# Fencing at the 2000 Summer Olympics – Men's sabre

The men's sabre was one of ten fencing events on the fencing at the 2000 Summer Olympics programme. It was the twenty-fourth appearance of the event. The competition was held on 21 September 2000. 39 fencers from 20 nations competed. Nations had been limited to three fencers each since 1928. The event was won by Mihai Covaliu of Romania, the nation's first medal in the men's sabre. Mathieu Gourdain's silver extended France's podium streak in the event to five Games. Germany also earned its first medal in the men's sabre, with Wiradech Kothny's bronze.

## Background

This was the 24th appearance of the event, which is the only fencing event to have been held at every Summer Olympics. Five of the quarterfinalists from 1996 returned: gold medalist Stanislav Pozdnyakov and silver medalist Sergey Sharikov of Russia, bronze medalist Damien Touya of France, sixth-place finisher Vadym Huttsait of Ukraine, and seventh-place finisher Rafał Sznajder of Poland. The three world champions since the Atlanta Games were Pozdnyakov (1997), Luigi Tarantino of Italy (1998), and Touya (1999).
Belarus and Kazakhstan each made their debut in the men's sabre. Italy made its 22nd appearance in the event, most of any nation, having missed the inaugural 1896 event and the 1904 Games.

## Competition format

The 1996 tournament had vastly simplified the competition format into a single-elimination bracket, with a bronze medal match. The 2000 tournament continued to use that format. Bouts were to 15 touches. Standard sabre rules regarding target area, striking, and priority were used.

## Schedule

All times are Australian Eastern Standard Time (UTC+10)
| Date | Time | Round |
| Thursday, 21 September 2000 | 9:30 17:30 | Round of 64 Round of 32 Round of 16 Quarterfinals Semifinals Bronze medal match Final |

## Results

The field of 40 fencers competed in a single-elimination tournament to determine the medal winners. Semifinal losers proceeded to a bronze medal match.

### 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 |
| | | | Stanislav Pozdnyakov (RUS) | Stanislav Pozdnyakov (RUS) | 15 | | | | | | |
| Zhao Chunsheng China | Zhao Chunsheng China | 15 | Zhao Chunsheng China | Zhao Chunsheng China | 11 | | | | | | |
| Akhnaten Spencer-El (USA) | Akhnaten Spencer-El (USA) | 10 | | | | Stanislav Pozdnyakov (RUS) | Stanislav Pozdnyakov (RUS) | 11 | | | |
| | | | | | | Mathieu Gourdain (FRA) | Mathieu Gourdain (FRA) | 15 | | | |
| | | | Fernando Medina Spain | Fernando Medina Spain | 14 | | | | | | |
| | | | Mathieu Gourdain (FRA) | Mathieu Gourdain (FRA) | 15 | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | Mathieu Gourdain (FRA) | Mathieu Gourdain (FRA) | 15 |
| | | | | | | | | | Victor Găureanu (ROU) | Victor Găureanu (ROU) | 14 |
| | | | Luigi Tarantino Italy | Luigi Tarantino Italy | 10 | | | | | | |
| | | | Victor Găureanu (ROU) | Victor Găureanu (ROU) | 15 | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | Victor Găureanu (ROU) | Victor Găureanu (ROU) | 15 | | | |
| | | | | | | Julien Pillet (FRA) | Julien Pillet (FRA) | 10 | | | |
| | | | Julien Pillet (FRA) | Julien Pillet (FRA) | 15 | | | | | | |
| | | | Alberto Falcón (ESP) | Alberto Falcón (ESP) | 12 | | | | | | |

