# Fencing at the 1964 Summer Olympics – Men's épée

The men's épée was one of eight fencing events on the fencing at the 1964 Summer Olympics programme. It was the fourteenth appearance of the event. The competition was held from October 18 to 19 1964. 65 fencers from 25 nations competed. Each nation was limited to three fencers. The event was won by Grigory Kriss of the Soviet Union, the nation's first gold medal in the event after a bronze four years earlier. The Soviets also took bronze, with Guram Kostava finishing in third place. Between the two was silver medalist Bill Hoskyns of Great Britain; it was the second consecutive Games with a British silver medalist in the event. Italy's six-Games gold medal streak in the men's individual épée ended with the nation missing the podium entirely; Gianluigi Saccaro finished fourth after losing the bronze-medal barrage to Kostava.

## Background

This was the 14th 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.
Four of the eight finalists from the 1960 Games returned, including all three medalists: gold medalist (and 1956 silver medalist) Giuseppe Delfino of Italy, silver medalist Allan Jay of Great Britain, bronze medalist Bruno Habārovs of the Soviet Union, and sixth-place finisher Yves Dreyfus of France. The field included the previous five World Champions: Bill Hoskyns of Great Britain (1958), Habārovs (1959), Jack Guittet of France (1961), István Kausz of Hungary (1962), and Roland Losert of Austria (1963, the reigning champion).
Malaysia and South Korea each made their debut in the event. Belgium and the United States each appeared for the 13th time, tied for most among nations.

## Competition format

The competition underwent a significant format change from prior Games. Rather than exclusively pool play, the format now featured a mix of pool play and single-elimination brackets. It was the first time, other than the odd "extra final" round in 1928, that bracket play was used in the event. The format began with two rounds of pool play that narrowed the field to 24 fencers, continued with three rounds of knockout brackets that reduced the competitors to 4, and finished with a final pool featuring those fencers. A ranking bracket was also used for the four quarterfinal losers, placing them 5th, 6th, and 7th (two fencers, with no 7th/8th match). Barrages were used to break ties where necessary for advancement out of pools. Pool round bouts were to 5 touches, with double-losses possible. Knockout round bouts were to 10 touches.
* Round 1: 8 pools, 8 or 9 fencers to a pool, top 5 advance (total 40 advancing)
* Round 2: 6 pools, 6 or 7 fencers to a pool, top 4 advance (total 24 advancing)
* Round of 24: Single-elimination. 16 of the 24 fencers competed, with 8 others having a bye.
* Round of 16: Single-elimination. The 8 winners of the round of 24 faced the 8 fencers who had a bye.
* Quarterfinals: Single-elimination, with losers to a consolation bracket. The winners advanced to the final pool.
* 5th–8th bracket: Quarterfinal losers competed in two 5th–8th semifinals, with the winners playing a 5th/6th final.
* Final pool: The four quarterfinal winners competed in a round-robin final pool.

## Schedule

All times are Japan Standard Time (UTC+9)
| Date | Time | Round |
| Sunday, 18 October 1964 | 8:30 | Round 1 Round 2 |
| Monday, 19 October 1964 | 8:30   17:30 | Round of 24 Round of 16 Quarterfinals Classification 5–8 Final |

## Results
### Round 1
#### Round 1 pool A

| Rank | Fencer | Nation | Wins | Losses | Notes |
| 1 | Hans Lagfrwall | Sweden | 6 | 1 | Q |
| 2 | Bruno Habārovs | Soviet Union | 6 | 1 | Q |
| 3 | Roland Losert | Austria | 5 | 2 | Q |
| 4 | Claudio Polledri | Switzerland | 4 | 3 | Q |
| 5 | John Humphreys | Australia | 4 | 3 | Q |
| 6 | Zelmar Casco | Argentina | 2 | 5 | |
| 7 | Kim Man Shik | South Korea | 1 | 6 | |
| 8 | Ronnie Theseira | Malaysia | 0 | 7 | |

#### Round 1 pool B

| Rank | Fencer | Nation | Wins | Losses | Notes |
| 1 | Grigory Kriss | Soviet Union | 6 | 1 | Q |
| 2 | Paul Gnaier | United Team of Germany | 5 | 2 | Q |
| 3 | Yves Dreyfus | France | 4 | 3 | Q |
| 4 | Hassan Sayd | Lebanon | 4 | 3 | Q |
| 5 | Rene van den Driessche | Belgium | 3 | 4 | B |
| 5 | Okawa Heizaburo | Japan | 3 | 4 | B |
| 7 | Xuan Tran Van | Vietnam | 1 | 6 | |
| 8 | Michael Ryan | Ireland | 1 | 6 | |

