Fencing has been contested at every Summer Olympic Games since the birth of the modern Olympic movement at the 1896 Summer Olympics in Athens. There are three forms of Olympic fencing:
- Foil — a light thrusting weapon; the valid target is restricted to the torso; double touches are not allowed.
- Épée — a heavy thrusting weapon; the valid target area covers the entire body; double touches are allowed.
- Sabre — a light cutting and thrusting weapon; the valid target area includes almost everything above the waist (excluding the back of the head and the hands); double touches are not allowed.
Summary
<div style="display:inline-table;">
{| class="wikitable defaultcenter col4left"
|-
! scope="col" width=50|Games
! scope="col" width=50|Year
! scope="col" width=50|Events
! scope="col" width=150|Best Nation
|-
! scope="row"| 1
| 1896 || 3 || <small>(1)</small>
|-
! scope="row"| 2
| 1900 || 7 || <small>(1)</small>
|-
! scope="row"| 3
| 1904 || 5 || <small>(1)</small>
|-
! scope="row"| 4
| 1908 || 4 || <small>(2)</small>
|-
! scope="row"| 5
| 1912 || 5 || <small>(1)</small>
|-
! scope="row"| 6
| colspan=4 bgcolor=pink|
|-
! scope="row"| 7
| 1920 || 6 || <small>(1)</small>
|-
! scope="row"| 8
| 1924 || 7 || <small>(3)</small>
|-
! scope="row"| 9
| 1928 || 7 || <small>(4)</small>
|-
! scope="row"| 10
| 1932 || 7 || <small>(2)</small>
|-
! scope="row"| 11
| 1936 || 7 || <small>(3)</small>
|-
! scope="row"| 12
| colspan=4 bgcolor=pink|
|-
! scope="row"| 13
| colspan=4 bgcolor=pink|
|-
! scope="row"| 14
| 1948 || 7 || <small>(5)</small>
|-
! scope="row"| 15
| 1952 || 7 || <small>(4)</small>
|-
! scope="row"| 16
| 1956 || 7 || <small>(5)</small>
|-
! scope="row"|17
| 1960 || 8 || <small>(1)</small>
|}</div><div style="display:inline-table;">
{| class="wikitable defaultcenter col4left"
|-
! scope="col" width=50|Games
! scope="col" width=50|Year
! scope="col" width=50|Events
! scope="col" width=150|Best Nation
|-
! scope="row"| 18
| 1964 || 8 || <small>(2)</small>
|-
! scope="row"| 19
| 1968 || 8 || <small>(2)</small>
|-
! scope="row"| 20
| 1972 || 8 || <small>(3)</small>
|-
! scope="row"| 21
| 1976 || 8 || <small>(3)</small>
|-
! scope="row"| 22
| 1980 || 8 || <small>(6)</small>
|-
! scope="row"| 23
| 1984 || 8 || <small>(6)</small>
|-
! scope="row"| 24
| 1988 || 8 || <small>(1)</small>
|-
! scope="row"| 25
| 1992 || 8 || <small>(1)</small>
|-
! scope="row"| 26
| 1996 || 10 || <small>(1)</small>
|-
! scope="row"| 27
| 2000 || 10 || <small>(7)</small>
|-
! scope="row"| 28
| 2004 || 10 || <small>(8)</small>
|-
! scope="row"| 29
| 2008 || 10 || <small>(7)</small>
|-
! scope="row"| 30
| 2012 || 10 || <small>(9)</small>
|-
! scope="row"| 31
| 2016 || 10 || <small>(2)</small>
|-
! scope="row"| 32
| 2020 || 12 || <small>(1)</small>
|-
! scope="row"|33
| 2024 || 12 || <small>(1)</small>
|}</div>
Events
Men's
{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders sticky-header" style="text-align:center"
|+ Current programme
|-
! scope="col"| Event !! scope="col"| 96 !! scope="col"| 00 !! scope="col"| 04 !! scope="col"| 08 !! scope="col"| 12 !! scope="col"| 20 !! scope="col"| 24 !! scope="col"| 28 !! scope="col"| 32 !! scope="col"| 36 !! scope="col"| 48 !! scope="col"| 52 !! scope="col"| 56 !! scope="col"| 60 !! scope="col"| 64 !! scope="col"| 68 !! scope="col"| 72 !! scope="col"| 76 !! scope="col"| 80 !! scope="col"| 84 !! scope="col"| 88 !! scope="col"| 92 !! scope="col"| 96 !! scope="col"| 00 !! scope="col"| 04 !! scope="col"| 08 !! scope="col"| 12 !! scope="col"| 16 !! scope="col"| 20 !! scope="col"| 24 !! scope="col"| Years
|-
! scope="row"| Foil, Individual
| X
| X
| X
