| | Event type

Sabre, Individual, Men

Date	12 – 13 August 1948
Status	Olympic
Location	Palace of Engineering, Wembley, London
Participants	60 from 24 countries

The hold that Hungary had over sabre competitions had loosened with the emergence of [Aldo Montano]. Montano had been World Champion in both the last pre-war and first post-war championships so the Hungarians must have uttered a sigh of relief when he was not included in the Italian team individual sabre event. There was a surprise at the semi-final stage where Tibor Berczelly, who had excelled in the team event, was eliminated but the other Hungarians comfortably reached the final stage. Comtemporary reports mention the sabre finals as the highlight of 1948 fencing tournament. Sixteen years after his first Olympic appearance Aladár Gerevich won what would be the only individual title of a 28-year Olympic career. Gerevich recovered from 4-2 down to defeat teammate Pál Kovács 5-4 and survived another close match against Vincenzo Pinton of Italy to earn the right to be called Olympic champion. Pinton won silver ahead of Kovács by a single hit.

Pos	Number	Competitor	NOC
1	70	Aladár Gerevich	HUN	Gold
2	250	Vincenzo Pinton	ITA	Silver
3	247	Pál Kovács	HUN	Bronze
4	236	Jacques Lefèvre	FRA
5	271	George Worth	USA
6	254	Gastone Darè	ITA
7	270	Tibor Nyilas	USA
8	174	Antonio Haro	MEX
5 p1 r3/4	237	Jean Levavasseur	FRA
5 p2 r3/4	245	Tibor Berczelly	HUN
6 p1 r3/4	253	Carlo Turcato	ITA
=6 p2 r3/4	187	Antoni Sobik	POL
=6 p2 r3/4	86	Dean Cetrulo	USA
7 p1 r3/4	31	Salah Dessouki	EGY
8 p1 r3/4	25	Aage Leidersdorff	DEN
8 p2 r3/4	225	Hubert Loisel	AUT
5 p1 r2/4	65	Frans Mosman	NED
5 p2 r2/4	62	Willem van den Berg	NED
5 p3 r2/4	244	Roger Tredgold	GBR
=5 p4 r2/4	–	Alois Sokol	TCH
=5 p4 r2/4	218	Edgardo Pomini	ARG
=5 p4 r2/4	241	Robin Brook	GBR
6 p2 r2/4	221	Fernando Huergo	ARG
6 p3 r2/4	64	Eddy Kuijpers	NED
=6 p1 r2/4	234	Farid Abou-Shadi	EGY
=6 p1 r2/4	274	Jorge Sarria	PER
7 p2 r2/4	272	Estevão Molnar	BRA
7 p3 r2/4	93	Juan Paladino	URU
8 p1 r2/4	220	Jorge Cermesoni	ARG
8 p2 r2/4	228	Heinz Putzl	AUT
8 p3 r2/4	–	Svatopluk Skýva	TCH
8 p4 r2/4	235	Maurice Gramain	FRA
9 p4 r2/4	34	Mohamed Zulficar	EGY
4 p1 r1/4	20	Roberto Mañalich	CUB
4 p2 r1/4	113	Benito Ramos	MEX
4 p3 r1/4	–	Jaroslav Starý	TCH
4 p4 r1/4	27	Ivan Ruben	DEN
4 p5 r1/4	227	Werner Plattner	AUT
4 p6 r1/4	260	Walter Widemann	SUI
4 p7 r1/4	188	Teodor Zaczyk	POL
4 p8 r1/4	115	Bo Eriksson	SWE
5 p1 r1/4	243	Arthur Pilbrow	GBR
5 p2 r1/4	266	Sabri Tezcan	TUR
5 p3 r1/4	26	Ivan Osiier	DEN
5 p4 r1/4	233	Andrés Neubauer	CHI
5 p5 r1/4	257	Otto Greter	SUI
5 p6 r1/4	14	Roland Asselin	CAN
5 p7 r1/4	134	Ignacio Goldstein	CHI
5 p8 r1/4	183	Bolesław Banaś	POL
6 p1 r1/4	262	Rıza Arseven	TUR
6 p2 r1/4	41	Erkki Kerttula	FIN
6 p3 r1/4	43	Nils Sjöblom	FIN
6 p4 r1/4	265	Merih Sezen	TUR
6 p5 r1/4	58	Nikolaos Christogiannopoulos	GRE
6 p6 r1/4	21	Juan Antonio Martínez	CUB
6 p7 r1/4	60	Athanasios Nanopoulos	GRE
6 p8 r1/4	258	Alphonse Ruckstuhl	SUI
7 p1 r1/4	40	Kauko Jalkanen	FIN
7 p3 r1/4	112	Fidel Luna	MEX
7 p4 r1/4	59	Ioannis Karamazakis	GRE
DNS	231	Eugène Laermans	BEL
DNS	100	Alfonso Ahumada	COL
DNS	–		CHI		1
DNS	261	Orhan Adaş	TUR
DNS	101	Emiliano Camargo	COL
DNS	145	Helmi Abdel Rahman	EGY
DNS	226	Heinz Lechner	AUT
DNS	108	Émile Gretsch	LUX
DNS	224	Karl Hanisch	AUT
DNS	102	Miguel Valderrama	COL
DNS	252	Vittorio Stagni	ITA
DNS	219	Manuel Agüero	ARG
DNS	7	Georges de Bourguignon	BEL
DNS	15	Alf Horn	CAN
DNS	273	Jorge Agostini	CUB
DNS	161	Andreas Skotidas	GRE
DNS	114	Hugo Higueras	PER
DNS	12	Édouard Yves	BEL
DNS	16	Georges Pouliot	CAN
DNS	177	Francisco Valero	MEX

