# Fencing at the 2008 Summer Olympics – Men's épée

The men's épée fencing competition at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing took place on August 10 at the Olympic Green Convention Centre. There were 41 competitors from 23 nations. The event was won by Matteo Tagliariol of Italy, the nation's first victory in the event since 1960 (the last of six consecutive wins) and first medal of any color since 1968. It was Italy's seventh overall victory, most among nations. The silver medal went to Fabrice Jeannet of France. José Luis Abajo earned Spain's first men's individual épée medal with his bronze. The Russian fencers' streak of five Games on the podium (including Russian fencers for the Soviet Union in 1988 and Unified Team in 1992) ended.

## Background

This was the 25th appearance of the event, which was not held at the first Games in 1896 (with only foil and sabre events held) but has been held at every Summer Olympics since 1900.
Three of the eight quarterfinalists from 2004 returned: silver medalist Wang Lei of China, fifth-place finisher Fabrice Jeannet of France, and sixth-place finisher Silvio Fernández of Venezuela. The reigning (2007) World Champion was Krisztián Kulcsár of Hungary. Wang had won in 2006.
For only the second time in Olympic history (after 1932), no nations made their debut in the event. France and the United States each appeared for the 23rd time, tied for most among nations.

## Qualification

Nations had been limited to three fencers each since 1928. However, the 2008 Games introduced a rotation of men's team fencing events with one weapon left off each Games; the individual event without a corresponding team event had the number of fencers per nation reduced to two. Men's foil was the first event to which this applied to, so the 2008 individual épée competition continued to allow three fencers per nation.
There were 39 dedicated quota spots for men's épée. The 24 fencers from the 8 teams qualified for the team event were all automatically qualified for the individual event. Next, the top 3 men in the FIE Individual Ranking received spots. After that, 7 more men were selected from the ranking based on continents: 2 from Europe, 2 from the Americas, 2 from Asia/Oceania, and 1 from Africa; each nation could only earn one spot from this continental ranking, but it could be added to any spots from the world ranking (up to three total). Finally, five spots were allocated by continental qualifying events: 2 from Europe, 1 from the Americas, 1 from Asia/Oceania, and 1 from Africa. Nations could only earn one spot from these events and only if they had no fencer qualified through rankings.
Additionally, there were 8 host/invitational spots that could be spread throughout the various fencing events. China used only 2 of those places to max out its representation in all events (both in the men's épée, for which only Wang Lei qualified directly), so 6 spots were assigned by Tripartite Commission invitation. None were used in the men's épée, so the total number of competitors was 41: the 39 dedicated places plus 2 host places.

## Competition format

The épée competition, following the format introduced in 1996, consisted of a six-round single-elimination bracket with a bronze medal match between the two semifinal losers. Fencing was done to 15 touches or to the completion of three three-minute rounds if neither fencer reached 15 touches by then. At the end of time, the higher-scoring fencer was the winner; a tie resulted in an additional one-minute sudden-death time period. This sudden-death period was further modified by the selection of a draw-winner beforehand; if neither fencer scored a touch during the minute, the predetermined draw-winner won the bout.

## Schedule

All times are China Standard Time (UTC+8)
| Date | Time | Round |
| Sunday, 10 August 2008 | | Round of 32 Round of 16 Quarterfinals Semifinals Finals |