| <!--event not played-->
| X
| X
| X
| X
| X
| X
| X
| X
| X
| X
| X
| X
| X
| X
| X
| X
| X
| X
| X
| X
| X
| X
| X
| X
| X
| X
|29
|-
! scope="row"| Foil, Team
| ||
| X
| ||
| X
| X
| X
| X
| X
| X
| X
| X
| X
| X
| X
| X
| X
| X
| X
| X
| X
| X
| X
| X
| <!--event not played-->
| X
| X
| X
| X
|25
|-
! scope="row"| Épée, Individual
| <!--event not played-->
| X
| X
| X
| X
| X
| X
| X
| X
| X
| X
| X
| X
| X
| X
| X
| X
| X
| X
| X
| X
| X
| X
| X
| X
| X
| X
| X
| X
| X
|29
|-
! scope="row"| Épée, Team
| || ||
| X
| X
| X
| X
| X
| X
| X
| X
| X
| X
| X
| X
| X
| X
| X
| X
| X
| X
| X
| X
| X
| X
| X
| <!--event not played-->
| X
| X
| X
|26
|-
! scope="row"| Sabre, Individual
| X
| X
| X
| X
| X
| X
| X
| X
| X
| X
| X
| X
| X
| X
| X
| X
| X
| X
| X
| X
| X
| X
| X
| X
| X
| X
| X
| X
| X
| X
|30
|-
! scope="row"| Sabre, Team
| || ||
| X
| X
| X
| X
| X
| X
| X
| X
| X
| X
| X
| X
| X
| X
| X
| X
| X
| X
| X
| X
| X
| X
| X
| X
|
| X
| X
|26
|- bgcolor=lightgray
! scope="row"| Total
| 2 || 3 || 4 || 4 || 5 || 6 || 6 || 6 || 6 || 6 || 6 || 6 || 6 || 6 || 6 || 6 || 6 || 6 || 6 || 6 || 6 || 6 || 6 || 6 || 6 || 5 || 5 || 5 || 6 || 6 ||
|}
Women's
{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders sticky-header" style="text-align:center"
|-
! scope="col"| Event !! scope="col"| 96 !! scope="col"| 00 !! scope="col"| 04 !! scope="col"| 08 !! scope="col"| 12 !! scope="col"| 20 !! scope="col"| 24 !! scope="col"| 28 !! scope="col"| 32 !! scope="col"| 36 !! scope="col"| 48 !! scope="col"| 52 !! scope="col"| 56 !! scope="col"| 60 !! scope="col"| 64 !! scope="col"| 68 !! scope="col"| 72 !! scope="col"| 76 !! scope="col"| 80 !! scope="col"| 84 !! scope="col"| 88 !! scope="col"| 92 !! scope="col"| 96 !! scope="col"| 00 !! scope="col"| 04 !! scope="col"| 08 !! scope="col"| 12 !! scope="col"| 16 !! scope="col"| 20 !! scope="col"| 24 !! scope="col"| Years
|-
! scope="row"| Foil, Individual
| colspan="6"
| X
| X
| X
| X
| X
| X
| X
| X
| X
| X
| X
| X
| X
| X
| X
| X
| X
| X
| X
| X
| X
| X
| X
| X
|24
|-
! scope="row"| Foil, Team
| colspan="13"
| X
| X
| X
| X
| X
| X
| X
| X
| X
| X
| X
|
| X
| X
|
| X
| X
|15
|-
! scope="row"| Épée, Individual
| colspan="22"
| X
| X
| X
| X
| X
| X
| X
| X
|8
|-
! scope="row"| Épée, Team
| colspan="22"
| X
| X
| X
|
| X
| X
| X
| X
|7
|-
! scope="row"| Sabre, Individual
| colspan="24"
| X
| X
| X
| X
| X
| X
|6
|-
! scope="row"| Sabre, Team
| colspan="25"
| X
|
| X
| X
| X
|4
|- bgcolor=lightgray
! scope="row"| Total
| 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 1 || 1 || 1 || 1 || 1 || 1 || 1 || 2 || 2 || 2 || 2 || 2 || 2 || 2 || 2 || 2 || 4 || 4 || 4 || 5 || 5 || 5 || 6 || 6 ||
|}
Past events
- Men's foil, masters: 1896, 1900
- Men's singlestick: 1904
Only at the 1900 Summer Olympics:
- Men's épée, masters
- Men's sabre, masters
- Men's épée, amateurs-masters
Nations
Numbers indicate the number of fencers each nation sent to that Olympics.
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|- bgcolor="lightgray"
! scope="row"| Nations
| 4 || 19 || 3 || 14 || 16 || 13 || 23 || 27 || 16 || 29 || 30 || 32 || 23 || 42 || 30 || 34 || 37 || 34 || 20 || 32 || 42 || 42 || 46 || 40 || 42 || 45 || 44 || 48 || 42 || 52 ||
|- bgcolor="lightgray"
! scope="row"| Fencers
| 15 || 260 || 11 || 131 || 185 || 149 || 240 || 259 || 108 || 311 || 294 || 286 || 165 || 344 || 259 || 275 || 298 || 281 || 187 || 262 || 317 || 305 || 224 || 217 || 223 || 234 || 244 || 212 || 261 || 212 ||
|-
|}
Medal table
Accurate as of the conclusion of the 2024 Summer Olympics
See also
- List of Olympic venues in fencing
- Wheelchair fencing at the Summer Paralympics