##### Barrage

| Rank | Fencer | Nation | Wins | Losses | Notes |
| 5 | Okawa Heizaburo | Japan | 1 | 0 | Q |
| 6 | Rene van den Driessche | Belgium | 0 | 1 | |

#### Round 1 pool C

| Rank | Fencer | Nation | Wins | Losses | Notes |
| 1 | Peter Jacobs | Great Britain | 6 | 1 | Q |
| 2 | Henryk Nielaba | Poland | 5 | 2 | Q |
| 3 | Guram Kostava | Soviet Union | 5 | 2 | Q |
| 4 | Orvar Lindwall | Sweden | 4 | 3 | Q |
| 5 | J. Bouchier-Hayes | Ireland | 3 | 4 | B |
| 5 | Joseph Gemayel | Lebanon | 3 | 4 | B |
| 7 | Francisco Serp | Argentina | 2 | 5 | |
| 8 | Bijan Zarnegar | Iran | 0 | 7 | |

##### Barrage

| Rank | Fencer | Nation | Wins | Losses | Notes |
| 5 | J. Bouchier-Hayes | Ireland | 1 | 0 | Q |
| 6 | Joseph Gemayel | Lebanon | 0 | 1 | |

#### Round 1 pool D

| Rank | Fencer | Nation | Wins | Losses | Notes |
| 1 | Bogdan Gonsior | Poland | 6 | 1 | Q |
| 2 | Michel Saikali | Lebanon | 5 | 2 | Q |
| 3 | Rudolf Trost | Austria | 5 | 2 | Q |
| 4 | Gianluigi Saccaro | Italy | 4 | 3 | Q |
| 5 | Stefan Haukler | Romania | 4 | 3 | Q |
| 6 | Frank Anger | United States | 3 | 4 | |
| 7 | John Andru | Canada | 1 | 6 | |
| 8 | Shahpour Zarnegar | Iran | 0 | 7 | |

#### Round 1 pool E

| Rank | Fencer | Nation | Wins | Losses | Notes |
| 1 | Claude Bourquard | France | 7 | 1 | Q |
| 2 | Alberto Pellegrino | Italy | 6 | 2 | Q |
| 2 | Walter Bar | Switzerland | 6 | 2 | Q |
| 4 | Goran Abrahamson | Sweden | 5 | 3 | Q |
| 5 | Dietrich Hecke | United Team of Germany | 5 | 3 | Q |
| 6 | Hahn Myung Seok | South Korea | 3 | 5 | |
| 7 | Sergio Vergara | Chile | 2 | 6 | |
| 8 | Didier Tamayo | Colombia | 1 | 7 | |
| 9 | Houshmand Almasi | Iran | 1 | 7 | |

#### Round 1 pool F

| Rank | Fencer | Nation | Wins | Losses | Notes |
| 1 | Franz Rompza | United Team of Germany | 6 | 1 | Q |
| 2 | Gyoyo Kulcsar | Hungary | 5 | 2 | Q |
| 3 | Giuseppe Delfino | Italy | 4 | 3 | Q |
| 4 | Allan Jay | Great Britain | 4 | 3 | Q |
| 5 | Marcus Leyrer | Austria | 3 | 4 | B |
| 5 | Ivan Lund | Australia | 3 | 4 | B |
| 7 | Robert Foxcroft | Canada | 2 | 5 | |
| 8 | Ernesto Sastre | Colombia | 0 | 7 | |

##### Barrage

| Rank | Fencer | Nation | Wins | Losses | Notes |
| 5 | Marcus Leyrer | Austria | 1 | 0 | Q |
| 6 | Ivan Lund | Australia | 0 | 1 | |

#### Round 1 pool G

| Rank | Fencer | Nation | Wins | Losses | Notes |
| 1 | Tabuchi Kazuhiko | Japan | 5 | 2 | Q |
| 2 | Jack Guittet | France | 5 | 2 | Q |
| 3 | Michel Steininger | Switzerland | 4 | 3 | Q |
| 4 | Istvan Kausz | Hungary | 4 | 3 | Q |
| 5 | David Micahnik | United States | 4 | 3 | Q |
| 6 | Russ Hobby | Australia | 3 | 4 | |
| 7 | Sergio Jimenez | Chile | 2 | 5 | |
| 8 | Emilio Echeverri | Colombia | 1 | 6 | |

