 – 3 | Jacynthe Poirier | CAN |
| Bout #13 | Fiona McIntosh | GBR | 5 – 2 | Zhu Qingyuan | CHN |
| Bout #14 | Jacynthe Poirier | CAN | 5 – 2 | Liz Thurley | GBR |
| Bout #15 | Zhu Qingyuan | CHN | 5 – 3 | Jacynthe Poirier | CAN |
Pool 5
| Pos | Competitor(s) | NOC | Bouts Won | Bouts Lost | TD | TR | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Margherita Zalaffi | ITA | 4 | 1 | 22 | 16 | |||
| 2 | Sabine Bau | FRG | 4 | 1 | 20 | 15 | |||
| 3 | Reka Lazăr | ROU | 2 | 3 | 16 | 16 | |||
| 4 | Edit Kovács | HUN | 2 | 3 | 19 | 21 | |||
| 5 | Brigitte Gaudin | FRA | 2 | 3 | 17 | 20 | |||
| 6 | Agnieszka Dubrawska | POL | 1 | 4 | 16 | 22 |
| Bout #1 | Margherita Zalaffi | ITA | 5 – 3 | Reka Lazăr | ROU |
| Bout #2 | Margherita Zalaffi | ITA | 5 – 4 | Edit Kovács | HUN |
| Bout #3 | Margherita Zalaffi | ITA | 5 – 2 | Brigitte Gaudin | FRA |
| Bout #4 | Margherita Zalaffi | ITA | 5 – 2 | Agnieszka Dubrawska | POL |
| Bout #5 | Sabine Bau | FRG | 5 – 2 | Margherita Zalaffi | ITA |
| Bout #6 | Sabine Bau | FRG | 5 – 1 | Edit Kovács | HUN |
| Bout #7 | Sabine Bau | FRG | 5 – 3 | Brigitte Gaudin | FRA |
| Bout #8 | Sabine Bau | FRG | 5 – 4 | Agnieszka Dubrawska | POL |
| Bout #9 | Reka Lazăr | ROU | 5 – 0 | Sabine Bau | FRG |
| Bout #10 | Reka Lazăr | ROU | 5 – 1 | Agnieszka Dubrawska | POL |
| Bout #11 | Edit Kovács | HUN | 5 – 2 | Reka Lazăr | ROU |
| Bout #12 | Edit Kovács | HUN | 5 – 4 | Agnieszka Dubrawska | POL |
| Bout #13 | Brigitte Gaudin | FRA | 5 – 1 | Reka Lazăr | ROU |
| Bout #14 | Brigitte Gaudin | FRA | 5 – 4 | Edit Kovács | HUN |
| Bout #15 | Agnieszka Dubrawska | POL | 5 – 2 | Brigitte Gaudin | FRA |
Pool 6
| Pos | Competitor(s) | NOC | Bouts Won | Bouts Lost | TD | TR | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Elisabeta Tufan | ROU | 4 | 1 | 21 | 18 | |||
| 2 | Olga Voshchakina | URS | 3 | 2 | 21 | 19 | |||
| 3 | Madeleine Philion | CAN | 3 | 2 | 23 | 21 | |||
| 4 | Jolanta Królikowska | POL | 2 | 3 | 18 | 18 | |||
| 5 | Luan Jujie | CHN | 2 | 3 | 21 | 21 | |||
| 6 | Laurence Modaine | FRA | 1 | 4 | 16 | 23 |
| Bout #1 | Elisabeta Tufan | ROU | 5 – 2 | Olga Voshchakina | URS |
| Bout #2 | Elisabeta Tufan | ROU | 5 – 4 | Madeleine Philion | CAN |
| Bout #3 | Elisabeta Tufan | ROU | 5 – 4 | Luan Jujie | CHN |
| Bout #4 | Elisabeta Tufan | ROU | 5 – 3 | Laurence Modaine | FRA |
| Bout #5 | Olga Voshchakina | URS | 5 – 3 | Jolanta Królikowska | POL |
| Bout #6 | Olga Voshchakina | URS | 5 – 4 | Luan Jujie | CHN |
| Bout #7 | Olga Voshchakina | URS | 5 – 2 | Laurence Modaine | FRA |
| Bout #8 | Madeleine Philion | CAN | 5 – 4 | Olga Voshchakina | URS |
| Bout #9 | Madeleine Philion | CAN | 5 – 3 | Jolanta Królikowska | POL |
| Bout #10 | Madeleine Philion | CAN | 5 – 4 | Laurence Modaine | FRA |
| Bout #11 | Jolanta Królikowska | POL | 5 – 1 | Elisabeta Tufan | ROU |
| Bout #12 | Jolanta Królikowska | POL | 5 – 2 | Laurence Modaine | FRA |
| Bout #13 | Luan Jujie | CHN | 5 – 4 | Madeleine Philion | CAN |
| Bout #14 | Luan Jujie | CHN | 5 – 2 | Jolanta Królikowska | POL |
| Bout #15 | Laurence Modaine | FRA | 5 – 3 | Luan Jujie | CHN |
Round Three (21 September 1988 — 15:00)
Top four finishers in each pool advanced to elimination rounds.