Round One

Date	12 August 1948 — 09:00
Format	Top three finishers in each pool advanced to quarter-finals.

Pool #1

Jury President	Miloš Klika	TCH

Pos	Number	Competitor	NOC	Bouts	Touches
1	31	Salah Dessouki	EGY	4-1	–-16	Q
2	174	Antonio Haro	MEX	4-2	28-20	Q
3	–	Svatopluk Skýva	TCH	4-1	20-20	Q
4	20	Roberto Mañalich	CUB	3-3	–-20
5	243	Arthur Pilbrow	GBR	3-3	–-23
6	262	Rıza Arseven	TUR	1-4	–-–
7	40	Kauko Jalkanen	FIN	0-5	–-–
DNS	231	Eugène Laermans	BEL	–-–	–-–
DNS	100	Alfonso Ahumada	COL	–-–	–-–
DNS	70	Aladár Gerevich	HUN	–-–	–-–

Pool #2

Jury President	Konstantinos Bembis	GRE

Pos	Number	Competitor	NOC	Bouts	Touches
1	236	Jacques Lefèvre	FRA	4-0	–-–	Q
2	62	Willem van den Berg	NED	3-0	–-5	Q
3	241	Robin Brook	GBR	3-2	–-17	Q
4	113	Benito Ramos	MEX	1-3	11-17
5	266	Sabri Tezcan	TUR	1-3	10-17
6	41	Erkki Kerttula	FIN	0-4	–-–
DNS	–		CHI	–-–	–-–		2
DNS	247	Pál Kovács	HUN	–-–	–-–
DNS	261	Orhan Adaş	TUR	–-–	–-–
DNS	86	Dean Cetrulo	USA	–-–	–-–

Pool #3

Jury President	Carlo Filogamo	ITA

Pos	Number	Competitor	NOC	Bouts	Touches Received
1	225	Hubert Loisel	AUT	5-0	–	Q
2	237	Jean Levavasseur	FRA	4-2	18	Q
3	234	Farid Abou-Shadi	EGY	4-2	19	Q
4	–	Jaroslav Starý	TCH	3-3	–
5	26	Ivan Osiier	DEN	2-3	–
6	43	Nils Sjöblom	FIN	1-5	–
7	112	Fidel Luna	MEX	0-4	–
DNS	101	Emiliano Camargo	COL	–-–	–
DNS	145	Helmi Abdel Rahman	EGY	–-–	–
DNS	270	Tibor Nyilas	USA	–-–	–

