# Fencing at the 1996 Summer Olympics – Men's sabre

The men's sabre was one of ten fencing events on the fencing at the 1996 Summer Olympics programme. It was the twenty-third appearance of the event. The competition was held on July 21, 1996. 43 fencers from 20 nations competed. Nations had been limited to three fencers each since 1928. The event was won by Stanislav Pozdnyakov, prevailing over silver medalist Sergey Sharikov in an all-Russia final. The medals were the first for Russia as an independent nation, separate from the Soviet Union, in the men's sabre. Damien Touya of France won the bronze medal bout, extending France's podium streak to four Games.

## Background

This was the 23rd appearance of the event, which is the only fencing event to have been held at every Summer Olympics. Two of the quarterfinalists from 1992 returned: gold medalist Bence Szabó of Hungary and fifth-place finisher Antonio García of Spain. Grigory Kiriyenko of Russia had won two world championships (1989 and 1991) before the 1992 Games but suffered an early exit; he had won two more world championships (1993 and 1995) since then and hoped for better success in Atlanta. His teammates, Stanislav Pozdnyakov and Sergey Sharikov, also came into the tournament among the top five seeds. Germany's Felix Becker was also a world champion (1994).
Algeria, Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Ukraine each made their debut in the men's sabre; Russia competed separately from the other Soviet republics for the first time since 1912. Italy made its 21st appearance in the event, most of any nation, having missed the inaugural 1896 event and the 1904 Games.

## Competition format

The 1996 tournament vastly simplified the competition format after a horrendously complex system used in the previous Games in Barcelona. Pool play was eliminated. Double elimination was eliminated. The tournament became a simple single-elimination bracket, with a bronze medal match. Bouts were to 15 touches. Standard sabre rules regarding target area, striking, and priority were used.

## Schedule

All times are Eastern Daylight Time (UTC-4)
| Date | Time | Round |
| Sunday, 21 July 1996 | | Round of 64 Round of 32 Round of 16 Quarterfinals Semifinals Bronze medal match Final |

