# Fencing at the 2012 Summer Olympics – Men's foil

The men's foil competition in fencing at the 2012 Olympic Games in London was held on 31 July at the ExCeL London Exhibition Centre. There were 38 competitors from 20 nations. Lei Sheng of China won the gold medal, beating Alaaeldin Abouelkassem from Egypt in the final. It was the first medal in the individual men's foil for each of those nations. Choi Byung-chul of South Korea took bronze. The 2012 podium was the first time since 1904 that no European fencer won a medal in the event.

## Background

This was the 26th appearance of the event, which has been held at every Summer Olympics except 1908 (when there was a foil display only rather than a medal event). Seven of the eight quarterfinalists from 2008 returned: gold medalist Benjamin Kleibrink of Germany, silver medalist Yuki Ota of Japan, fourth-place finisher Zhu Jun of China, fifth-place finisher Peter Joppich of Germany, sixth-place finisher Andrea Cassarà of Italy, seventh-place finisher Erwann Le Péchoux of France, and eighth-place finisher Lei Sheng of China. The Italian team was highly regarded: Cassarà was the reigning world champion, Valerio Aspromonte had been the runner-up to him in 2011, and Andrea Baldini had won the world title in 2009. Germany also sent a strong team, led by defending champion Kleibrink and four-time (2003, 2006, 2007, and 2010) world champion Peter Joppich. Other contenders included Asian champion and three-time world medalist Lei and European champion Aleksey Cheremisinov of Russia.
Croatia made its debut in the men's foil. France and the United States each made their 24th appearance, tied for most of any nation; France had missed only the 1904 (with fencers not traveling to St. Louis) and the 1912 (boycotted due to a dispute over rules) foil competitions, while the United States had missed the inaugural 1896 competition and boycotted the 1980 Games altogether.

## Qualification

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 foil was the first event this applied to, so each nation could enter a maximum of two fencers in the event in 2008. The team foil was back in 2012 (épée the missing weapon for men), so the limit was three for 2012.
There were 36 dedicated quota spots for men's foil. The first 24 spots went to the 3 members of each of the 8 qualified teams in the team foil event. Next, 7 more men were selected from the world rankings based on continents: 2 from Europe, 2 from the Americas, 2 from Asia/Oceania, and 1 from Africa. Finally, 5 spots were allocated by continental qualifying events: 2 from Europe, 1 from the Americas, 1 from Asia/Oceania, and 1 from Africa.
Additionally, there were 8 host/invitational spots that could be spread throughout the various fencing events. Great Britain had already qualified one fencer in the men's foil (Richard Kruse, through individual rankings) and chose to use 2 of its 8 host places to bring its men's foil team up to 3. This made the total number of fencers in the event 38.