Pool 1
| Pos | Competitor(s) | NOC | Bouts Won | Bouts Lost | TD | TR | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sun Hongyun | CHN | 4 | 1 | 23 | 16 | |||
| 2 | Olga Voshchakina | URS | 3 | 2 | 20 | 17 | |||
| 3 | Edit Kovács | HUN | 2 | 3 | 21 | 21 | |||
| 4 | Tak Jeong-Im | KOR | 2 | 3 | 16 | 17 | |||
| 5 | Elisabeta Tufan | ROU | 2 | 3 | 20 | 22 | |||
| 6 | Tomoko Oka | JPN | 2 | 3 | 15 | 22 |
| Bout #1 | Sun Hongyun | CHN | 5 – 4 | Edit Kovács | HUN |
| Bout #2 | Sun Hongyun | CHN | 5 – 0 | Tak Jeong-Im | KOR |
| Bout #3 | Sun Hongyun | CHN | 5 – 3 | Elisabeta Tufan | ROU |
| Bout #4 | Sun Hongyun | CHN | 5 – 4 | Tomoko Oka | JPN |
| Bout #5 | Olga Voshchakina | URS | 5 – 3 | Sun Hongyun | CHN |
| Bout #6 | Olga Voshchakina | URS | 5 – 4 | Edit Kovács | HUN |
| Bout #7 | Olga Voshchakina | URS | 5 – 0 | Tomoko Oka | JPN |
| Bout #8 | Edit Kovács | HUN | 5 – 3 | Tak Jeong-Im | KOR |
| Bout #9 | Edit Kovács | HUN | 5 – 3 | Elisabeta Tufan | ROU |
| Bout #10 | Tak Jeong-Im | KOR | 5 – 1 | Olga Voshchakina | URS |
| Bout #11 | Tak Jeong-Im | KOR | 5 – 1 | Tomoko Oka | JPN |
| Bout #12 | Elisabeta Tufan | ROU | 5 – 4 | Olga Voshchakina | URS |
| Bout #13 | Elisabeta Tufan | ROU | 5 – 3 | Tak Jeong-Im | KOR |
| Bout #14 | Tomoko Oka | JPN | 5 – 3 | Edit Kovács | HUN |
| Bout #15 | Tomoko Oka | JPN | 5 – 4 | Elisabeta Tufan | ROU |
Pool 2
| Pos | Competitor(s) | NOC | Bouts Won | Bouts Lost | TD | TR | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sin Seong-Ja | KOR | 5 | 0 | 25 | 10 | |||
| 2 | Dorina Vaccaroni | ITA | 4 | 1 | 22 | 15 | |||
| 3 | Yelena Glikina | URS | 2 | 3 | 16 | 16 | |||
| 4 | Sabine Bau | FRG | 2 | 3 | 19 | 20 | |||
| 5 | Madeleine Philion | CAN | 2 | 3 | 16 | 21 | |||
| 6 | Fiona McIntosh | GBR | 0 | 5 | 9 | 25 |
| Bout #1 | Sin Seong-Ja | KOR | 5 – 2 | Dorina Vaccaroni | ITA |
| Bout #2 | Sin Seong-Ja | KOR | 5 – 4 | Yelena Glikina | URS |
| Bout #3 | Sin Seong-Ja | KOR | 5 – 2 | Sabine Bau | FRG |
| Bout #4 | Sin Seong-Ja | KOR | 5 – 1 | Madeleine Philion | CAN |
| Bout #5 | Sin Seong-Ja | KOR | 5 – 1 | Fiona McIntosh | GBR |
| Bout #6 | Dorina Vaccaroni | ITA | 5 – 0 | Yelena Glikina | URS |
| Bout #7 | Dorina Vaccaroni | ITA | 5 – 4 | Sabine Bau | FRG |
| Bout #8 | Dorina Vaccaroni | ITA | 5 – 4 | Madeleine Philion | CAN |
| Bout #9 | Dorina Vaccaroni | ITA | 5 – 2 | Fiona McIntosh | GBR |
| Bout #10 | Yelena Glikina | URS | 5 – 1 | Madeleine Philion | CAN |
| Bout #11 | Yelena Glikina | URS | 5 – 0 | Fiona McIntosh | GBR |
| Bout #12 | Sabine Bau | FRG | 5 – 2 | Yelena Glikina | URS |
| Bout #13 | Sabine Bau | FRG | 5 – 3 | Fiona McIntosh | GBR |
| Bout #14 | Madeleine Philion | CAN | 5 – 3 | Sabine Bau | FRG |
| Bout #15 | Madeleine Philion | CAN | 5 – 3 | Fiona McIntosh | GBR |
Pool 3
| Pos | Competitor(s) | NOC | Bouts Won | Bouts Lost | TD | TR | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Margherita Zalaffi | ITA | 4 | 1 | 24 | 10 | |||