Pool #4

Jury President	Jean-François Tournon	FRA

Pos	Number	Competitor	NOC	Bouts	Touches
1	–	Alois Sokol	TCH	6-0	–-–	Q
2	228	Heinz Putzl	AUT	4-2	25-21	Q
3	93	Juan Paladino	URU	4-2	28-23	Q
4	27	Ivan Ruben	DEN	2-3	–-20
5	233	Andrés Neubauer	CHI	2-4	–-23
6	265	Merih Sezen	TUR	1-4	–-24
7	59	Ioannis Karamazakis	GRE	1-5	–-28
DNS	226	Heinz Lechner	AUT	–-–	–-–
DNS	254	Gastone Darè	ITA	–-–	–-–
DNS	108	Émile Gretsch	LUX	–-–	–-–
DNS	271	George Worth	USA	–-–	–-–

Pool #5

Jury President	R. Mercier	FRA

Pos	Number	Competitor	NOC	Bouts	Touches Received
1	64	Eddy Kuijpers	NED	4-1	–	Q
2	221	Fernando Huergo	ARG	3-2	16	Q
3	25	Aage Leidersdorff	DEN	3-2	18	Q
4	227	Werner Plattner	AUT	2-3	18
5	257	Otto Greter	SUI	2-3	23
6	58	Nikolaos Christogiannopoulos	GRE	1-4	–
DNS	224	Karl Hanisch	AUT	–-–	–
DNS	102	Miguel Valderrama	COL	–-–	–
DNS	34	Mohamed Zulficar	EGY	–-–	–
DNS	250	Vincenzo Pinton	ITA	–-–	–

Pool #6

Jury President	Tadeusz Friedrich	POL

Pos	Number	Competitor	NOC	Bouts
1	218	Edgardo Pomini	ARG	5-0	Q
2	187	Antoni Sobik	POL	4-1	Q
3	65	Frans Mosman	NED	3-2	Q
4	260	Walter Widemann	SUI	2-3
5	14	Roland Asselin	CAN	1-4
6	21	Juan Antonio Martínez	CUB	0-5
DNS	134	Ignacio Goldstein	CHI	–-–
DNS	60	Athanasios Nanopoulos	GRE	–-–
DNS	252	Vittorio Stagni	ITA	–-–

Pool #7

Jury President	Konstantinos Bembis	GRE

Pos	Number	Competitor	NOC	Bouts
1	220	Jorge Cermesoni	ARG	4-1	Q
2	235	Maurice Gramain	FRA	3-2	Q
3	34	Mohamed Zulficar	EGY	3-2	Q
4	188	Teodor Zaczyk	POL	3-2
5	134	Ignacio Goldstein	CHI	2-3
6	60	Athanasios Nanopoulos	GRE	0-5
DNS	219	Manuel Agüero	ARG	–-–
DNS	7	Georges de Bourguignon	BEL	–-–
DNS	15	Alf Horn	CAN	–-–
DNS	273	Jorge Agostini	CUB	–-–
DNS	161	Andreas Skotidas	GRE	–-–
DNS	114	Hugo Higueras	PER	–-–
DNS	265	Merih Sezen	TUR	–-–

Pool #8

Jury President	Carlo Filogamo	ITA

Pos	Number	Competitor	NOC	Bouts	Touches Received
1	244	Roger Tredgold	GBR	4-1	10	Q
2	272	Estevão Molnar	BRA	4-1	15	Q
3	274	Jorge Sarria	PER	3-2	–	Q
4	115	Bo Eriksson	SWE	3-2	–
5	183	Bolesław Banaś	POL	1-4	–
6	258	Alphonse Ruckstuhl	SUI	0-5	–
DNS	12	Édouard Yves	BEL	–-–	–
DNS	16	Georges Pouliot	CAN	–-–	–
DNS	177	Francisco Valero	MEX	–-–	–

Quarter-Finals

Date	12 August 1948 — 14:30
Format	Top four finishers in each pool advanced to semi-finals. Competitors from nations in the team sabre final were also given byes to quarter-finals.