## 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 |
| | | | Grigory Kiriyenko (RUS) | Grigory Kiriyenko (RUS) | 15 | | | | | | |
| Jean-Marie Banos (CAN) | Jean-Marie Banos (CAN) | 15 | Jean-Marie Banos (CAN) | Jean-Marie Banos (CAN) | 8 | | | | | | |
| Tom Strzalkowski (USA) | Tom Strzalkowski (USA) | 11 | | | | Grigory Kiriyenko (RUS) | Grigory Kiriyenko (RUS) | 13 | | | |
| | | | | | | Rafal Sznajder (POL) | Rafal Sznajder (POL) | 15 | | | |
| | | | Florin Lupeică (ROU) | Florin Lupeică (ROU) | 11 | | | | | | |
| | | | Rafal Sznajder (POL) | Rafal Sznajder (POL) | 15 | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | Rafal Sznajder (POL) | Rafal Sznajder (POL) | 12 |
| | | | | | | | | | Damien Touya (FRA) | Damien Touya (FRA) | 15 |
| | | | Damien Touya (FRA) | Damien Touya (FRA) | 15 | | | | | | |
| Volodymyr Kaliuzhniy (UKR) | Volodymyr Kaliuzhniy (UKR) | 15 | Volodymyr Kaliuzhniy (UKR) | Volodymyr Kaliuzhniy (UKR) | 11 | | | | | | |
| Elxan Məmmədov (AZE) | Elxan Məmmədov (AZE) | 5 | | | | Damien Touya (FRA) | Damien Touya (FRA) | 15 | | | |
| Antonio García (ESP) | Antonio García (ESP) | 15 | | | | Jean-Philippe Daurelle (FRA) | Jean-Philippe Daurelle (FRA) | 7 | | | |
| Carlos Bravo (VEN) | Carlos Bravo (VEN) | 11 | Antonio García (ESP) | Antonio García (ESP) | 9 | | | | | | |
| | | | Jean-Philippe Daurelle (FRA) | Jean-Philippe Daurelle (FRA) | 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 |
| | | | Sergey Sharikov (RUS) | Sergey Sharikov (RUS) | 15 | | | | | | |
| James Williams (GBR) | James Williams (GBR) | 15 | James Williams (GBR) | James Williams (GBR) | 11 | | | | | | |
| Peter Westbrook (USA) | Peter Westbrook (USA) | 8 | | | | Sergey Sharikov (RUS) | Sergey Sharikov (RUS) | 15 | | | |
| | | | | | | Vilmos Szabo (ROU) | Vilmos Szabo (ROU) | 8 | | | |
| | | | Vilmos Szabo (ROU) | Vilmos Szabo (ROU) | 15 | | | | | | |
| | | | Bence Szabó (HUN) | Bence Szabó (HUN) | 8 | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | Sergey Sharikov (RUS) | Sergey Sharikov (RUS) | 15 |
| | | | | | | | | | Steffen Wiesinger (GER) | Steffen Wiesinger (GER) | 6 |
| | | | Csaba Köves (HUN) | Csaba Köves (HUN) | 10 | | | | | | |
| | | | Steffen Wiesinger (GER) | Steffen Wiesinger (GER) | 15 | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | Steffen Wiesinger (GER) | Steffen Wiesinger (GER) | 15 | | | |
| Jean-Paul Banos (CAN) | Jean-Paul Banos (CAN) | 15 | | | | Tohni Terenzi (ITA) | Tohni Terenzi (ITA) | 8 | | | |
| Archil Lortkipanidze (GEO) | Archil Lortkipanidze (GEO) | 13 | Jean-Paul Banos (CAN) | Jean-Paul Banos (CAN) | 7 | | | | | | |
| | | | Tohni Terenzi (ITA) | Tohni Terenzi (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 |
| | | | József Navarrete (HUN) | József Navarrete (HUN) | 15 | | | | | | |
| Tony Plourde (CAN) | Tony Plourde (CAN) | 15 | Tony Plourde (CAN) | Tony Plourde (CAN) | 9 | | | | | | |
| Yan Xiandong (CHN) | Yan Xiandong (CHN) | 9 | | | | József Navarrete (HUN) | József Navarrete (HUN) | 15 | | | |
| | | | | | | Norbert Jaskot (POL) | Norbert Jaskot (POL) | 8 | | | |
| | | | Frank Bleckmann (GER) | Frank Bleckmann (GER) | 10 | | | | | | |
| | | | Norbert Jaskot (POL) | Norbert Jaskot (POL) | 15 | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | József Navarrete (HUN) | József Navarrete (HUN) | 15 |
| | | | | | | | | | Felix Becker (GER) | Felix Becker (GER) | 7 |
| | | | Franck Ducheix (FRA) | Franck Ducheix (FRA) | 15 | | | | | | |
| Janusz Olech (POL) | Janusz Olech (POL) | 15 | Janusz Olech (POL) | Janusz Olech (POL) | 11 | | | | | | |
| Bruno Cornet (PAR) | Bruno Cornet (PAR) | 2 | | | | Franck Ducheix (FRA) | Franck Ducheix (FRA) | 8 | | | |
| Peter Cox, Jr. (USA) | Peter Cox, Jr. (USA) | 15 | | | | Felix Becker (GER) | Felix Becker (GER) | 15 | | | |
| Lee Hyo-Geun (KOR) | Lee Hyo-Geun (KOR) | 9 | Peter Cox, Jr. (USA) | Peter Cox, Jr. (USA) | 12 | | | | | | |
| | | | Felix Becker (GER) | Felix Becker (GER) | 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 |
| | | | Luigi Tarantino (ITA) | Luigi Tarantino (ITA) | w/o | | | | | | |
| Mihai Covaliu (ROU) | Mihai Covaliu (ROU) | 15 | Mihai Covaliu (ROU) | Mihai Covaliu (ROU) | | | | | | | |
| Raouf Salim Bernaoui (ALG) | Raouf Salim Bernaoui (ALG) | 7 | | | | Luigi Tarantino (ITA) | Luigi Tarantino (ITA) | 9 | | | |
| Raúl Peinador (ESP) | Raúl Peinador (ESP) | 15 | | | | Vadym Huttsait (UKR) | Vadym Huttsait (UKR) | 15 | | | |
| Miguel Robles (BOL) | Miguel Robles (BOL) | 7 | Raúl Peinador (ESP) | Raúl Peinador (ESP) | 13 | | | | | | |
| | | | Vadym Huttsait (UKR) | Vadym Huttsait (UKR) | 15 | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | Vadym Huttsait (UKR) | Vadym Huttsait (UKR) | 14 |
| | | | | | | | | | Stanislav Pozdnyakov (RUS) | Stanislav Pozdnyakov (RUS) | 15 |
| | | | Raffaelo Caserta (ITA) | Raffaelo Caserta (ITA) | 9 | | | | | | |
| | | | Fernando Medina (ESP) | Fernando Medina (ESP) | 15 | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | Fernando Medina (ESP) | Fernando Medina (ESP) | 11 | | | |
| Yu Sang-Ju (KOR) | Yu Sang-Ju (KOR) | 15 | | | | Stanislav Pozdnyakov (RUS) | Stanislav Pozdnyakov (RUS) | 15 | | | |
| Seo Seong-Jun (KOR) | Seo Seong-Jun (KOR) | 11 | Yu Sang-Ju (KOR) | Yu Sang-Ju (KOR) | 6 | | | | | | |
| | | | Stanislav Pozdnyakov (RUS) | Stanislav Pozdnyakov (RUS) | 15 | | | | | | |

