Imre Gedővári facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Imre Gedővári

Personal information
Nationality	Hungarian
Born	(1951-07-01)1 July 1951 Budapest, Hungarian People's Republic
Died	22 May 2014(2014-05-22) (aged 62)
Height	1.90 m (6 ft 3 in)
Weight	87 kg (192 lb)
Sport
Country	Hungary
Sport	Fencing
Event(s)	Sabre
Club	Újpesti TE (1964–1986) Vasas SC (1986–1988)
Coached by	Csaba Zarándi
Medal record Representing  Hungary Olympic Games Gold 1988 Seoul Team sabre Bronze 1980 Moscow Individual sabre Bronze 1980 Moscow Team sabre World Championships Gold 1978 Hamburg Team sabre Gold 1981 Clermont-Ferrand Team sabre Gold 1982 Rome Team sabre Silver 1975 Budapest Team sabre Silver 1977 Buenos Aires Team sabre Silver 1981 Clermont-Ferrand Individual sabre Bronze 1982 Rome Individual sabre Bronze 1983 Vienna Team sabre Bronze 1985 Barcelona Team sabre European Championships Gold 1981 Foggi Individual sabre

Imre Gedővári (born July 1, 1951 – died May 22, 2014) was a famous Hungarian fencer. He was an Olympic gold medalist. Fencing is a sport where two people fight with swords. Imre used a type of sword called a sabre.

He won his first World Championship medal, a silver, in 1975. He first competed in the Olympics in 1976. Imre won his first World Championship gold medals in 1978 for team sabre. He added two more gold medals in 1981 and 1982.

At the 1980 Olympics, he won two bronze medals. In 1988, at the Seoul Olympics, Imre Gedővári helped Hungary win a gold medal in a very exciting match. He retired after these Olympics. He had won ten national championships in Hungary. Imre continued to be involved in sports. He worked for the Hungarian Fencing Federation. He also worked for a sports club called Újpesti TE.

Imre Gedővári received a special award from Hungary in 1988. He was also named the best fencer in Hungary twice. He was left-handed and was tall and slender.

Imre Gedővári's Fencing Journey

In 1964, Imre Gedővári joined a sports club called Újpesti Dózsa. He started competing for the national team in 1974. The next year, he won a silver medal at the World Championship in team sabre.

First Olympic Games in 1976

Imre Gedővári went to his first Olympics in 1976. In the individual sabre competition, he reached the semi-finals. He finished tied for seventh place. In the team sabre event, he had a good record of 17 wins and 6 losses. However, Hungary lost the bronze medal match to Romania. So, Imre did not win a medal at these Olympics.

The next year, he won a bronze medal in team sabre at the World Championships. In 1978, he won his first World Championship gold medal in team sabre. He was also chosen as the best fencer in Hungary that year.

Medals at the 1980 Moscow Olympics

At the 1980 Summer Olympics, Imre Gedővári did very well. In the individual sabre event, he won his first round with a perfect 4–0 record. He then won 4 out of 5 matches in the next round and made it to the finals. In the finals, he won 3 out of 5 matches, earning a bronze medal.

In the team competition, he won 11 out of 16 matches. This helped Hungary win a second bronze medal. After the Olympics, Hungary won two World Championships in a row. This gave Imre two more gold medals. He also won the European Championship in individual sabre in 1981. That same year, he won a silver medal at the World Championships. In 1982, he won an individual bronze medal at the World Championships.

Later Championships and the 1988 Olympics

In 1983, Hungary placed third at the World Championships. This earned Imre Gedővári another bronze medal. He was named the national fencer of the year in 1984. However, he could not compete in the Olympics that year. This was because Hungary decided not to attend the Games. In 1985, he won another bronze medal in team sabre at the World Championships.

A big moment in Imre Gedővári's career was at the 1988 Summer Olympics. In the team sabre gold medal match, the Soviet Union was leading Hungary 8–4. There were only four matches left. Imre's teammates won three matches in a row, making the score 8–7. It all came down to Imre's final match. He started behind 4–1, but he fought back and won the match 5–4. This amazing comeback gave Hungary the gold medal! Imre finished 15th in the individual competition that year.

Imre Gedővári retired after the 1988 Olympics. He said he could have kept fencing, but he felt "bored" with competing. Between 1976 and his retirement, he won 10 national titles in sabre. In 1988, he received a special State Order award from Hungary. In 1992, he won the Ferenc Kemény award. This award is given for great teaching and sports activities. In 2000, his club, Vasas SC, added him to their honorary "Goldring".

Life After Fencing

After retiring from fencing, Imre Gedővári went to college. He studied law. From 1989 to 1991, he was the General Secretary of the Hungarian Fencing Federation. He was also the president of the Újpesti TE sports club from 1991 to 1996. He spent time teaching fencing to young people. He also enjoyed entering cooking contests!

Imre Gedővári passed away on May 22, 2014, after a long illness. He was 62 years old. His teammate, Bence Szabó, who was also an Olympic champion, said that Imre was his role model. He said, "It is difficult to accept that we have lost such a valuable person."

See also

In Spanish: Imre Gedővári para niños