### 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 |
| | | | Domonkos Ferjancsik (HUN) | Domonkos Ferjancsik (HUN) | 15 | | | | | | |
| Laurent Waller (SUI) | Laurent Waller (SUI) | 13 | Lee Seung-Won (KOR) | Lee Seung-Won (KOR) | 4 | | | | | | |
| Lee Seung-Won (KOR) | Lee Seung-Won (KOR) | 15 | | | | Domonkos Ferjancsik (HUN) | Domonkos Ferjancsik (HUN) | 15 | | | |
| | | | | | | Vadym Huttsait (UKR) | Vadym Huttsait (UKR) | 10 | | | |
| | | | Vadym Huttsait (UKR) | Vadym Huttsait (UKR) | 15 | | | | | | |
| | | | Rafał Sznajder (POL) | Rafał Sznajder (POL) | 14 | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | Domonkos Ferjancsik (HUN) | Domonkos Ferjancsik (HUN) | 15 |
| | | | | | | | | | Tonhi Terenzi (ITA) | Tonhi Terenzi (ITA) | 13 |
| | | | Csaba Köves (HUN) | Csaba Köves (HUN) | 15 | | | | | | |
| Florin Lupeică (ROM) | Florin Lupeică (ROM) | 15 | Florin Lupeică (ROM) | Florin Lupeică (ROM) | 14 | | | | | | |
| Cándido Maya (CUB) | Cándido Maya (CUB) | 10 | | | | Csaba Köves (HUN) | Csaba Köves (HUN) | 14 | | | |
| | | | | | | Tonhi Terenzi (ITA) | Tonhi Terenzi (ITA) | 15 | | | |
| | | | Tonhi Terenzi (ITA) | Tonhi Terenzi (ITA) | 15 | | | | | | |
| | | | Volodymyr Kaliuzhniy (UKR) | Volodymyr Kaliuzhniy (UKR) | 10 | | | | | | |

### 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 |
| | | | Sergey Sharikov (RUS) | Sergey Sharikov (RUS) | 15 | | | | | | |
| Volodymyr Lukashenko (UKR) | Volodymyr Lukashenko (UKR) | 15 | Volodymyr Lukashenko (UKR) | Volodymyr Lukashenko (UKR) | 11 | | | | | | |
| Masashi Nagara (JPN) | Masashi Nagara (JPN) | 7 | | | | Sergey Sharikov (RUS) | Sergey Sharikov (RUS) | 14 | | | |
| | | | | | | Wiradech Kothny (GER) | Wiradech Kothny (GER) | 15 | | | |
| | | | Eero Lehmann (GER) | Eero Lehmann (GER) | 8 | | | | | | |
| | | | Wiradech Kothny (GER) | Wiradech Kothny (GER) | 15 | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | Wiradech Kothny (GER) | Wiradech Kothny (GER) | 15 |
| | | | | | | | | | Aleksey Frosin (RUS) | Aleksey Frosin (RUS) | 12 |
| | | | Zsolt Nemcsik (HUN) | Zsolt Nemcsik (HUN) | 10 | | | | | | |
| James Williams (GBR) | James Williams (GBR) | 15 | James Williams (GBR) | James Williams (GBR) | 15 | | | | | | |
| Diego Drajer (ARG) | Diego Drajer (ARG) | 13 | | | | James Williams (GBR) | James Williams (GBR) | 8 | | | |
| | | | | | | Aleksey Frosin (RUS) | Aleksey Frosin (RUS) | 15 | | | |
| | | | Marcin Sobala (POL) | Marcin Sobala (POL) | 8 | | | | | | |
| | | | Aleksey Frosin (RUS) | Aleksey Frosin (RUS) | 15 | | | | | | |

