# Fencing at the 2020 Summer Olympics – Men's sabre

The men's sabre event at the 2020 Summer Olympics took place on 24 July 2021 at the Makuhari Messe. Thirty-six fencers from 18 nations competed. Two-time defending champion Hungary's Áron Szilágyi completed the three-peat by winning the gold medal.

## Background

This was the 29th appearance of the event, which is the only fencing event to have been held at every Summer Olympics.
The two-time reigning Olympic champion was Áron Szilágyi of Hungary. The reigning World Champion was Oh Sang-uk of South Korea. A preview from Olympics.com identified Szilágyi and Oh as among the strongest contenders in the event, although Oh was eliminated by Sandro Bazadze and failed to medal.

## Qualification

A National Olympic Committee (NOC) could enter up to 3 qualified fencers in the men's sabre. Nations were limited to three fencers each from 1928 to 2004. 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 sabre was the third event this applied to, so each nation could enter a maximum of two fencers in the event in 2016. The 2020 Games eliminated this rotation and all weapons had team events.
There are 34 dedicated quota spots for men's sabre. The first 24 spots go to the 3 members of each of the 8 qualified teams in the team sabre event. Next, 6 more men are selected from the world rankings based on continents: 2 from Europe, 1 from the Americas, 2 from Asia/Oceania, and 1 from Africa. Finally, 4 spots are allocated by continental qualifying events: 1 from Europe, 1 from the Americas, 1 from Asia/Oceania, and 1 from Africa. Each nation can earn only one spot through rankings or events.
Additionally, there are 8 host/invitational spots that can be spread throughout the various fencing events. Japan used 2 host places to fill its men's sabre team (adding to the 1 place earned through general qualification).
The COVID-19 pandemic delayed many of the events for qualifying for fencing, moving the close of the rankings period back to April 5, 2021 rather than the original April 4, 2020.

## Competition format

The 1996 tournament had vastly simplified the competition format into a single-elimination bracket, with a bronze medal match. The 2020 tournament continued to use that format. Fencing is done to 15 touches or to the completion of three three-minute rounds if neither fencer reaches 15 touches by then. At the end of time, the higher-scoring fencer is the winner; a tie results in an additional one-minute sudden-death time period. This sudden-death period is further modified by the selection of a draw-winner beforehand; if neither fencer scores a touch during the minute, the predetermined draw-winner wins the bout. Standard sabre rules regarding target area, striking, and priority are used.

## Schedule

The competition was held over a single day, Saturday, 24 July. The first session was scheduled to run from 9 a.m. to approximately 4:20 p.m. (when the quarterfinals were expected to conclude), after which there was a break until 6 p.m. before the semifinals and medal bouts were held. Men's sabre bouts alternate with the women's épée event bouts.
All times are Japan Standard Time (UTC+9)
| Date | Time | Round |
| Saturday, 24 July 2021 | 9:00   18:00 | Round of 64 Round of 32 Round of 16 Quarterfinals Semifinals Finals |

## Results
### Finals

| Semifinals | Semifinals | Final | Final |
| Sandro Bazadze (GEO) | 13 |
| Áron Szilágyi (HUN) | 15 | | |
| Áron Szilágyi (HUN) | 15 | Áron Szilágyi (HUN) | 15 |
| | | Luigi Samele (ITA) | 7 |
| Luigi Samele (ITA) | 15 | Luigi Samele (ITA) | 7 |
| Kim Jung-hwan (KOR) | 12 | | |
| Kim Jung-hwan (KOR) | 12 | Bronze medal bout | Bronze medal bout |
| | | Sandro Bazadze (GEO) | 11 |
| | | Kim Jung-hwan (KOR) | 15 |

### Top half
#### Section 1

| Round of 64 | Round of 64 | Round of 32 | Round of 32 | Round of 16 | Round of 16 | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals |
| | | Oh Sang-uk (KOR) | 15 | | |
| | | Andrew Mackiewicz (USA) | 7 | | |
| Tomohiro Shimamura (JPN) | 13 | Andrew Mackiewicz (USA) | 7 | | |
| Andrew Mackiewicz (USA) | 15 | | | | |
| Andrew Mackiewicz (USA) | 15 | | | Oh Sang-uk (KOR) | 15 |
| | | | | Mohamed Amer (EGY) | 9 |
| | | Mohamed Amer (EGY) | 15 | | |
| | | Daryl Homer (USA) | 11 | | |
| | | | | | | Oh Sang-uk (KOR) | 13 |
| | | | | | | Sandro Bazadze (GEO) | 15 |
| | | Veniamin Reshetnikov (ROC) | 13 | | | | |
| | | Ziad El-Sissy (EGY) | 15 | | | | |
| | | | | Ziad El-Sissy (EGY) | 12 | | |
| | | | | Sandro Bazadze (GEO) | 15 |
| | | Mohab Samer (EGY) | 10 | | |
| | | Sandro Bazadze (GEO) | 15 | | |

