Fencing at the 1908 Summer Olympics – Men's sabre
The men's sabre was one of four fencing events on the Fencing at the 1908 Summer Olympics programme. The top two places were won by Hungarian fencers, who also took the gold medal in the team sabre event. Each nation could enter up to 12 fencers.
Competition format
The competition was held over four rounds. In each round, each pool held a round-robin, with bouts to 3 touches. Barrages were used as necessary to determine the advancing fencers.- First round: 13 pools of between 4 to 8 fencers each. The 3 fencers in each pool with the fewest bouts lost advanced to the second round.
- Second round: 8 pools of 5 fencers each. The 2 fencers in each pool with the fewest bouts lost advanced to the semifinals.
- Semifinals: 2 pools of 8 fencers each. The 4 fencers in each pool with the fewest touches bouts lost to the final.
- Final: 1 pool of 8 fencers.
Results
First round
The first round was conducted in round-robin format, to three touches. Pool sizes ranged from 4 to 8 fencers. The three contestants who had lost the fewest bouts advanced.Pool A
| Place | Fencer | Nation | Wins | Losses |
| 1 | Siegfried Flesch | 5 | 0 | |
| 2 | Jetze Doorman | 3 | 2 | |
| 2 | Vlastimil Lada-Sázavský | 3 | 2 | |
| 4 | Jean de Mas Latrie | 2 | 3 | |
| 5 | Henri Six | 1 | 4 | |
| 5 | Jaroslav Šourek-Tucek | 1 | 4 |
Pool B
| Place | Fencer | Nation | Wins | Losses |
| 1 | Otakar Lada | 3 | 1 | |
| 2 | Arthur Murray | 2 | 2 | |
| 2 | Péter Tóth | 2 | 2 | |
| 2 | Joseph van der Voodt | 2 | 2 | |
| 5 | Johannes Adam | 1 | 3 |
The three-way tie for the two remaining places resulted in the British fencer being eliminated.
| Place | Fencer | Nation | Wins | Losses |
| 2 | Péter Tóth | 1 | 0 | |
| 2 | Joseph van der Voodt | 1 | 0 | |
| 4 | Arthur Murray | 0 | 2 |
Pool C
| Place | Fencer | Nation | Wins | Losses |
| 1 | Alfred Labouchere | 4 | 1 | |
| 2 | Etienne Grade | 3 | 2 | |
| 2 | Fritz Jack | 3 | 2 | |
| 2 | Jean-Joseph Renaud | 3 | 2 | |
| 5 | Dino Diana | 2 | 3 | |
| 6 | Douglas Godfree | 0 | 5 |
Renaud lost both his playoff matches, eliminating him and allowing Grade and Jack to advance.
| Place | Fencer | Nation | Wins | Losses |
| 2 | Etienne Grade | 1 | 0 | |
| 2 | Fritz Jack | 1 | 0 | |
| 4 | Jean-Joseph Renaud | 0 | 2 |
Pool D
| Place | Fencer | Nation | Wins | Losses |
| 1 | William Marsh | 3 | 1 | |
| 2 | René Lateux | 2 | 2 | |
| 2 | Julius Lichtenfels | 2 | 2 | |
| 2 | Richard Schoemaker | 2 | 2 | |
| 5 | Harald Krenchel | 1 | 3 |
The playoff resulted in two losses for Lichtenfels.
| Place | Fencer | Nation | Wins | Losses |
| 2 | René Lateux | 1 | 0 | |
| 2 | Richard Schoemaker | 1 | 0 | |
| 4 | Julius Lichtenfels | 0 | 2 |
Pool E
The fifth pool was small, with only 4 fencers. This meant only one, Langevin, was eliminated.| Place | Fencer | Nation | Wins | Losses |
| 1 | Adrianus de Jong | 2 | 1 | |
| 1 | Alessandro Pirzio Biroli | 2 | 1 | |
| 1 | Einar Schwartz-Nielsen | 2 | 1 | |
| 4 | Georges Langevin | 0 | 3 |
Pool F
| Place | Fencer | Nation | Wins | Losses |
| 1 | Georges de la Falaise | 3 | 1 | |
| 1 | Jenő Szántay | 3 | 1 | |
| 3 | August Petri | 2 | 2 | |
| 3 | Antoine van Tomme | 2 | 2 | |
| 5 | Jacob van Löben Sels | 0 | 4 |
Petri defeated van Tomme in the playoff for third place after having lost to the Belgian in the main pool.
| Place | Fencer | Nation | Wins | Losses |
| 3 | August Petri | 1 | 0 | |
| 4 | Antoine van Tomme | 0 | 1 |
Pool G
| Place | Fencer | Nation | Wins | Losses |
| 1 | Dezső Földes | 5 | 0 | |
| 2 | Sante Ceccherini | 4 | 1 | |
| 3 | Robert Badman | 2 | 3 | |
| 3 | Lion van Minden | 2 | 3 | |
| 5 | Jakob Erkrath de Bary | 1 | 4 | |
| 5 | Ismaël de Lesseps | 1 | 4 |
Badman defeated van Minden again in the playoff for third place.
