Aldo Nadi
| Olympic medal record | ||
|---|---|---|
| Men's Fencing | ||
 |
1920 Antwerp | Team foil |
|
1920 Antwerp | Team épée |
|
1920 Antwerp | Team sabre |
 |
1920 Antwerp | Individual sabre |
Aldo Nadi (April 29, 1899-November 10, 1965) is considered among the greatest fencers of all time.
Aldo was born into a fencing family in Livorno, Italy, and both Aldo and his brother Nedo Nadi were fencers from a very young age. They were both taught in the classical Italian school of swordsmanship by their father, Beppe Nadi, and both were already winning competitions by their teenage years. Though Nedo won more gold medals (six to Aldo's three), Aldo is generally considered the better of the two. His opponents include the famous French fencer, Lucien Gaudin.
In 1920, at the age of 21, Nadi won gold medals at the Olympics in team foil, team épée, and team sabre. He also won a silver medal in individual sabre, second only to his brother Nedo Nadi.
Nadi emigrated to the United States in 1935. He taught fencing in New York City from 1935-1943. In 1943, his book, On Fencing, was published. Also in 1943, he relocated to Los Angeles, California, where he continued to teach fencing in his own school, in addition to occasionally coaching actors for fencing scenes in films. He even made a film appearance himself in To Have and Have Not (1944).
In 1955, Nadi wrote his autobiography (The Living Sword: A Fencer's Autobiography), which was published 30 years after his death. This was done with the help of editor Lance Lobo, and included an afterword by William M. Gaugler, an Italian school fencing master and one of Nadi's students.
Nadi died in his sleep, at his home in Los Angeles, on November 10 1965.
For further reading
- Nadi, Aldo (1994). On Fencing. Sunrise, FL: Laureate Press. ISBN 1-884528-04-X.
- Nadi, Aldo (1995). The Living Sword: A Fencer's Autobiography. Sunrise, FL: Laureate Press. ISBN 1-884528-20-1.
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