#### Round 1 pool H

| Rank | Fencer | Nation | Wins | Losses | Notes |
| 1 | Bill Hoskyns | Great Britain | 6 | 1 | Q |
| 2 | Zoltan Nemere | Hungary | 6 | 1 | Q |
| 3 | Paul Pesthy | United States | 4 | 3 | Q |
| 4 | Shin Doo Ho | South Korea | 4 | 3 | Q |
| 5 | Wieslaw Glos | Poland | 4 | 3 | Q |
| 6 | Araki Toshiaki | Japan | 3 | 4 | |
| 7 | Aquiles Gloffka | Chile | 1 | 6 | |
| 8 | Jesus Taboada | Argentina | 0 | 7 | |

### Round 2
#### Round 2 pool A

| Rank | Fencer | Nation | Wins | Losses | Notes |
| 1 | Gyozo Kulcsar | Hungary | 5 | 1 | Q |
| 2 | Hans Lagfrwall | Sweden | 4 | 2 | Q |
| 3 | Hassan Sayd | Lebanon | 3 | 3 | Q |
| 4 | Giuseppe Delfino | Italy | 3 | 3 | Q |
| 5 | Wieslaw Glos | Poland | 2 | 4 | |
| 6 | J. Bouchier-Hayes | Ireland | 1 | 5 | |
| 7 | Tabuchi Kazuhiko | Japan | 1 | 5 | |

#### Round 2 pool B

| Rank | Fencer | Nation | Wins | Losses | Notes |
| 1 | Grigory Kriss | Soviet Union | 4 | 2 | Q |
| 2 | Bill Hoskyns | Great Britain | 4 | 2 | Q |
| 3 | Alberto Pellegrino | Italy | 4 | 2 | Q |
| 4 | Goran Abrahamson | Sweden | 3 | 3 | B |
| 4 | David Micahnik | United States | 3 | 3 | B |
| 6 | Istvan Kausz | Hungary | 2 | 4 | |
| 7 | Yves Dreyfus | France | 1 | 5 | |

##### Barrage

| Rank | Fencer | Nation | Wins | Losses | Notes |
| 4 | Goran Abrahamson | Sweden | 1 | 0 | Q |
| 5 | David Micahnik | United States | 0 | 1 | |

#### Round 2 pool C

| Rank | Fencer | Nation | Wins | Losses | Notes |
| 1 | Gianluigi Saccaro | Italy | 4 | 2 | Q |
| 2 | Jack Guittet | France | 4 | 2 | Q |
| 3 | Michel Steininger | Switzerland | 4 | 2 | Q |
| 4 | Paul Gnaier | United Team of Germany | 3 | 3 | Q |
| 5 | Marcus Leyrer | Austria | 2 | 4 | |
| 6 | Peter Jacobs | Great Britain | 1 | 5 | |
| 7 | Shin Doo Ho | South Korea | 1 | 5 | |

#### Round 2 pool D

| Rank | Fencer | Nation | Wins | Losses | Notes |
| 1 | Bogdan Gonsior | Poland | 4 | 2 | Q |
| 2 | Rudolf Trost | Austria | 4 | 2 | Q |
| 3 | Zoltan Nemere | Hungary | 4 | 2 | Q |
| 4 | Dietrich Hecke | United Team of Germany | 3 | 3 | Q |
| 5 | Bruno Habārovs | Soviet Union | 2 | 4 | |
| 6 | Okawa Heizaburo | Japan | 2 | 4 | |
| 7 | Claudio Polledri | Switzerland | 2 | 4 | |

#### Round 2 pool E

| Rank | Fencer | Nation | Wins | Losses | Notes |
| 1 | Roland Losert | Austria | 5 | 0 | Q |
| 2 | Claude Bourquard | France | 3 | 2 | Q |
| 3 | Guram Kostava | Soviet Union | 3 | 2 | Q |
| 4 | Orvar Lindwall | Sweden | 2 | 3 | Q |
| 5 | Stefan Haukler | Romania | 0 | 5 | |
| 6 | Michel Saikali | Lebanon | 0 | 5 | |

#### Round 2 pool F

| Rank | Fencer | Nation | Wins | Losses | Notes |
| 1 | Henryk Nielaba | Poland | 4 | 1 | Q |
| 2 | Franz Rompza | United Team of Germany | 4 | 1 | Q |
| 3 | Walter Bar | Switzerland | 2 | 3 | B |
| 3 | John Humphreys | Australia | 2 | 3 | B |
| 3 | Allan Jay | Great Britain | 2 | 3 | B |
| 6 | Paul Pesthy | United States | 1 | 4 | |

##### Barrage

| Rank | Fencer | Nation | Wins | Losses | Notes |
| 3 | Walter Bar | Switzerland | 1 | 0 | Q |
| 4 | John Humphreys | Australia | 1 | 0 | Q |
| 5 | Allan Jay | Great Britain | 0 | 2 | |

### Knockout rounds

The winner of each group advanced to the final pool, while the runner-up moved into a 5th-place semifinal.

