The fencers
Subtitle: defection at the Olympics :  a true cold war escape story
By: by Geza Tatrallyay
Publisher: Deux Voiliers Publishing
Published: 2019
Place of publication: Quebec, Canada
Language: eng
Number of pages: 157
ISBN-13: 9781928049531
Subjects: Fencers; Olympic athletes; Olympic Games (21st : 1976 : Montréal, Québec)
Other titles: Fencers :
Description: The Fencers is the third volume in a trilogy of autobiographical Cold War Escape stories. It is both an immigrant's narrative of seeking a better life and a brighter future and a sports memoir focusing on two Olympic fencers, one representing Canada, the other Romania. Most of all, it is the account of the author’s friendship with Paul Szabó, a Romanian-Hungarian epée fencer. In Romania, the country Paul represented in the 1976 Olympics, Nicolae Ceaușescu was then President. Rampant corruption, mass surveillance, brutality and human rights abuses were rampant. Paul Szabó, only twenty-one at the time makes a difficult decision to stay in Canada, with the prospect of never seeing his parents and homeland again. He approaches his friend, Tatrallyay, who against all odds helps him defect to Canada and start a new life in his chosen country. The Fencers is an exciting true story of courage, friendship, love, happiness, success and tragedy.