Nedo Nadi
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Title
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Nedo Nadi
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Date
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April 1940
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volume
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5
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issue
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2
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page start
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5
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page end
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5
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content
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en
NEDO NADI
The fencing world was shocked to hear of the death of Nedo Nadi on January 28th at the age of 45. As an amateur and professional champion, he was recognized throughout the world as the perfect example of the Italian swordsman in all three weapons. His loss was not only Italy's, for his remarkable ability made him a citizen of the world like Caruso or Sergei Rachmaninoff in their respective achievements. He was looked upon as a hero by fencers all over the world, and each of them felt a personal loss in his passing.
Nedo Nadi's last visit to the United States was in 1930, at which time he gave a fencing exhibition with the leading amateurs and professionals in the United States. His grace, speed, and perfection of technique gave the fencers then present all of the emotional stimulation that music lovers receive at a perfect concert. In him, each of them saw the fencer as he had imagined him to be but had personally never achieved. It was the master performing before a crowded room of inept pupils.
The greatest tribute to Nedo Nadi was probably his reinstatement as an amateur by the International Federation of Fencing. He had admittedly been a professional for many years, following in the footsteps of his famous father. However, his unique ability had so impressed the fencing world that it, the strictest sports group in athletics today, looked upon him as above professionalism and reinstated him as an amateur in 1938. When he died he was President of the Italian Fencing Federation, which is the amateur fencing organization of Italy.