## Competition format

The foil competition 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 British Summer Time (UTC+1)
| Date | Time | Round |
| Tuesday, 31 July 2012 | 9:00 | 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 | Quarter-finals | Quarter-finals | Quarter-finals |
| | | | Valerio Aspromonte (ITA) | Valerio Aspromonte (ITA) | 15 | | | | | | |
| Nicholas Edward Choi (HKG) | Nicholas Edward Choi (HKG) | 8 | Radu Dărăban (ROU) | Radu Dărăban (ROU) | 11 | | | | | | |
| Radu Dărăban (ROU) | Radu Dărăban (ROU) | 15 | | | | Valerio Aspromonte (ITA) | Valerio Aspromonte (ITA) | 15 | | | |
| | | | | | | Sebastian Bachmann (GER) | Sebastian Bachmann (GER) | 11 | | | |
| | | | Renal Ganeyev (RUS) | Renal Ganeyev (RUS) | 9 | | | | | | |
| | | | Sebastian Bachmann (GER) | Sebastian Bachmann (GER) | 15 | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | Valerio Aspromonte (ITA) | Valerio Aspromonte (ITA) | 8 |
| | | | | | | | | | Lei Sheng (CHN) | Lei Sheng (CHN) | 15 |
| | | | Victor Sintès (FRA) | Victor Sintès (FRA) | 15 | | | | | | |
| | | | Kenta Chida (JPN) | Kenta Chida (JPN) | 11 | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | Victor Sintès (FRA) | Victor Sintès (FRA) | 6 | | | |
| | | | | | | Lei Sheng (CHN) | Lei Sheng (CHN) | 15 | | | |
| | | | Roland Schlosser (AUT) | Roland Schlosser (AUT) | 9 | | | | | | |
| | | | Lei Sheng (CHN) | Lei Sheng (CHN) | 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 | Quarter-finals | Quarter-finals | Quarter-finals |
| | | | Aleksey Cheremisinov (RUS) | Aleksey Cheremisinov (RUS) | 15 | | | | | | |
| Anas Mostafa (EGY) | Anas Mostafa (EGY) | 5 | Tarek Ayad (EGY) | Tarek Ayad (EGY) | 8 | | | | | | |
| Tarek Ayad (EGY) | Tarek Ayad (EGY) | 15 | | | | Aleksey Cheremisinov (RUS) | Aleksey Cheremisinov (RUS) | 15 | | | |
| | | | | | | Alexander Massialas (USA) | Alexander Massialas (USA) | 6 | | | |
| | | | Étienne Lalonde‐Turbide (CAN) | Étienne Lalonde‐Turbide (CAN) | 6 | | | | | | |
| | | | Alexander Massialas (USA) | Alexander Massialas (USA) | 15 | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | Aleksey Cheremisinov (RUS) | Aleksey Cheremisinov (RUS) | 5 |
| | | | | | | | | | Andrea Baldini (ITA) | Andrea Baldini (ITA) | 15 |
| | | | Andrea Baldini (ITA) | Andrea Baldini (ITA) | 15 | | | | | | |
| | | | Ryo Miyake (JPN) | Ryo Miyake (JPN) | 6 | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | Andrea Baldini (ITA) | Andrea Baldini (ITA) | 15 | | | |
| Lahoussine Ali (MAR) | Lahoussine Ali (MAR) | 6 | | | | Race Imboden (USA) | Race Imboden (USA) | 9 | | | |
| Guilherme Toldo (BRA) | Guilherme Toldo (BRA) | 15 | Guilherme Toldo (BRA) | Guilherme Toldo (BRA) | 5 | | | | | | |
| | | | Race Imboden (USA) | Race Imboden (USA) | 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 | Quarter-finals | Quarter-finals | Quarter-finals |
| | | | Ma Jianfei (CHN) | Ma Jianfei (CHN) | 15 | | | | | | |
| Bojan Jovanović (CRO) | Bojan Jovanović (CRO) | 14 | Daniel Gómez (MEX) | Daniel Gómez (MEX) | 9 | | | | | | |
| Daniel Gómez (MEX) | Daniel Gómez (MEX) | 15 | | | | Ma Jianfei (CHN) | Ma Jianfei (CHN) | 15 | | | |
| | | | | | | Artur Akhmatkhuzin (RUS) | Artur Akhmatkhuzin (RUS) | 11 | | | |
| | | | Artur Akhmatkhuzin (RUS) | Artur Akhmatkhuzin (RUS) | 15 | | | | | | |
| | | | Richard Kruse (GBR) | Richard Kruse (GBR) | 5 | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | Ma Jianfei (CHN) | Ma Jianfei (CHN) | 13 |
| | | | | | | | | | Choi Byung-chul (KOR) | Choi Byung-chul (KOR) | 15 |
| | | | Erwann Le Péchoux (FRA) | Erwann Le Péchoux (FRA) | 15 | | | | | | |
| | | | Enzo Lefort (FRA) | Enzo Lefort (FRA) | 9 | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | Erwann Le Péchoux (FRA) | Erwann Le Péchoux (FRA) | 13 | | | |
| Zhu Jun (CHN) | Zhu Jun (CHN) | 15 | | | | Choi Byung-chul (KOR) | Choi Byung-chul (KOR) | 15 | | | |
| Zain Shaito (LIB) | Zain Shaito (LIB) | 2 | Zhu Jun (CHN) | Zhu Jun (CHN) | 13 | | | | | | |
| | | | Choi Byung-chul (KOR) | Choi Byung-chul (KOR) | 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 | Quarter-finals | Quarter-finals | Quarter-finals |
| | | | Alaaeldin Abouelkassem (EGY) | Alaaeldin Abouelkassem (EGY) | 15 | | | | | | |
| | | | Miles Chamley-Watson (USA) | Miles Chamley-Watson (USA) | 10 | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | Alaaeldin Abouelkassem (EGY) | Alaaeldin Abouelkassem (EGY) | 15 | | | |
| | | | | | | Peter Joppich (GER) | Peter Joppich (GER) | 10 | | | |
| | | | James-Andrew Davis (GBR) | James-Andrew Davis (GBR) | 10 | | | | | | |
| | | | Peter Joppich (GER) | Peter Joppich (GER) | 15 | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | Alaaeldin Abouelkassem (EGY) | Alaaeldin Abouelkassem (EGY) | 15 |
| | | | | | | | | | Andrea Cassarà (ITA) | Andrea Cassarà (ITA) | 10 |
| | | | Yuki Ota (JPN) | Yuki Ota (JPN) | 15 | | | | | | |
| | | | Benjamin Kleibrink (GER) | Benjamin Kleibrink (GER) | 5 | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | Yuki Ota (JPN) | Yuki Ota (JPN) | 14 | | | |
| Husayn Rosowsky (GBR) | Husayn Rosowsky (GBR) | 8 | | | | Andrea Cassarà (ITA) | Andrea Cassarà (ITA) | 15 | | | |
| Mohamed Samandi (TUN) | Mohamed Samandi (TUN) | 15 | Mohamed Samandi (TUN) | Mohamed Samandi (TUN) | 7 | | | | | | |
| | | | Andrea Cassarà (ITA) | Andrea Cassarà (ITA) | 15 | | | | | | |