### Finals

| Semifinals | Semifinals | Final | Final |
| Damien Touya (FRA) | 14 |
| Sergey Sharikov (RUS) | 15 | | |
| Sergey Sharikov (RUS) | 15 | Sergey Sharikov (RUS) | 12 |
| | | Stanislav Pozdnyakov (RUS) | 15 |
| József Navarrete (HUN) | 7 | Stanislav Pozdnyakov (RUS) | 15 |
| Stanislav Pozdnyakov (RUS) | 15 | | |
| Stanislav Pozdnyakov (RUS) | 15 | Bronze medal match | Bronze medal match |
| | | Damien Touya (FRA) | 15 |
| | | József Navarrete (HUN) | 7 |

## Final classification

| Rank | Fencer | Nation |
| | Stanislav Pozdnyakov | Russia |
| | Sergey Sharikov | Russia |
| | Damien Touya | France |
| 4 | József Navarrete | Hungary |
| 5 | Felix Becker | Germany |
| 6 | Vadym Huttsait | Ukraine |
| 7 | Rafał Sznajder | Poland |
| 8 | Steffen Wiesinger | Germany |
| 9 | Grigory Kiriyenko | Russia |
| 10 | Tonhi Terenzi | Italy |
| 11 | Luigi Tarantino | Italy |
| 12 | Jean-Philippe Daurelle | France |
| 13 | Franck Ducheix | France |
| 14 | Norbert Jaskot | Poland |
| 15 | Fernando Medina | Spain |
| 16 | Vilmoș Szabo | Romania |
| 17 | Bence Szabó | Hungary |
| 18 | Csaba Köves | Hungary |
| 19 | Raffaelo Caserta | Italy |
| 20 | Florin Lupeică | Romania |
| 21 | Frank Bleckmann | Germany |
| 22 | Janusz Olech | Poland |
| 23 | Raúl Peinador | Spain |
| 24 | Volodymyr Kaliuzhniy | Ukraine |
| 25 | Mihai Covaliu | Romania |
| 26 | Antonio García | Spain |
| 27 | James Williams | Great Britain |
| 28 | Peter Cox, Jr. | United States |
| 29 | Jean-Paul Banos | Canada |
| 30 | Tony Plourde | Canada |
| 31 | Jean-Marie Banos | Canada |
| 32 | Yu Sang-Ju | South Korea |
| 33 | Seo Seong-Jun | South Korea |
| 34 | Tom Strzalkowski | United States |
| 35 | Yan Xiandong | China |
| 36 | Archil Lortkipanidze | Georgia |
| 37 | Peter Westbrook | United States |
| 38 | Lee Hyo-Geun | South Korea |
| 39 | Carlos Bravo | Venezuela |
| 40 | Elxan Məmmədov | Azerbaijan |
| 41 | Bruno Cornet | Paraguay |
| 42 | Miguel Robles | Bolivia |
| 43 | Raouf Salim Bernaoui | Algeria |