GEREVICH, ALADR

born 1910, Hungary Hungarian fencer who played a leading role in the Hungarian team's 36-year dominance of the Olympic sabre competition. The 10 Olympic medals earned by Gerevich between 1932 and 1960 constitute the second highest total among fencers. Gerevich was a member of the last six of Hungary's seven consecutive gold-medal-winning sabre teams and also enjoyed individual success at the Olympics. At the 1936 Games in Berlin he won the bronze in the individual sabre competition. He took the sabre gold at the 1948 Games in London and the silver medal at the 1952 Olympics in Helsinki. He also was part of the Hungarian foil team that earned a bronze in Helsinki. Considered one of the greatest technicians ever to fence sabre, Gerevich won the world championship in sabre three times (1935, 1951, 1955). His skills remained sharp well into his middle years. At the age of 50, after being told that he was too old to be part of Hungary's 1960 Olympic sabre team, Gerevich challenged and defeated the entire Hungarian team. At the Games in Rome he helped Hungary to the team gold and fell one hit short of qualifying for the sabre finals.