Fencing was one of the few sports that admitted professionals prior to the 1980s. In fact, the original Olympic rules, written by Baron Pierre de Coubertin (founder and second President of the International Olympic Committee), specifically stated that fencing professionals, called masters, could compete. Events for masters at the Olympics were held in the foil in 1896 and 1900. Masters also competed in épée and sabre events at both the Olympics in 1900 and the Intercalary Olympic Games in 1906.

Fencing was first contested during the 1896 Olympics and is one of the few sports to have been contested at every Olympic Games. Women's fencing first appeared in the Olympics in 1924. Today, men and women compete in both team and individual events at the Olympics using three types of swords -- the foil, the epee and the sabre. Women similarly compete in both team and individual events at epee and sabre. Women's épée events were first added to the Olympic programme during the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta, women's sabre events during the 2004 Olympics in Athens.

(BOCOG)