| Place | Fencer | Nation | Wins | Losses |
| 3 | Robert Badman | 1 | 0 | |
| 4 | Lion van Minden | 0 | 1 |
Pool H
| Place | Fencer | Nation | Wins | Losses |
| 1 | Marcello Bertinetti | 4 | 1 | |
| 1 | Bertrand Marie de Lesseps | 4 | 1 | |
| 3 | Béla Zulawszky | 3 | 2 | |
| 4 | Robert Krünert | 2 | 3 | |
| 4 | Charles Wilson | 2 | 3 | |
| 6 | Walter Gates | 0 | 5 |
Pool I
| Place | Fencer | Nation | Wins | Losses |
| 1 | Oszkár Gerde | 4 | 1 | |
| 1 | Lauritz Østrup | 4 | 1 | |
| 3 | Willem van Blijenburgh | 3 | 2 | |
| 4 | André du Bosch | 2 | 3 | |
| 4 | Alfred Keene | 2 | 3 | |
| 6 | Joseph, Marquis de Saint Brisson | 0 | 5 |
Pool J
The tenth pool was the largest, at fully twice the size of the fifth. Five of the eight fencers were eliminated. The Bohemian fencer, von Lobsdorf, defeated each of his seven opponents for a decisive first place in the pool. There was no match between Sarzano and Stohr.| Place | Fencer | Nation | Wins | Losses |
| 1 | Vilém Goppold von Lobsdorf | 7 | 0 | |
| 2 | Paul Anspach | 5 | 2 | |
| 2 | Jenő Apáthy | 5 | 2 | |
| 4 | Edward Brookfield | 3 | 4 | |
| 4 | Johan van Schreven | 3 | 4 | |
| 6 | Pietro Sarzano | 2 | 4 | |
| 6 | Georg Stöhr | 2 | 4 | |
| 8 | Jean Mikorski | 2 | 5 |
Pool K
| Place | Fencer | Nation | Wins | Losses |
| 1 | Jenő Fuchs | 5 | 0 | |
| 2 | Gustaaf van Hulstijn | 4 | 1 | |
| 3 | Vilém Tvrzský | 3 | 2 | |
| 4 | Arolodo Pinelli | 2 | 3 | |
| 5 | Ernst Moldenhauer | 1 | 4 | |
| 6 | Lockhart Leith | 0 | 5 |
Pool L
| Place | Fencer | Nation | Wins | Losses |
| 1 | George van Rossem | 4 | 1 | |
| 2 | C. Barry Notley | 3 | 2 | |
| 2 | Bedrich Schejbal | 3 | 2 | |
| 2 | Louis Chapuis | 3 | 2 | |
| 5 | Alexis Simonson | 2 | 3 | |
| 6 | Albert Naumann | 0 | 5 |
Chapuis was eliminated in the three-way playoff for second and third.
| Place | Fencer | Nation |
| 2 | C. Barry Notley | |
| 2 | Bedrich Schejbal | |
| 4 | Louis Chapuis |
Pool M
The final pool was one of the larger pools, with 7 fencers.| Place | Fencer | Nation | Wins | Losses |
| 1 | Lajos Werkner | 5 | 1 | |
| 2 | Riccardo Nowak | 4 | 2 | |
| 2 | Emil Schön | 4 | 2 | |
| 4 | Marc Perrodon | 3 | 3 | |
| 5 | Jan de Beaufort | 2 | 4 | |
| 5 | František Šourek-Tuček | 2 | 4 | |
| 7 | Alfred Chalke | 1 | 5 |
Second round
There were eight second round pools, ranging in size from 4 to 5.Pool 1
| Place | Fencer | Nation | Wins | Losses |
| 1 | Jenő Fuchs | 3 | 1 | |
| 2 | Etienne Grade | 2 | 2 | |
| 2 | C. Barry Notley | 2 | 2 | |
| 2 | Richard Schoemaker | 2 | 2 | |
| 5 | René Lateux | 1 | 3 |
Notley's pair of victories in the playoff gave him second in the pool, allowing him to advance.