#### Group 1

| Round of 24 | Round of 24 | Round of 16 | Round of 16 | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals |
| | | Grigory Kriss (URS) | 10 |
| | | Goran Abrahamson (SWE) | 9 |
| Goran Abrahamson (SWE) | 10 | Goran Abrahamson (SWE) | 9 |
| Rudolf Trost (AUT) | 9 | | | | |
| Rudolf Trost (AUT) | 9 | | | Grigory Kriss (URS) | 10 |
| | | | | Bogdan Gonsior (POL) | 3 |
| | | Bogdan Gonsior (POL) | 10 | | |
| | | Dietrich Hecke (EUA) | 5 |
| Dietrich Hecke (EUA) | 10 | Dietrich Hecke (EUA) | 5 |
| Alberto Pellegrino (ITA) | 9 | | |

#### Group 2

| Round of 24 | Round of 24 | Round of 16 | Round of 16 | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals |
| | | Bill Hoskyns (GBR) | 10 |
| | | Zoltan Nemere (HUN) | 7 |
| Zoltan Nemere (HUN) | 10 | Zoltan Nemere (HUN) | 7 |
| Giuseppe Delfino (ITA) | 8 | | | | |
| Giuseppe Delfino (ITA) | 8 | | | Bill Hoskyns (GBR) | 10 |
| | | | | Franz Rompza (EUA) | 5 |
| | | Franz Rompza (EUA) | 10 | | |
| | | Jack Guittet (FRA) | 10 |
| Jack Guittet (FRA) | 10 | Jack Guittet (FRA) | 10 |
| Walter Bar (SUI) | 9 | | |

#### Group 3

| Round of 24 | Round of 24 | Round of 16 | Round of 16 | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals |
| Guram Kostava (URS) | 10 | | |
| Michel Steininger (SUI) | 5 | | |
| Michel Steininger (SUI) | 5 | Guram Kostava (URS) | 10 |
| | | Roland Losert (AUT) | 9 |
| | | | | Guram Kostava (URS) | 10 |
| | | | | Orvar Lindwall (SWE) | 3 |
| Orvar Lindwall (SWE) | 10 | | | Orvar Lindwall (SWE) | 3 |
| Hassan Sayd (LIB) | 3 | | | | |
| Hassan Sayd (LIB) | 3 | Orvar Lindwall (SWE) | 10 | | |
| | | Gyozo Kulcsar (HUN) | 6 |

#### Group 4

| Round of 24 | Round of 24 | Round of 16 | Round of 16 | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals |
| Gianluigi Saccaro (ITA) | 10 | | |
| Paul Gnaier (EUA) | 4 | | |
| Paul Gnaier (EUA) | 4 | Gianluigi Saccaro (ITA) | 10 |
| | | Hans Lagfrwall (SWE) | 4 |
| | | | | Gianluigi Saccaro (ITA) | 10 |
| | | | | Claude Bourquard (FRA) | 8 |
| | | Claude Bourquard (FRA) | 10 | | |
| | | Henryk Nielaba (POL) | 7 |
| Henryk Nielaba (POL) | 10 | Henryk Nielaba (POL) | 7 |
| John Humphreys (AUS) | 5 | | |

### Fifth place semifinal

| Fifth place semifinals | Fifth place semifinals | Fifth place match | Fifth place match |
| Bogdan Gonsior (POL) | 10 |
| Orvar Lindwall (SWE) | 7 | | |
| Orvar Lindwall (SWE) | 7 | Bogdan Gonsior (POL) | 10 |
| | | Claude Bourquard (FRA) | 3 |
| Franz Rompza (EUA) | 8 | Claude Bourquard (FRA) | 3 |
| Claude Bourquard (FRA) | 10 | | |

### Final

| Rank | Fencer | Nation | Wins | Losses | Notes |
| 1 | Bill Hoskyns | Great Britain | 2 | 1 | GB |
| 1 | Grigory Kriss | Soviet Union | 2 | 1 | GB |
| 3 | Guram Kostava | Soviet Union | 1 | 2 | BB |
| 3 | Gianluigi Saccaro | Italy | 1 | 2 | BB |

#### Gold medal barrage

| Rank | Fencer | Nation | Wins | Losses |
| | Grigory Kriss | Soviet Union | 1 | 0 |
| | Bill Hoskyns | Great Britain | 0 | 1 |

#### Bronze medal barrage

| Rank | Fencer | Nation | Wins | Losses |
| | Guram Kostava | Soviet Union | 1 | 0 |
| 4 | Gianluigi Saccaro | Italy | 0 | 1 |