Georgian Vladimer Aptsiauri made his international début at the 1982 World Championships, where he helped the Soviet team win the world team foil title. Aptsiauri missed the 1984 Olympics and a possible Olympic medal due to the Soviet boycott and had to settle for competing in the Friendship Games, a replacement games held by the Soviet Union and other socialist countries who had boycotted the 1984 Olympics. The Friendship Games were successful for Aptsiauri as he won both the individual and team foil. In 1985, Aptsiauri won a team foil bronze at the World Championships and his biggest accomplishment as a fencer probably was winning gold in the 1988 Olympic team foil. In 1990, Aptsiauri won another team foil bronze at the 1990 World Championships. He also won the Soviet individual foil title in 1984. Aptsiauri finished his sporting career after the fall of the Soviet Union and worked as a fencing coach in his native Georgia. From 1998-2006 he was the head coach of the Kuwaiti national foil team and from 2006 until his death he was the vice-president of the Georgian Fencing Federation.
Soviet Union
Georgia