Pool #1

Jury President	Vincenzo Cuccia	ITA

Pos	Number	Competitor	NOC	Bouts	Touches Received
1	237	Jean Levavasseur	FRA	6-0	–	Q
2	245	Tibor Berczelly	HUN	5-1	–	Q
3	86	Dean Cetrulo	USA	4-3	21	Q
4	225	Hubert Loisel	AUT	4-2	22	Q
5	65	Frans Mosman	NED	2-4	23
=6	234	Farid Abou-Shadi	EGY	2-4	24
=6	274	Jorge Sarria	PER	1-5	29
8	220	Jorge Cermesoni	ARG	1-6	31

Pool #2

Jury President	György Rozgonyi	HUN

Pos	Number	Competitor	NOC	Bouts	Touches Received
1	254	Gastone Darè	ITA	5-1	14	Q
2	236	Jacques Lefèvre	FRA	5-1	16	Q
3	271	George Worth	USA	4-2	24	Q
4	187	Antoni Sobik	POL	4-3	26	Q
5	62	Willem van den Berg	NED	3-4	–
6	221	Fernando Huergo	ARG	2-4	23
7	272	Estevão Molnar	BRA	2-5	32
8	228	Heinz Putzl	AUT	0-5	–

Pool #3

Jury President	R. Mercier	FRA

Pos	Number	Competitor	NOC	Bouts
1	70	Aladár Gerevich	HUN	7-0	Q
2	250	Vincenzo Pinton	ITA	5-2	Q
3	31	Salah Dessouki	EGY	4-3	Q
4	174	Antonio Haro	MEX	3-4	Q
5	244	Roger Tredgold	GBR	3-4
6	64	Eddy Kuijpers	NED	3-4
7	93	Juan Paladino	URU	2-5
8	–	Svatopluk Skýva	TCH	1-6

Pool #4

Jury President	Miloš Klika	TCH

Pos	Number	Competitor	NOC	Bouts	Touches Received
1	247	Pál Kovács	HUN	6-0	–	Q
2	270	Tibor Nyilas	USA	5-1	16	Q
3	25	Aage Leidersdorff	DEN	5-2	23	Q
4	253	Carlo Turcato	ITA	5-3	27	Q
=5	–	Alois Sokol	TCH	3-4	28
=5	218	Edgardo Pomini	ARG	3-4	28
=5	241	Robin Brook	GBR	3-5	34
8	235	Maurice Gramain	FRA	2-5	–
9	34	Mohamed Zulficar	EGY	0-8	–

Semi-Finals

Date	13 August 1948 — 09:00
Format	Top four finishers in each pool advanced to finals.

Pool #1

Jury President	György Rozgonyi	HUN

Pos	Number	Competitor	NOC	Bouts	Touches Received
1	247	Pál Kovács	HUN	6-0	–	Q
2	271	George Worth	USA	5-1	18	Q
3	250	Vincenzo Pinton	ITA	5-2	24	Q
4	270	Tibor Nyilas	USA	4-3	–	Q
5	237	Jean Levavasseur	FRA	3-4	–
6	253	Carlo Turcato	ITA	2-4	–
7	31	Salah Dessouki	EGY	1-5	–
8	25	Aage Leidersdorff	DEN	0-7	–

Pool #2

Jury President	Renato Anselmi	ITA

Pos	Number	Competitor	NOC	Bouts	Touches Received
1	236	Jacques Lefèvre	FRA	6-1	–	Q
=2	70	Aladár Gerevich	HUN	5-1	16	Q
=2	254	Gastone Darè	ITA	5-1	16	Q
4	174	Antonio Haro	MEX	4-3	–	Q
5	245	Tibor Berczelly	HUN	4-3	–
=6	187	Antoni Sobik	POL	1-5	27
=6	86	Dean Cetrulo	USA	1-5	27
8	225	Hubert Loisel	AUT	0-7	–

