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Nedo NadiItalian fencer, 6-time Olympic champion.
Date of Birth: 09.06.1894
Country:  Italy |
Content:
Biography of Nedo Nadi
Nedo Nadi was an Italian fencer and a six-time Olympic champion. Fans of sword, saber, and foil can argue for a long time about the advantages and disadvantages of their favorite weapons, but they all have respect for one man who managed to master all three blades equally well. Not everyone agrees that Italian fencer Nedo Nadi was the best fencer in world history, but no one can argue that he belongs to the list of the best. He is rightfully considered one of the best (and according to some, the best) blade masters in the world. He became the only fencer in the history of world sports to win five gold medals at a single Olympic Games and the only blade master to win gold in all three main fencing disciplines at one Olympics.
Early Life and Career
Nedo Nadi was born in Livorno, Italy, as the eldest son of the renowned Italian fencer Giuseppe Nadi. His younger brother, Aldo, also excelled in sports and won Olympic gold. Nedo received his first fencing lesson from his father at the age of 7. His father taught him how to handle rapiers and sabers, considering the foil an "undisciplined" weapon and not intending to teach him how to use it. Giuseppe Nadi's main complaint about the foil was that any touch to the opponent's body could bring victory to the fencer, whereas with the rapier, only the torso could be hit, and with the saber, only the upper half of the body and the mask. However, the knowledge that the Nadi brothers did not receive from their father was eventually compensated, mostly through their own efforts and experience.
Olympic Success
At the age of 14, Nedo Nadi won a silver prize for his brilliant performance at the celebration of Emperor Franz Joseph's jubilee. In 1912, at the Olympic Games in Stockholm, Nedo Nadi became the youngest fencer ever to win gold in foil fencing. He was 18 years and 29 days old when he achieved this brilliant victory. During World War I, Nadi served in the Italian army and proved to be a brave soldier, receiving honors for his courage. After the war, he returned to fencing. The 1920 Olympic Games looked particularly promising for Nadi, as neither the USSR nor the war-affected European countries planned to participate. Besides, this meant the absence of traditionally strong Hungarian fencers. Nedo decided not to waste time and applied for all three main disciplines, and he did not make a mistake. To this day, Nadi's performance at the Antwerp Olympics is considered a practical benchmark of fencing mastery. He won his "foil" medal with 10 victories behind him. Nadi won two medals with the foil, in both individual and team events. His decision to try his luck with the saber greatly upset his father, but it did not prevent Nedo from winning in the saber events, including the team competition. Additionally, Nadi won two medals with the saber, once again proving himself to be the best individually and a member of the best team. Interestingly, Nedo Nadi only crossed blades with his brother in public once, and the match ended in a draw. They never had the opportunity to fence each other again. After his brilliant performance in Antwerp, Nedo Nadi retired from professional fencing and became a coach. Aldo, on the other hand, drastically changed his lifestyle and moved to Hollywood, finding work in the film industry. Nedo Nadi worked in Buenos Aires for a while before returning to Rome and taking up fencing again, albeit in an amateur capacity.
Later Life and Legacy
From 1935 until his death, Nedo Nadi held the position of President of the Italian Fencing Federation. The great fencer passed away on January 29, 1940.
