Epee Individuals
Item
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Title
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Epee Individuals
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Date
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August 1936
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volume
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1
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issue
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16
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page start
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2
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page end
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2
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content
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en
EPEE INDIVIDUALS
Lt. Fred R. Weber, after winning the Pentathlon fencing event, proved to be the strongest American epeeist entered in the individuals. "Fritz" scored 6 wins, 0 losses in the first round, and he finished the quarter-final with a record of 4½ won and 4½ lost, missing the qualifying post by a half victory when he was charged with a full defeat in his last bout as the time limit expired and the score stood at 1-all.
Two men, Pocheux of France, with 6 wins, and de Beer of Belgium with 5½, had clearly qualified. Knutzen of Norway, and two others, had 5 victories when he met Weber, who had then 4½ wins. A victory would qualify Fritz, a tie would force him into a fence-off, and a defeat would eliminate him while Knutzen would go up. Knutzen, of course, was well aware that if time expired while the score was tied, a full loss would be scored against both contestants (see THE RIPOSTE, No. 13) and refused to force the fighting. One double touch had been made when 2 minutes were called. In the excitement of the bout Fritz forgot the ruling which would register the bout as a full loss, and continued the bout in the belief that if time expired he would earn a half victory. Of course, it is possible that if Fritz had taken a chance and forced a decisive result he would have lost anyway, but it was heartbreaking to lose out on a misinterpretation of the rule.
Heiss and Righeimer lost 5 bouts each, winning 3 and 2 respectively, in the first round, and were eliminated.
Riccardi of Italy won the championship, and Italy made a clean sweep of the finals by placing Ragno second and Cornaggia-Medici, the defending champion, third. After their victory in the team event, it left little doubt as to which country holds the upper hand in this weapon. 75 contestants started.
