Yakov Anufrievich Rylsky (Russian: Яков Ануфриевич Рыльский) (25 October 1928 – 9 December 1999)[1] was an Olympic champion and three-time world champion Russiansabrefencer who competed for the Soviet Union.[2][3] He took part in three Olympic Games and won two medals in the team events.[4][5]
Rylsky began fencing in 1949.[8] He was a member of the USSR national team between 1953 and 1966.[9]
Rylsky was the Soviet sabre champion from 1954 to 1958. In 1963, he won the Dantzer Cup in Paris.[10][11] Rylsky achieved the title of the Russian Merited Master of Sport, the highest honour given to Soviet athletes.[10]
Rylsky competed in the individual and team sabre events at the 1956 Summer Olympics in Melbourne.[14] In the team competition, the Soviet team lost to Poland (7–9) and Hungary (7–9) in the final pool, and subsequently won the bronze medal by beating France in the third-place match.[14][10] Rylsky was eliminated in the second round of the individual competition.[14]
He participated in individual and team events at the 1960 Summer Olympics in Rome.[14] The Soviets finished fifth in the team event, and Rylsky reached the finals in the individual competition, finishing eighth overall.[14]
In Rylsky's final Olympiad appearance, at 1964 Summer Games in Tokyo, he won the gold medal in the team sabre event.[14][10] Rylsky then finished fourth in the individual event.[14]
