Fencing at the 2012 Summer Olympics
Ten fencing events held at London 2012 Olympics.
The fencing events at the 2012 London Olympics took place from 28 July to 5 August at the ExCeL Exhibition Centre. A total of ten events were held, split into six individual and four team competitions. The International Fencing Federation had requested the addition of two more team events, but the International Olympic Committee decided to keep the number at ten.
A controversy arose during the women's individual épée semi-final. A time-keeping error by a volunteer allowed Germany's Britta Heidemann to defeat South Korea's Shin A-lam. With two hundredths of a second left on the clock, the timer could only be reset to a whole second after the mistake. This extra time enabled Heidemann to land a winning attack and advance to the final.
Qualification for the Games was mainly determined by the individual official rankings as of 2 April 2012, with additional spots available through four zonal qualifying tournaments.
In the medal table, France—which typically relies on fencing as its top medal-producing sport—failed to win any medal for the first time since 1960.
Quick Facts
- Event
- Fencing
- Games
- 2012 Summer
- Venue
- ExCeL Exhibition Centre
- Dates
- 28 July – 5 August 2012
- Competitors
- 204
- Nations
- 44
- Prev
- 2008
- Next
- 2016
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
The fencing competitions at the 2012 Summer Olympics took place at the ExCeL Exhibition Centre in London. Ten events were contested, including six individual and four team events. The International Fencing Federation had pushed for the inclusion of two more team events, but the International Olympic Committee voted to keep the format at ten events. Qualification was primarily based on the individual official rankings as at 2 April 2012, with further individual places available at four zonal qualifying tournaments.
Reader's Guide
The 2012 Olympic fencing tournament is remembered for a notable controversy in the women's individual épée semi-final. A time-keeping error by a games volunteer helped German Britta Heidemann beat South Korea's Shin A-lam. Despite there being two hundredths of a second remaining in the match, the timer could only be reset to a whole second after the mistake. The extra time was enough for the German to score a winning attack and proceed to the final. Additionally, despite fencing being its top medal-producing sport, France did not win any medal for the first time since 1960. The event marked a significant moment in Olympic fencing history due to the timing dispute and France's medal drought.
Did You Know?
- The women's individual épée semi-final had a time-keeping error by a games volunteer.
- France did not win any fencing medal for the first time since 1960.
- The International Fencing Federation pushed for two more team events, but the IOC kept the format at ten.
More in Fencing at the Summer Olympics 1-24
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