Siegfried Flesch facts for kids
 Flesch in 1902 |
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| Medal record | ||
|---|---|---|
| Men's fencing | ||
Representing  Austrian Empire |
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| Olympic Games | ||
| Bronze | 1900 Paris | Sabre |
Siegfried Friedrich "Fritz" Flesch (born March 11, 1872 – died August 11, 1939) was an amazing fencer from Austria. He was especially good with the sabre, a type of sword used in fencing. He competed in big events in the late 1800s and early 1900s.
Siegfried Flesch: Olympic Fencer
His Olympic Journey
Fritz Flesch was born in Brno. In 1899, when he was 27 years old, he came in second place at the Austrian sabre championships. This was a great achievement!
The very next year, he went to the 1900 Summer Olympics in Paris, France. He competed for Austria in the men's sabre event. In the first round, he was one of 16 fencers who moved on.
He then placed third in the next group of fencers. This meant he qualified for the final round! In the final, Fritz won four out of his seven matches. This earned him a bronze medal. He was the first Jewish fencer to win an Olympic medal.
Flesch returned to the Olympics in 1908 in London, England. He was 36 years old then. Again, he competed in the men's sabre event. In his first matches, he won all five of his fights.
However, in the next round, he only won one match. This meant he was eliminated from the competition. He finished in 24th place overall that year.
Life Outside Fencing
Flesch was Jewish. He is remembered as a pioneering fencer.
See also
- List of select Jewish fencers