### Finals

| Semi-finals | Semi-finals | Final | Final |
| Lei Sheng (CHN) | 15 |
| Andrea Baldini (ITA) | 11 | | |
| Andrea Baldini (ITA) | 11 | Lei Sheng (CHN) | 15 |
| | | Alaaeldin Abouelkassem (EGY) | 13 |
| Choi Byung-chul (KOR) | 12 | Alaaeldin Abouelkassem (EGY) | 13 |
| Alaaeldin Abouelkassem (EGY) | 15 | | |
| Alaaeldin Abouelkassem (EGY) | 15 | Bronze medal match | Bronze medal match |
| | | Andrea Baldini (ITA) | 14 |
| | | Choi Byung-chul (KOR) | 15 |

## Final classification

| Rank | Fencer | Nation |
| | Lei Sheng | China |
| | Alaaeldin Abouelkassem | Egypt |
| | Choi Byung-chul | South Korea |
| 4 | Andrea Baldini | Italy |
| 5 | Andrea Cassarà | Italy |
| 6 | Valerio Aspromonte | Italy |
| 7 | Ma Jianfei | China |
| 8 | Aleksey Cheremisinov | Russia |
| 9 | Race Imboden | United States |
| 10 | Victor Sintès | France |
| 11 | Peter Joppich | Germany |
| 12 | Erwann Le Péchoux | France |
| 13 | Alexander Massialas | United States |
| 14 | Yuki Ota | Japan |
| 15 | Sebastian Bachmann | Germany |
| 16 | Artur Akhmatkhuzin | Russia |
| 17 | Richard Kruse | Great Britain |
| 18 | Benjamin Kleibrink | Germany |
| 19 | Renal Ganeyev | Russia |
| 20 | Ryo Miyake | Japan |
| 21 | Étienne Lalonde-Turbide | Canada |
| 22 | Enzo Lefort | France |
| 23 | James-Andrew Davis | Great Britain |
| 24 | Kenta Chida | Japan |
| 25 | Miles Chamley-Watson | United States |
| 26 | Roland Schlosser | Austria |
| 27 | Zhu Jun | China |
| 28 | Tarek Fouad | Egypt |
| 29 | Daniel Gómez | Mexico |
| 30 | Radu Dărăban | Romania |
| 31 | Mohamed Samandi | Tunisia |
| 32 | Guilherme Toldo | Brazil |
| 33 | Lahoussine Ali | Morocco |
| 34 | Husayn Rosowsky | Great Britain |
| 35 | Nicholas Choi | Hong Kong |
| 36 | Bojan Jovanović | Croatia |
| 37 | Zain Shaito | Lebanon |
| 38 | Anas Mostafa | Egypt |