Final Pool

Date	13 August 1948 — 15:00
Jury President (1st half)	Miloš Klika	TCH
Jury President (2nd half)	Jean Lacroix	FRA

Pos	Number	Competitor	NOC	Bouts	Touches
1	70	Aladár Gerevich	HUN	7-0	35-18
2	250	Vincenzo Pinton	ITA	5-2	32-23
3	247	Pál Kovács	HUN	5-2	33-24
4	236	Jacques Lefèvre	FRA	4-3	27-26
5	271	George Worth	USA	2-5	26-27
6	254	Gastone Darè	ITA	2-5	25-30
7	270	Tibor Nyilas	USA	2-5	20-31
8	174	Antonio Haro	MEX	1-6	15-34

Match	Date/Time	Competitor	NOC	Result	Competitor	NOC
Bout #1	13 Aug	Aladár Gerevich	HUN	5 – 4	Vincenzo Pinton	ITA
Bout #2	13 Aug	Aladár Gerevich	HUN	5 – 4	Pál Kovács	HUN
Bout #3	13 Aug	Aladár Gerevich	HUN	5 – 3	Jacques Lefèvre	FRA
Bout #4	13 Aug	Aladár Gerevich	HUN	5 – 2	George Worth	USA
Bout #5	13 Aug	Aladár Gerevich	HUN	5 – 2	Gastone Darè	ITA
Bout #6	13 Aug	Aladár Gerevich	HUN	5 – 1	Tibor Nyilas	USA
Bout #7	13 Aug	Aladár Gerevich	HUN	5 – 2	Antonio Haro	MEX
Bout #8	13 Aug	Vincenzo Pinton	ITA	5 – 2	Jacques Lefèvre	FRA
Bout #9	13 Aug	Vincenzo Pinton	ITA	5 – 3	George Worth	USA
Bout #10	13 Aug	Vincenzo Pinton	ITA	5 – 4	Gastone Darè	ITA
Bout #11	13 Aug	Vincenzo Pinton	ITA	5 – 4	Tibor Nyilas	USA
Bout #12	13 Aug	Vincenzo Pinton	ITA	5 – 0	Antonio Haro	MEX
Bout #13	13 Aug	Pál Kovács	HUN	5 – 3	Vincenzo Pinton	ITA
Bout #14	13 Aug	Pál Kovács	HUN	5 – 2	Jacques Lefèvre	FRA
Bout #15	13 Aug	Pál Kovács	HUN	5 – 4	George Worth	USA
Bout #16	13 Aug	Pál Kovács	HUN	5 – 4	Gastone Darè	ITA
Bout #17	13 Aug	Pál Kovács	HUN	5 – 1	Tibor Nyilas	USA
Bout #18	13 Aug	Jacques Lefèvre	FRA	5 – 4	George Worth	USA
Bout #19	13 Aug	Jacques Lefèvre	FRA	5 – 1	Gastone Darè	ITA
Bout #20	13 Aug	Jacques Lefèvre	FRA	5 – 3	Tibor Nyilas	USA
Bout #21	13 Aug	Jacques Lefèvre	FRA	5 – 3	Antonio Haro	MEX
Bout #22	13 Aug	George Worth	USA	5 – 1	Tibor Nyilas	USA
Bout #23	13 Aug	George Worth	USA	5 – 1	Antonio Haro	MEX
Bout #24	13 Aug	Gastone Darè	ITA	5 – 3	George Worth	USA
Bout #25	13 Aug	Gastone Darè	ITA	5 – 2	Antonio Haro	MEX
Bout #26	13 Aug	Tibor Nyilas	USA	5 – 4	Gastone Darè	ITA
Bout #27	13 Aug	Tibor Nyilas	USA	5 – 2	Antonio Haro	MEX
Bout #28	13 Aug	Antonio Haro	MEX	5 – 4	Pál Kovács	HUN