Aladár Gerevich

Aladár Gerevich (16 March 1910 – 14 May 1991) was a Hungarian fencer who was regarded as "the greatest Olympic swordsman ever".[1] He won gold medals in sabre in six Olympics.[2]

The native form of this personal name is Gerevich Aladár. This article uses Western name order when mentioning individuals.
Aladár Gerevich
Hungarian sabre team at the 1960 Olympics, Gerevich is in the center
Personal information
Born(1910-03-16)16 March 1910
Jászberény, Austria-Hungary
Died14 May 1991(1991-05-14) (aged 81)
Budapest, Hungary
Height1.77 m (5 ft 10 in)
Weight78 kg (172 lb)
Sport
SportFencing
ClubMagyar Atlétikai Klub
CS Magyar Testgyakorlók Köre
Budapesti Vörös Meteor SK
Medal record
Representing  Hungary
Olympic Games
1932 Los Angeles Sabre team
1936 Berlin Sabre team
1948 London Sabre team
1948 London Sabre individual
1952 Helsinki Sabre team
1956 Melbourne Sabre team
1960 Rome Sabre team
1952 Helsinki Sabre individual
1936 Berlin Sabre individual
1952 Helsinki Foil team

Biography

Gerevich is the only athlete to win the same event six times (despite two Games cancelled because of the Second World War). He won gold medals in 1932 and 1960, an unprecedented 28 years apart. This record for the most years between first and last Olympic medals was tied by equestrian Mark Todd of New Zealand in 2012.[3]

Gerevich's wife, Erna Bogen (also known as Erna Bogathy), his son, Pál Gerevich, and his father-in-law, Albert Bogen (a silver medalist in team sabre for Austria at the 1912 Summer Olympics), all won Olympic medals in fencing.[4]

In the Hungarian Olympic trials for the 1960 Rome Olympics, the fencing committee told Gerevich that he was too old to compete. He silenced them by challenging the entire sabre team to individual matches and winning every match. He missed the finals of the 1960 Olympic individual sabre event, and a possible individual gold medal, by a single touch. After retiring, he coached fencing at the Vasas Sports Club in Budapest, where he died aged 81.[4] Asteroid 228893 Gerevich, discovered by Krisztián Sárneczky and Brigitta Sipőcz at Piszkéstető Station in 2003, was named in his memory.[5] The official naming citation was published by the Minor Planet Center on 16 January 2014 (M.P.C. 86716).[6]

See also

References
  1. "Legendary Olympians". CNN.com. 19 August 2008. Archived from the original on 25 April 2010. Retrieved 3 May 2010.
  2. "Olympics Statistics: Aladár Gerevich". databaseolympics.com. Archived from the original on 4 December 2010. Retrieved 3 May 2010.
  3. Fred Woodcock (31 July 2012). "New Zealand three-day eventers win bronze". stuff.co.nz. Archived from the original on 12 January 2013. Retrieved 31 July 2012.
  4. "Aladár Gerevich Olympic Results". sports-reference.com. Archived from the original on 17 April 2020. Retrieved 3 May 2010.
  5. "228893 Gerevich (2003 RL8)". Minor Planet Center. Retrieved 27 August 2019.
  6. "MPC/MPO/MPS Archive". Minor Planet Center. Retrieved 27 August 2019.
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