| 2 | Tatyana Sadovskaya | URS | 4 | 1 | 22 | 18 | |||
| 3 | Anja Fichtel | FRG | 3 | 2 | 19 | 17 | |||
| 4 | Zsuzsa Jánosi | HUN | 3 | 2 | 17 | 17 | |||
| 5 | Reka Lazăr | ROU | 1 | 4 | 15 | 22 | |||
| 6 | Anna Sobczak | POL | 0 | 5 | 12 | 25 |
| Bout #1 | Margherita Zalaffi | ITA | 5 – 1 | Anja Fichtel | FRG |
| Bout #2 | Margherita Zalaffi | ITA | 5 – 1 | Zsuzsa Jánosi | HUN |
| Bout #3 | Margherita Zalaffi | ITA | 5 – 2 | Reka Lazăr | ROU |
| Bout #4 | Margherita Zalaffi | ITA | 5 – 1 | Anna Sobczak | POL |
| Bout #5 | Tatyana Sadovskaya | URS | 5 – 4 | Margherita Zalaffi | ITA |
| Bout #6 | Tatyana Sadovskaya | URS | 5 – 3 | Anja Fichtel | FRG |
| Bout #7 | Tatyana Sadovskaya | URS | 5 – 4 | Reka Lazăr | ROU |
| Bout #8 | Tatyana Sadovskaya | URS | 5 – 2 | Anna Sobczak | POL |
| Bout #9 | Anja Fichtel | FRG | 5 – 1 | Zsuzsa Jánosi | HUN |
| Bout #10 | Anja Fichtel | FRG | 5 – 3 | Reka Lazăr | ROU |
| Bout #11 | Anja Fichtel | FRG | 5 – 3 | Anna Sobczak | POL |
| Bout #12 | Zsuzsa Jánosi | HUN | 5 – 2 | Tatyana Sadovskaya | URS |
| Bout #13 | Zsuzsa Jánosi | HUN | 5 – 1 | Reka Lazăr | ROU |
| Bout #14 | Zsuzsa Jánosi | HUN | 5 – 4 | Anna Sobczak | POL |
| Bout #15 | Reka Lazăr | ROU | 5 – 2 | Anna Sobczak | POL |
Pool 4
| Pos | Competitor(s) | NOC | Bouts Won | Bouts Lost | TD | TR | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Gertrúd Stefanek | HUN | 4 | 1 | 23 | 19 | |||
| 2 | Caitlin Bilodeaux | USA | 3 | 2 | 20 | 17 | |||
| 3 | Zita Funkenhauser | FRG | 3 | 2 | 19 | 18 | |||
| 4 | Jolanta Królikowska | POL | 2 | 3 | 20 | 17 | |||
| 5 | Liz Thurley | GBR | 2 | 3 | 18 | 20 | |||
| 6 | Isabelle Spennato | FRA | 1 | 4 | 12 | 21 |
| Bout #1 | Gertrúd Stefanek | HUN | 5 – 4 | Caitlin Bilodeaux | USA |
| Bout #2 | Gertrúd Stefanek | HUN | 5 – 3 | Zita Funkenhauser | FRG |
| Bout #3 | Gertrúd Stefanek | HUN | 5 – 4 | Jolanta Królikowska | POL |
| Bout #4 | Gertrúd Stefanek | HUN | 5 – 3 | Isabelle Spennato | FRA |
| Bout #5 | Caitlin Bilodeaux | USA | 5 – 1 | Zita Funkenhauser | FRG |
| Bout #6 | Caitlin Bilodeaux | USA | 5 – 4 | Liz Thurley | GBR |
| Bout #7 | Caitlin Bilodeaux | USA | 5 – 2 | Isabelle Spennato | FRA |
| Bout #8 | Zita Funkenhauser | FRG | 5 – 4 | Jolanta Królikowska | POL |
| Bout #9 | Zita Funkenhauser | FRG | 5 – 3 | Liz Thurley | GBR |
| Bout #10 | Zita Funkenhauser | FRG | 5 – 1 | Isabelle Spennato | FRA |
| Bout #11 | Jolanta Królikowska | POL | 5 – 1 | Caitlin Bilodeaux | USA |
| Bout #12 | Jolanta Królikowska | POL | 5 – 1 | Isabelle Spennato | FRA |
| Bout #13 | Liz Thurley | GBR | 5 – 3 | Gertrúd Stefanek | HUN |
| Bout #14 | Liz Thurley | GBR | 5 – 2 | Jolanta Królikowska | POL |
| Bout #15 | Isabelle Spennato | FRA | 5 – 1 | Liz Thurley | GBR |
Elimination Rounds (22 September 1988)
Double elimination round. Winners in round two and round two repêchage advanced to quarter-finals.
