Fencing at the 2016 Summer Olympics – Men's foil
# Fencing at the 2016 Summer Olympics – Men's foil

The men's foil competition in fencing at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro was held on 7 August at the Carioca Arena 3. The medals were presented by Paul Tergat, IOC member, Kenya and Donald Anthony Jr., Executive Board Member of FIE. There were 35 competitors from 19 nations. The event was won by Daniele Garozzo of Italy, the nation's ninth victory in the men's foil (matching France for most all-time) and first since 1996. The silver medalist was American Alexander Massialas, earning the United States' first medal in the event since 1960. Timur Safin of Russia took bronze.

## Background

This was the 27th 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). Five of the eight quarterfinalists from 2012 returned: gold medalist Lei Sheng of China, silver medalist Alaaeldin Abouelkassem of Egypt, fifth-place finisher Andrea Cassarà of Italy, seventh-place finisher Ma Jianfei of China, and eighth-place finisher Aleksey Cheremisinov of Russia. 2008 silver medalist, 2012 top-16 finisher, and reigning world champion Yuki Ota of Japan also returned. Cheremisinov had been world champion in 2014, while American Miles Chamley-Watson had taken the title in 2013. The top-ranked fencer going into the Games was another American, Alexander Massialas.

The Czech Republic made its debut in the men's foil. France and the United States each made their 25th 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 2016 (sabre the missing weapon for men), so the limit was three for 2016.

There were 35 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, 4 spots were allocated by continental qualifying events: 1 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. Brazil had already qualified a men's foil team (with the corresponding three places in individual foil), so used no spots in the individual men's foil.

## Competition format

The 1996 tournament had vastly simplified the competition format into a single-elimination bracket, with a bronze medal match. The 2016 tournament continued to use that format. 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. Standard foil rules regarding target area, striking, and priority were used.

## Schedule

All times are Brasília Time (UTC-03:00)

| Date | Time | Round |
| - | - | - |
| Sunday, 7 August 2016 | | 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 |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| | | | Yuki Ota (JPN) | Yuki Ota (JPN) | 13 | | | | | | |
| Guilherme Toldo (BRA) | Guilherme Toldo (BRA) | 15 | Guilherme Toldo (BRA) | Guilherme Toldo (BRA) | 15 | | | | | | |
| René Pranz (AUT) | René Pranz (AUT) | 14 | | | | Guilherme Toldo (BRA) | Guilherme Toldo (BRA) | 15 | | | |
| | | | | | | Cheung Ka Long (HKG) | Cheung Ka Long (HKG) | 10 | | | |
| | | | Cheung Ka Long (HKG) | Cheung Ka Long (HKG) | 15 | | | | | | |
| | | | Heo Jun (KOR) | Heo Jun (KOR) | 8 | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | Guilherme Toldo (BRA) | Guilherme Toldo (BRA) | 8 |
| | | | | | | | | | Daniele Garozzo (ITA) | Daniele Garozzo (ITA) | 15 |
| | | | Daniele Garozzo (ITA) | Daniele Garozzo (ITA) | 15 | | | | | | |
| | | | Tarek Ayad (EGY) | Tarek Ayad (EGY) | 8 | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | Daniele Garozzo (ITA) | Daniele Garozzo (ITA) | 15 | | | |
| | | | | | | Alaaeldin Abouelkassem (EGY) | Alaaeldin Abouelkassem (EGY) | 13 | | | |
| | | | Alexander Choupenitch (CZE) | Alexander Choupenitch (CZE) | 8 | | | | | | |
| | | | Alaaeldin Abouelkassem (EGY) | Alaaeldin Abouelkassem (EGY) | 15 | | | | | | |

