The men's team épée was one of eight fencing events on the fencing at the 1960 Summer Olympics programme. It was the eleventh appearance of the event. The competition was held on 9 September 1960. 105 fencers from 21 nations competed.[1]
Competition format
The competition combined pool play with knockout rounds, a change from prior tournaments which used pool play all the way through. The first round consisted of pools, with the 21 teams entered in the competition divided into 7 pools of 3 teams. The top 2 teams in each pool after a round-robin advanced. The 14 teams remaining after the pool play competed in a four-round single-elimination bracket, with a bronze medal match between the semifinal losers. The winners of the first 2 pools received byes in the round of 16.
Each team match consisted of each of the four fencers on one team facing each fencer on the other team, for a maximum of 16 total bouts. An 8–8 tie would be resolved by touches received in victories. Bouts were to 5 touches (except that bouts would continue until there was a winner and would not end on a double-touch). Only as much fencing was done as was necessary to determine pool placement (in the first round) or the winning team (in the knockout rounds), so not all matches went to the full 16 bouts but instead stopped early (typically when one team had 9 bouts won).[2]
The United States defeated Portugal, as did Italy. This eliminated Portugal; the United States and Italy faced off to determine their placing within the group. Italy took first in the group with a win over the United States.
Switzerland and the Soviet Union each defeated Lebanon, though in both cases the bouts were tied at 8–8 and touches received (in victories) were necessary to determine the match winner (Switzerland won 23 touches received to 26; the Soviet Union won 18 to 25). Switzerland and the Soviet Union then faced off for place within the group, with the Soviets winning.
Luxembourg and Great Britain each defeated Morocco, then faced off for place within the group. Great Britain won to take first place (Great Britain's touches-received lead was great enough that the match was stopped at 8–7; even had Luxembourg won the 16th bout, Great Britain would have the tied-breaker).