Elimination Rounds, Round One (22 September 1988)
Winners of each match advanced to round two. Losers advanced to round one repêchage.
| Bout #1 | Margherita Zalaffi | ITA | 8 – 5 | Edit Kovács | HUN |
| Bout #2 | Yelena Glikina | URS | 8 – 7 | Tak Jeong-Im | KOR |
| Bout #3 | Sun Hongyun | CHN | 8 – 6 | Olga Voshchakina | URS |
| Bout #4 | Gertrúd Stefanek | HUN | 8 – 7 | Sabine Bau | FRG |
| Bout #5 | Zsuzsa Jánosi | HUN | 8 – 3 | Sin Seong-Ja | KOR |
| Bout #6 | Zita Funkenhauser | FRG | 8 – 7 | Dorina Vaccaroni | ITA |
| Bout #7 | Anja Fichtel | FRG | 8 – 1 | Caitlin Bilodeaux | USA |
| Bout #8 | Tatyana Sadovskaya | URS | 8 – 6 | Jolanta Królikowska | POL |
Elimination Rounds, Round Two (22 September 1988)
Winners of each match advanced to quarter-finals. Losers advanced to round two repêchage.
| Bout #1 | Yelena Glikina | URS | 8 – 7 | Margherita Zalaffi | ITA |
| Bout #2 | Gertrúd Stefanek | HUN | 8 – 5 | Sun Hongyun | CHN |
| Bout #3 | Zita Funkenhauser | FRG | 8 – 4 | Zsuzsa Jánosi | HUN |
| Bout #4 | Anja Fichtel | FRG | 8 – 4 | Tatyana Sadovskaya | URS |
Elimination Rounds, Round One Repêchage (22 September 1988)
Winners of each match advanced to round two repêchage.
| Bout #1 | Tak Jeong-Im | KOR | 8 – 7 | Edit Kovács | HUN |
| Bout #2 | Sabine Bau | FRG | 8 – 2 | Olga Voshchakina | URS |
| Bout #3 | Dorina Vaccaroni | ITA | 8 – 1 | Sin Seong-Ja | KOR |
| Bout #4 | Caitlin Bilodeaux | USA | 8 – 6 | Jolanta Królikowska | POL |
Elimination Rounds, Round Two Repêchage (22 September 1988)
Winners of each match advanced to quarter-finals.
| Bout #1 | Sabine Bau | FRG | 8 – 7 | Margherita Zalaffi | ITA |
| Bout #2 | Zsuzsa Jánosi | HUN | 8 – 3 | Dorina Vaccaroni | ITA |
| Bout #3 | Sun Hongyun | CHN | 8 – 5 | Caitlin Bilodeaux | USA |
| Bout #4 | Tatyana Sadovskaya | URS | 8 – 4 | Tak Jeong-Im | KOR |
Quarter-Finals (22 September 1988)
Winner of each match advanced to semi-finals.
| Bout #1 | Sabine Bau | FRG | 8 – 6 | Gertrúd Stefanek | HUN |
| Bout #2 | Zita Funkenhauser | FRG | 8 – 5 | Tatyana Sadovskaya | URS |
| Bout #3 | Anja Fichtel | FRG | 8 – 4 | Sun Hongyun | CHN |
| Bout #4 | Zsuzsa Jánosi | HUN | 8 – 4 | Yelena Glikina | URS |
Semi-Finals (22 September 1988)
Winner of each match advanced to final.
| Bout #1 | Sabine Bau | FRG | 8 – 3 | Zita Funkenhauser | FRG |
| Bout #2 | Anja Fichtel | FRG | 8 – 5 | Zsuzsa Jánosi | HUN |
Final Pool (22 September 1988 — 14:00)
| Bout 1-2 | Anja Fichtel | FRG | 8 – 5 | Sabine Bau | FRG |
| Bout 3-4 | Zita Funkenhauser | FRG | 8 – 7 | Zsuzsa Jánosi | HUN |