### Section 2

| Round of 32 | Round of 32 | Round of 32 | Round of 16 | Round of 16 | Round of 16 | Quarter-finals | Quarter-finals | Quarter-finals |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| James Davis (GBR) | James Davis (GBR) | 15 | | | | | | |
| Mohamed Ayoub Ferjani (TUN) | Mohamed Ayoub Ferjani (TUN) | 7 | | | | | | |
| | | | James Davis (GBR) | James Davis (GBR) | 13 | | | |
| | | | Timur Safin (RUS) | Timur Safin (RUS) | 15 | | | |
| Aleksey Cheremisinov (RUS) | Aleksey Cheremisinov (RUS) | 10 | | | | | | |
| Timur Safin (RUS) | Timur Safin (RUS) | 15 | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | Timur Safin (RUS) | Timur Safin (RUS) | 15 |
| | | | | | | Chen Haiwei (CHN) | Chen Haiwei (CHN) | 7 |
| Chen Haiwei (CHN) | Chen Haiwei (CHN) | 15 | | | | | | |
| Laurence Halsted (GBR) | Laurence Halsted (GBR) | 9 | | | | | | |
| | | | Chen Haiwei (CHN) | Chen Haiwei (CHN) | 15 | | | |
| | | | Ma Jianfei (CHN) | Ma Jianfei (CHN) | 12 | | | |
| Ghislain Perrier (BRA) | Ghislain Perrier (BRA) | 14 | | | | | | |
| Ma Jianfei (CHN) | Ma Jianfei (CHN) | 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 |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| | | | Gerek Meinhardt (USA) | Gerek Meinhardt (USA) | 15 | | | | | | |
| Antonio Leal (VEN) | Antonio Leal (VEN) | 7 | Maximilien van Haaster (CAN) | Maximilien van Haaster (CAN) | 4 | | | | | | |
| Maximilien van Haaster (CAN) | Maximilien van Haaster (CAN) | 15 | | | | Gerek Meinhardt (USA) | Gerek Meinhardt (USA) | 15 | | | |
| | | | | | | Erwann Le Péchoux (FRA) | Erwann Le Péchoux (FRA) | 14 | | | |
| | | | Lei Sheng (CHN) | Lei Sheng (CHN) | 9 | | | | | | |
| | | | Erwann Le Péchoux (FRA) | Erwann Le Péchoux (FRA) | 15 | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | Gerek Meinhardt (USA) | Gerek Meinhardt (USA) | 13 |
| | | | | | | | | | Richard Kruse (GBR) | Richard Kruse (GBR) | 15 |
| | | | Jérémy Cadot (FRA) | Jérémy Cadot (FRA) | 14 | | | | | | |
| | | | Andrea Cassarà (ITA) | Andrea Cassarà (ITA) | 15 | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | Andrea Cassarà (ITA) | Andrea Cassarà (ITA) | 12 | | | |
| | | | | | | Richard Kruse (GBR) | Richard Kruse (GBR) | 15 | | | |
| | | | Hamid Sintès (ALG) | Hamid Sintès (ALG) | 4 | | | | | | |
| | | | Richard Kruse (GBR) | Richard Kruse (GBR) | 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 |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| | | | Giorgio Avola (ITA) | Giorgio Avola (ITA) | 15 | | | | | | |
| | | | Daniel Gómez (MEX) | Daniel Gómez (MEX) | 5 | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | Giorgio Avola (ITA) | Giorgio Avola (ITA) | 15 | | | |
| | | | | | | Peter Joppich (GER) | Peter Joppich (GER) | 13 | | | |
| | | | Enzo Lefort (FRA) | Enzo Lefort (FRA) | 13 | | | | | | |
| | | | Peter Joppich (GER) | Peter Joppich (GER) | 15 | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | Giorgio Avola (ITA) | Giorgio Avola (ITA) | 14 |
| | | | | | | | | | Alexander Massialas (USA) | Alexander Massialas (USA) | 15 |
| | | | Miles Chamley-Watson (USA) | Miles Chamley-Watson (USA) | 13 | | | | | | |
| | | | Artur Akhmatkhuzin (RUS) | Artur Akhmatkhuzin (RUS) | 15 | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | Artur Akhmatkhuzin (RUS) | Artur Akhmatkhuzin (RUS) | 9 | | | |
| Mohamed Essam (EGY) | Mohamed Essam (EGY) | 15 | | | | Alexander Massialas (USA) | Alexander Massialas (USA) | 15 | | | |
| Henrique Marques (BRA) | Henrique Marques (BRA) | 8 | Mohamed Essam (EGY) | Mohamed Essam (EGY) | 7 | | | | | | |
| | | | Alexander Massialas (USA) | Alexander Massialas (USA) | 15 | | | | | | |

### Finals

| Semi-finals | Semi-finals | Final | Final |
| - | - | - | - |
| Daniele Garozzo (ITA) | 15 |
| Timur Safin (RUS) | 8 | | |
| Timur Safin (RUS) | 8 | Daniele Garozzo (ITA) | 15 |
| | | Alexander Massialas (USA) | 11 |
| Richard Kruse (GBR) | 9 | Alexander Massialas (USA) | 11 |
| Alexander Massialas (USA) | 15 | | |
| Alexander Massialas (USA) | 15 | Bronze medal match | Bronze medal match |
| | | Timur Safin (RUS) | 15 |
| | | Richard Kruse (GBR) | 13 |

## Final classification

| Rank | Fencer | Nation |
| - | - | - |
| | Daniele Garozzo | Italy |
| | Alexander Massialas | United States |
| | Timur Safin | Russia |
| 4 | Richard Kruse | Great Britain |
| 5 | Gerek Meinhardt | United States |
| 6 | Giorgio Avola | Italy |
| 7 | Chen Haiwei | China |
| 8 | Guilherme Toldo | Brazil |
| 9 | Ma Jianfei | China |
| 10 | James Davis | Great Britain |
| 11 | Alaaeldin Abouelkassem | Egypt |
| 12 | Peter Joppich | Germany |
| 13 | Erwann Le Péchoux | France |
| 14 | Cheung Ka Long | Hong Kong |
| 15 | Artur Akhmatkhuzin | Russia |
| 16 | Andrea Cassara | Italy |
| 17 | Yuki Ota | Japan |
| 18 | Jeremy Cadot | France |
| 19 | Miles Chamley-Watson | United States |
| 20 | Heo Jun | South Korea |
| 21 | Sheng Lei | China |
| 22 | Laurence Halsted | Great Britain |
| 23 | Alexey Cheremisinov | Russia |
| 24 | Enzo Lefort | France |
| 25 | Tarek Ayad | Egypt |
| 26 | Alexander Choupenitch | Czech Republic |
| 27 | Daniel Gómez | Mexico |
| 28 | Hamid Sintès | Algeria |
| 29 | Mohamed Ayoub Ferjani | Tunisia |
| 30 | Ghislain Perrier | Brazil |
| 31 | Maximilien van Haaster | Canada |
| 32 | Mohamed Essam | Egypt |
| 33 | Rene Pranz | Austria |
| 34 | Henrique Marques | Brazil |
| 35 | Antonio Leal | Venezuela |