## Results
### Section 1

| Round of 64 | Round of 64 | Round of 64 | Round of 32 | Round of 32 | Round of 32 | Round of 16 | Round of 16 | Round of 16 | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals |
| | | | 1 | Jérôme Jeannet (FRA) | 15 | | | | | | |
| 33 | Nikolai Novosjolov (EST) | 15 | 33 | Nikolai Novosjolov (EST) | 14 | | | | | | |
| 32 | Ahmed Nabil (EGY) | 8 | | | | 1 | Jérôme Jeannet (FRA) | 9 | | | |
| | | | | | | 16 | José Luis Abajo (ESP) | 15 | | | |
| | | | 17 | Kim Won-Jin (KOR) | 14 | | | | | | |
| | | | 16 | José Luis Abajo (ESP) | 15 | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | 16 | José Luis Abajo (ESP) | 14 |
| | | | | | | | | | 9 | Diego Confalonieri (ITA) | 13 |
| | | | 9 | Diego Confalonieri (ITA) | 15 | | | | | | |
| 41 | Aissam Rami (MAR) | 11 | 24 | Tomasz Motyka (POL) | 10 | | | | | | |
| 24 | Tomasz Motyka (POL) | 15 | | | | 9 | Diego Confalonieri (ITA) | 15 | | | |
| 25 | Kim Seung-Gu (KOR) | 15 | | | | 8 | Géza Imre (HUN) | 9 | | | |
| 40 | Given Maduma (RSA) | 12 | 25 | Kim Seung-Gu (KOR) | 14 | | | | | | |
| | | | 8 | Géza Imre (HUN) | 15 | | | | | | |

### Section 2

| Round of 64 | Round of 64 | Round of 64 | Round of 32 | Round of 32 | Round of 32 | Round of 16 | Round of 16 | Round of 16 | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals |
| | | | 5 | Michael Kauter (SUI) | 15 | | | | | | |
| 25 | Mike Wood (RSA) | 7 | 40 | Bohdan Nikishyn (UKR) | 12 | | | | | | |
| 40 | Bohdan Nikishyn (UKR) | 15 | | | | 5 | Michael Kauter (SUI) | 13 | | | |
| | | | | | | 12 | Bas Verwijlen (NED) | 15 | | | |
| | | | 21 | Wang Lei (CHN) | 10 | | | | | | |
| | | | 12 | Bas Verwijlen (NED) | 15 | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | 12 | Bas Verwijlen (NED) | 11 |
| | | | | | | | | | 4 | Matteo Tagliariol (ITA) | 15 |
| | | | 13 | Ulrich Robeiri (FRA) | 15 | | | | | | |
| | | | 20 | Anton Avdeev (RUS) | 11 | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | 13 | Ulrich Robeiri (FRA) | 11 | | | |
| 29 | Wolfgang Mejías (VEN) | 11 | | | | 4 | Matteo Tagliariol (ITA) | 15 | | | |
| 36 | Sturla Torkildsen (NOR) | 12 | 36 | Sturla Torkildsen (NOR) | 10 | | | | | | |
| | | | 4 | Matteo Tagliariol (ITA) | 15 | | | | | | |

### Section 3

| Round of 64 | Round of 64 | Round of 64 | Round of 32 | Round of 32 | Round of 32 | Round of 16 | Round of 16 | Round of 16 | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals |
| | | | 3 | Jung Jin-Sun (KOR) | 15 | | | | | | |
| 35 | Adam Wiercioch (POL) | 11 | 30 | Li Guojie (CHN) | 6 | | | | | | |
| 30 | Li Guojie (CHN) | 15 | | | | 3 | Jung Jin-Sun (KOR) | 15 | | | |
| | | | | | | 14 | Dmytro Chumak (UKR) | 6 | | | |
| | | | 19 | Rubén Limardo (VEN) | 13 | | | | | | |
| | | | 14 | Dmytro Chumak (UKR) | 15 | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | 3 | Jung Jin-Sun (KOR) | 11 |
| | | | | | | | | | 27 | Fabrice Jeannet (FRA) | 15 |
| | | | 11 | Maksym Khvorost (UKR) | 11 | | | | | | |
| | | | 22 | Igor Tikhomirov (CAN) | 15 | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | 22 | Igor Tikhomirov (CAN) | 7 | | | |
| 27 | Fabrice Jeannet (FRA) | 15 | | | | 27 | Fabrice Jeannet (FRA) | 15 | | | |
| 38 | Serguei Katchiourine (KGZ) | 14 | 27 | Fabrice Jeannet (FRA) | 15 | | | | | | |
| | | | 6 | Seth Kelsey (USA) | 11 | | | | | | |

