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Fencing at the 1900 Summer Olympics – Men's amateurs-masters épée

Men's amateurs and masters épée
at the Games of the II Olympiad
Venue Tuileries Garden
Date June 15
Competitors 8 from 2 nations
Medalists
1st, gold medalist(s) Albert Robert Ayat
 France
2nd, silver medalist(s) Ramón Fonst
 Cuba
3rd, bronze medalist(s) Léon Sée
 France
1st, gold medalist(s) Albert Robert Ayat
 France
2nd, silver medalist(s) Ramón Fonst
 Cuba
3rd, bronze medalist(s) Léon Sée
 France

This event highlighted the singular position of the sport of fencing in the early Olympic movement. In most of the other sports on the program, competitors had to be amateurs. Furthermore, amateur standing was typically lost when one competed against a professional, even if there was no money involved in that particular competition. In fencing, however, professionals were allowed to compete in the Olympics.

The 1900 amateurs-masters épée fencing event pitted the best amateur épéeists against the best professionals. The top four placers in each of those two events were qualified to compete in the open event, which consisted of a single round-robin tournament with single-touch bouts. The gold medal in the event was taken by a master, but the next three places all went to amateurs.


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