#### Section 2

| Round of 64 | Round of 64 | Round of 32 | Round of 32 | Round of 16 | Round of 16 | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals |
| | | Max Hartung (GER) | 15 | | |
| | | Tamás Decsi (HUN) | 8 | | |
| | | | | Max Hartung (GER) | 9 |
| | | | | Ali Pakdaman (IRI) | 15 |
| | | Ali Pakdaman (IRI) | 15 | | |
| | | András Szatmári (HUN) | 12 | | |
| | | | | | | Ali Pakdaman (IRI) | 6 |
| | | | | | | Áron Szilágyi (HUN) | 15 |
| | | Mojtaba Abedini (IRI) | 15 | | | | |
| | | Shaul Gordon (CAN) | 10 | | | | |
| | | | | Mojtaba Abedini (IRI) | 7 | | |
| | | | | Áron Szilágyi (HUN) | 15 |
| Kento Yoshida (JPN) | 13 | | | Áron Szilágyi (HUN) | 15 |
| José Quintero (VEN) | 15 | | | | |
| José Quintero (VEN) | 15 | José Quintero (VEN) | 7 | | |
| | | Áron Szilágyi (HUN) | 15 | | |

### Bottom half
#### Section 3

| Round of 64 | Round of 64 | Round of 32 | Round of 32 | Round of 16 | Round of 16 | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals |
| | | Luca Curatoli (ITA) | 13 | | |
| | | Iulian Teodosiu (ROU) | 15 | | |
| Sherzod Mamutov (UZB) | 11 | Iulian Teodosiu (ROU) | 15 | | |
| Iulian Teodosiu (ROU) | 15 | | | | |
| Iulian Teodosiu (ROU) | 15 | | | Iulian Teodosiu (ROU) | 12 |
| | | | | Enrico Berrè (ITA) | 15 |
| | | Enrico Berrè (ITA) | 15 | | |
| | | Farès Ferjani (TUN) | 10 | | |
| | | | | | | Enrico Berrè (ITA) | 10 |
| | | | | | | Luigi Samele (ITA) | 15 |
| | | Luigi Samele (ITA) | 15 | | | | |
| | | Xu Yingming (CHN) | 12 | | | | |
| | | | | Luigi Samele (ITA) | 15 | | |
| | | | | Mohammad Rahbari (IRI) | 7 |
| | | Mohammad Rahbari (IRI) | 15 | | |
| | | Boladé Apithy (FRA) | 13 | | |

#### Section 4

| Round of 64 | Round of 64 | Round of 32 | Round of 32 | Round of 16 | Round of 16 | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals |
| | | Kamil Ibragimov (ROC) | 15 | | |
| | | Benedikt Wagner (GER) | 13 | | |
| | | | | Kamil Ibragimov (ROC) | 15 |
| | | | | Matyas Szabo (GER) | 13 |
| | | Matyas Szabo (GER) | 15 | | |
| | | Gu Bon-gil (KOR) | 8 | | |
| | | | | | | Kamil Ibragimov (ROC) | 14 |
| | | | | | | Kim Jung-hwan (KOR) | 15 |
| | | Kim Jung-hwan (KOR) | 15 | | | | |
| | | Konstantin Lokhanov (ROC) | 11 | | | | |
| | | | | Kim Jung-hwan (KOR) | 15 | | |
| | | | | Eli Dershwitz (USA) | 9 |
| Kaito Streets (JPN) | 15 | | | Eli Dershwitz (USA) | 9 |
| Akram Bounabi (ALG) | 9 | | | | |
| Akram Bounabi (ALG) | 9 | Kaito Streets (JPN) | 9 | | |
| | | Eli Dershwitz (USA) | 15 | | |