Breaking Down A Gold Medal Win: Fencing

Ruben Limardo Gascon claimed the gold medal in men’s fencing individual epee, the second for the country of Venezuela since 1968.

Image by Hannah Johnston / Getty Images

Athlete: Ruben Limardo Gascon

Sport : Men’s fencing individual épée

Which is … : A match in which fencers try to touch each other with the tip of a relatively heavy weapon. Bouts last for three periods of three minutes each or until one fencer has scored 15 hits.

How did he do it? Said Columbia University fencing coach Michael Aufrichtig: “I have seen him fence the past 10 years and today he used his strength to move his opponent to time his fleche [running attack].” Gascon’s bold decision-making, Aufrichtig added, also had a lot to do with getting the gold, pointing in particular to an attack on the toe of the USA’s Seth Kelsey in a semifinal.

Gascon, left, gets a strike in. Image by Hannah Johnston / Getty Images

The Moment He Won

Image by TOSHIFUMI KITAMURA / Getty Images