### Section 4

| Round of 64 | Round of 64 | Round of 64 | Round of 32 | Round of 32 | Round of 32 | Round of 16 | Round of 16 | Round of 16 | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals |
| | | | 7 | Radosław Zawrotniak (POL) | 15 | | | | | | |
| 39 | Dario Torrente (RSA) | 10 | 26 | Joaquim Videira (POR) | 9 | | | | | | |
| 26 | Joaquim Videira (POR) | 15 | | | | 7 | Radosław Zawrotniak (POL) | 15 | | | |
| | | | | | | 23 | Yin Lianchi (CHN) | 13 | | | |
| | | | 23 | Yin Lianchi (CHN) | 15 | | | | | | |
| | | | 10 | Krisztián Kulcsár (HUN) | 9 | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | 7 | Radosław Zawrotniak (POL) | 12 |
| | | | | | | | | | 15 | Gábor Boczkó (HUN) | 15 |
| | | | 15 | Gábor Boczkó (HUN) | 11 | | | | | | |
| | | | 18 | Alfredo Rota (ITA) | 10 | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | 15 | Gábor Boczkó (HUN) | 15 | | | |
| 31 | Shogo Nishida (JPN) | 11 | | | | 2 | Silvio Fernández (VEN) | 9 | | | |
| 34 | Paris Inostroza (CHI) | 15 | 34 | Paris Inostroza (CHI) | 10 | | | | | | |
| | | | 2 | Silvio Fernández (VEN) | 15 | | | | | | |

### Finals

| Semifinals | Semifinals | Final | Final |
| José Luis Abajo (ESP) | 12 |
| Matteo Tagliariol (ITA) | 15 | | |
| Matteo Tagliariol (ITA) | 15 | Matteo Tagliariol (ITA) | 15 |
| | | Fabrice Jeannet (FRA) | 9 |
| Fabrice Jeannet (FRA) | 15 | Fabrice Jeannet (FRA) | 9 |
| Gábor Boczkó (HUN) | 12 | | |
| Gábor Boczkó (HUN) | 12 | Bronze medal match | Bronze medal match |
| | | José Luis Abajo (ESP) | 8 |
| | | Gábor Boczkó (HUN) | 7 |

## Final classification

| Rank | Fencer | Nation |
| | Matteo Tagliariol | Italy |
| | Fabrice Jeannet | France |
| | José Luis Abajo | Spain |
| 4 | Gábor Boczkó | Hungary |
| 5 | Jung Jin-Sun | South Korea |
| 6 | Radosław Zawrotniak | Poland |
| 7 | Diego Confalonieri | Italy |
| 8 | Bas Verwijlen | Netherlands |
| 9 | Silvio Fernández | Venezuela |
| 10 | Jérôme Jeannet | France |
| 11 | Michael Kauter | Switzerland |
| 12 | Géza Imre | Hungary |
| 13 | Dmytro Chumak | Ukraine |
| 14 | Ulrich Robeiri | France |
| 15 | Igor Tikhomirov | Canada |
| 16 | Lianchi Yin | China |
| 17 | Weston Kelsey | United States |
| 18 | Krisztián Kulcsár | Hungary |
| 19 | Maksym Khvorost | Ukraine |
| 20 | Kim Wong-Jin | South Korea |
| 21 | Alfredo Rota | Italy |
| 22 | Anton Avdeev | Russia |
| 23 | Rubén Limardo | Venezuela |
| 24 | Lei Wang | China |
| 25 | Tomasz Motyka | Poland |
| 26 | Joaquim Videira | Portugal |
| 27 | Seung-Gu Kim | South Korea |
| 28 | Bohdan Nikishyn | Ukraine |
| 29 | Guojie Li | China |
| 30 | Nikolai Novosjolov | Estonia |
| 31 | Paris Inostroza | Chile |
| 32 | Sturla Torkildsen | Norway |
| 33 | Wolfgang Mejías | Venezuela |
| 34 | Ahmed Nabil | Egypt |
| 35 | Shogo Nishida | Japan |
| 36 | Adam Wiercioch | Poland |
| 37 | Serguei Katchiourine | Kyrgyzstan |
| 38 | Mike Wood | South Africa |
| 39 | Dario Torrente | South Africa |
| 40 | Sello Maduma | South Africa |
| 41 | Aissam Rami | Morocco |