### 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 |
| | | | Raffaelo Caserta (ITA) | Raffaelo Caserta (ITA) | 9 | | | | | | |
| Dmitry Lapkes (BLR) | Dmitry Lapkes (BLR) | 15 | Dmitry Lapkes (BLR) | Dmitry Lapkes (BLR) | 15 | | | | | | |
| Mahmoud Samir (EGY) | Mahmoud Samir (EGY) | 7 | | | | Dmitry Lapkes (BLR) | Dmitry Lapkes (BLR) | 11 | | | |
| | | | | | | Mihai Covaliu (ROM) | Mihai Covaliu (ROM) | 15 | | | |
| | | | Norbert Jaskot (POL) | Norbert Jaskot (POL) | 12 | | | | | | |
| | | | Mihai Covaliu (ROM) | Mihai Covaliu (ROM) | 15 | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | Mihai Covaliu (ROM) | Mihai Covaliu (ROM) | 15 |
| | | | | | | | | | Damien Touya (FRA) | Damien Touya (FRA) | 12 |
| | | | Jorge Pina (ESP) | Jorge Pina (ESP) | 14 | | | | | | |
| | | | Dennis Bauer (GER) | Dennis Bauer (GER) | 15 | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | Dennis Bauer (GER) | Dennis Bauer (GER) | 12 | | | |
| Keeth Smart (USA) | Keeth Smart (USA) | 15 | | | | Damien Touya (FRA) | Damien Touya (FRA) | 15 | | | |
| Igor Tsel (KAZ) | Igor Tsel (KAZ) | 5 | Keeth Smart (USA) | Keeth Smart (USA) | 8 | | | | | | |
| | | | Damien Touya (FRA) | Damien Touya (FRA) | 15 | | | | | | |

### Finals

| Semifinals | Semifinals | Final | Final |
| Mathieu Gourdain (FRA) | 15 |
| Domonkos Ferjancsik (HUN) | 12 | | |
| Domonkos Ferjancsik (HUN) | 12 | Mathieu Gourdain (FRA) | 12 |
| | | Mihai Covaliu (ROU) | 15 |
| Wiradech Kothny (GER) | 12 | Mihai Covaliu (ROU) | 15 |
| Mihai Covaliu (ROU) | 15 | | |
| Mihai Covaliu (ROU) | 15 | Bronze medal match | Bronze medal match |
| | | Domonkos Ferjancsik (HUN) | 11 |
| | | Wiradech Kothny (GER) | 15 |

## Final classification

| Rank | Fencer | Nation |
| | Mihai Covaliu | Romania |
| | Mathieu Gourdain | France |
| | Wiradech Kothny | Germany |
| 4 | Domonkos Ferjancsik | Hungary |
| 5 | Damien Touya | France |
| 6 | Aleksey Frosin | Russia |
| 7 | Tonhi Terenzi | Italy |
| 8 | Victor Găureanu | Romania |
| 9 | Stanislav Pozdnyakov | Russia |
| 10 | Sergey Sharikov | Russia |
| 11 | Csaba Köves | Hungary |
| 12 | Julien Pillet | France |
| 13 | Vadym Huttsait | Ukraine |
| 14 | Dennis Bauer | Germany |
| 15 | Dmitry Lapkes | Belarus |
| 16 | James Williams | Great Britain |
| 17 | Zsolt Nemcsik | Hungary |
| 18 | Luigi Tarantino | Italy |
| 19 | Raffaello Caserta | Italy |
| 20 | Fernando Medina | Spain |
| 21 | Jorge Pina | Spain |
| 22 | Rafał Sznajder | Poland |
| 23 | Eero Lehmann | Germany |
| 24 | Marcin Sobala | Poland |
| 25 | Volodymyr Kaliuzhniy | Ukraine |
| 26 | Norbert Jaskot | Poland |
| 27 | Alberto Falcón | Spain |
| 28 | Florin Lupeică | Romania |
| 29 | Volodymyr Lukashenko | Ukraine |
| 30 | Keeth Smart | United States |
| 31 | Zhao Chunsheng | China |
| 32 | Lee Seung-Won | South Korea |
| 33 | Laurent Waller | Switzerland |
| 34 | Akhnaten Spencer-El | United States |
| 35 | Igor Tsel | Kazakhstan |
| 36 | Masashi Nagara | Japan |
| 37 | Diego Drajer | Argentina |
| 38 | Cándido Maya | Cuba |
| 39 | Mahmoud Samir | Egypt |