| Place | Fencer | Nation | Wins | Losses |
| 2 | C. Barry Notley | 2 | 0 | |
| 3 | Etienne Grade | 0 | 1 | |
| 3 | Richard Schoemaker | 0 | 1 |
Pool 2
| Place | Fencer | Nation | Wins | Losses |
| 1 | Lajos Werkner | 4 | 0 | |
| 2 | Dezső Földes | 3 | 1 | |
| 3 | George van Rossem | 2 | 2 | |
| 4 | Robert Badman | 1 | 3 | |
| 5 | Fritz Jack | 1 | 3 |
Pool 3
| Place | Fencer | Nation | Wins | Losses |
| 1 | Vilém Goppold von Lobsdorf | 3 | 1 | |
| 1 | Joseph van der Voodt | 3 | 1 | |
| 3 | William Marsh | 2 | 2 | |
| 4 | Adrianus de Jong | 1 | 3 | |
| 4 | Riccardo Nowak | 1 | 3 |
Pool 4
Pool 5
| Place | Fencer | Nation | Wins | Losses |
| 1 | Oszkar Gerde | 4 | 0 | |
| 2 | Sante Ceccherini | 3 | 1 | |
| 3 | Otakar Lada | 2 | 2 | |
| 4 | Emil Schön | 1 | 3 | |
| 5 | Paul Anspach | 0 | 4 |
Pool 6
| Place | Fencer | Nation | Wins | Losses |
| 1 | Péter Tóth | 4 | 0 | |
| 2 | Jenő Szántay | 3 | 1 | |
| 3 | Willem van Blijenburgh | 1 | 3 | |
| 3 | Siegfried Flesch | 1 | 3 | |
| 3 | Alfred Labouchere | 1 | 3 |
Pool 7
| Place | Fencer | Nation | Wins | Losses |
| 1 | Marcello Bertinetti | 4 | 0 | |
| 2 | Jetze Doorman | 2 | 2 | |
| 2 | August Petri | 2 | 2 | |
| 4 | Vlastimil Lada-Sázavský | 1 | 3 | |
| 4 | Alessandro Pirzio Biroli | 1 | 3 |
Doorman, who had lost to Petri in the main pool, defeated the German in the playoff for second place.
| Place | Fencer | Nation | Wins | Losses |
| 2 | Jetze Doorman | 1 | 0 | |
| 3 | August Petri | 0 | 1 |
Pool 8
| Place | Fencer | Nation | Wins | Losses |
| 1 | Jenő Apáthy | 2 | 1 | |
| 1 | Georges de la Falaise | 2 | 1 | |
| 1 | Lauritz Østrup | 2 | 1 | |
| 4 | Einar Schwartz-Nielsen | 0 | 3 |
| Place | Fencer | Nation | Wins | Losses |
| 1 | Georges de la Falaise | 2 | 0 | |
| 2 | Lauritz Østrup | 1 | 1 | |
| 3 | Jenő Apáthy | 0 | 2 |
Semifinals
There were two semifinals, each of 8 fencers. The top 4 in each advanced to the final.Semifinal 1
| Place | Fencer | Nation | Wins | Losses |
| 1 | Jenő Fuchs | 6 | 1 | |
| 2 | Lajos Werkner | 5 | 2 | |
| 3 | Georges de la Falaise | 4 | 3 | |
| 3 | Jenő Szántay | 4 | 3 | |
| 5 | Marcello Bertinetti | 3 | 4 | |
| 5 | Dezső Földes | 3 | 4 | |
| 7 | C. Barry Notley | 2 | 5 | |
| 8 | Bertrand Marie de Lesseps | 1 | 6 |
Semifinal 2
Four fencers tied at 5-2 records, all advancing to the finals. Ceccherini gave up after his first four bouts, giving Tóth, van der Voodt, and Doorman wins by walkover.| Place | Fencer | Nation | Wins | Losses |
| 1 | Jetze Doorman | 5 | 2 | |
| 1 | Vilém Goppold von Lobsdorf | 5 | 2 | |
| 1 | Péter Tóth | 5 | 2 | |
| 1 | Béla Zulawszky | 5 | 2 | |
| 5 | Oszkár Gerde | 4 | 3 | |
| 6 | Lauritz Østrup | 3 | 4 | |
| 7 | Joseph van der Voodt | 1 | 6 | |
| 8 | Sante Ceccherini | 0 | 7 |
Final
Fuchs and de Lobsdorf did not finish within the time limit, resulting in a loss for both of them.| Place | Fencer | Nation | Wins | Losses |
| 1 | Jenő Fuchs | 6 | 1 | |
| 1 | Béla Zulawszky | 6 | 1 | |
| 3 | Vilém Goppold von Lobsdorf | 4 | 3 | |
| 4 | Jenő Szántay | 3 | 4 | |
| 5 | Péter Tóth | 3 | 4 | |
| 6 | Lajos Werkner | 2 | 5 | |
| 7 | Jetze Doorman | 1 | 6 | |
| 7 | Georges de la Falaise | 1 | 6 |
The playoff match for the gold medal was won by Fuchs, with the one-touch bout decided by a parry and riposte to his fellow Hungarian's head.
| Place | Fencer | Nation | Wins | Losses |
| 1 | Jenő Fuchs | 1 | 0 | |
| 2 | Béla Zulawszky | 0 | 1 |