Épée, Individual, Men

This was the most popular fencing event in 1900, with 103 competitors from 11 nations. It required four rounds of round-robin elimination pools, with three semi-finals advancing the top three from each pool to a final pool of nine fencers. Although most of the fencers were French, the title went to Cuban Ramón Fonst, who had grown up in France. He would also win this event at the 1904 Olympics, and competed again at the 1924 Olympics.

The final came down to Fonst and Louis Perrée, who tied with two touches received, or effectively, having lost two bouts. They met in a barrage for the title. Perrée appeared to have won, by touching Fonst’s shoulder in the one-touch bout, but the jury ruled that the point had missed, and contact had been made with the side of blade rather than its point, and so the match went on. Fonst then appeared to have touched Perrée, but the jury again disagreed. Perrée finally made an attack, but Fonst avoided it and countered to touch Perrée to win the barrage and the event.