Pál Kovács

Pál Kovács
Hungarian sabre team at the 1960 Olympics, Kovács is in the center, just above Aladár Gerevich
Personal information
Born	(1912-07-17)17 July 1912 Debrecen, Hungary
Died	8 July 1995(1995-07-08) (aged 82) Budapest, Hungary
Weapon(s)	sabre
Hand	right-handed
Height	1.79 m (5 ft 10 in)
Weight	80 kg (180 lb)
Club	Honvéd Tiszti Vívó Klub ÖT Ganz-Mávag SportegyesületMávag SportegyesületVasas Sport Club
Medal record Representing  Hungary Olympic Games 1936 Berlin Team sabre 1948 London Team sabre 1952 Helsinki Team sabre 1952 Helsinki Individual sabre 1956 Melbourne Team sabre 1960 Rome Team Sabre 1948 London Individual sabre World Championships Budapest 1933 Team sabre Paris 1937 Team sabre Stockholm 1951 Team sabre Brussels 1953 Team sabre Luxembourg 1954 Team sabre Rome 1955 Team sabre Paris 1957 Team sabre Philadelphia 1958 Team sabre

Pál Kovács (17 July 1912 – 8 July 1995) was a Hungarian athlete, who began as a hurdler, but eventually switched to fencing.

By the time Kovács won his first fencing gold, in 1936, he had already been a member of the winning Hungarian team at the 1933 World Championships. The Hungarians would go on to win team sabre gold in five successive Olympics, lasting from 1936 until 1960. The same team won gold eight back-to-back world championships (including the two Olympics, which double as world championships in their respective years). Kovács also won individual gold in 1952, as well as individual bronze in 1948. In 1980, he became vice-president of the Fédération Internationale d'Escrime. He died in Budapest in July 1995.