or1980v2pt1

Fencing
The CSCA Sports Complex (fencing
hall of 6,000 seats) was the site of
Olympic fencing competition from July
22 through 31.
17 pistes covered with metal netting
were installed in the hall. A piste
on an elevated platform was used for
finals.
The fencing hall had an area of 126
by 84 metres with the height of 14
metres.
The competition arena was
equipped to meet all the requirements
of the International Fencing Federation
(FIE).
There were some innovations introduced
since the previous Olympics in
the electrical score-keeping equipment
developed by Soviet engineers
and approved by the FIE. Thus, for the
first time priority indicators were used
for double sabre attacks and a system
of yellow lights that detected malfunctions
in the electric circuits of the
weapon and clothes of fencers. Each
of the 17 pistes was equipped with
an electric clock. The innovations
were greatly appreciated by the
FIE.
The apparatus and score-keeping
equipment included also metallic
pistes for preliminaries and finals, the
UEF-4 hit-recording apparatus with
external repeater lights, hit counters,
desk chronometers, display score-
222
sheets for every piste (all Soviet-made),
as well as a multi-purpose bulb letterdigital
scoreboard (Electroimpex/
VBKM-Villesz of Hungary) having
12 lines of 36 characters each (the last
line was a a one).
The FIE Technical Directorate of 7
members managed the competition.
International judges officiated at
the bouts. There was a total of 65 FIE
technical officials and jury members
from 18 countries, including 26 from
the USSR.
165 Soviet support officials were
provided.
The FIE had its offices in the CSCA
Sports Complex.
Individual competitions were held
according to a mixed formula: first,
rounds of elimination pools (every
competitor fights each other fencer),
then direct elimination with repechage,
and at last the final where 6
fencers competed again in a round.
Team competitions consisted of a
pool round followed by direct elimination.
187 fencers from 20 countries took
part in the competition.
D. Brusati, elected the President of
the FIE at the Congress in Moscow,
said: "...In particular, I wish to praise
the Soviet engineers who designed
the apparatus: a repairman was never
called into the hall."