Take the romantic, swashbuckling epics of Errol Flynn, add some rules, protective clothing and an electronic scoring system, and you have fencing at the Olympic Games. Two rivals stand opposite each other and feint, lunge, parry and riposte until one scores the required number of hits to win.
Evolved from the ancient form of combat, fencing is one of only four sports that has been featured at every modern Olympic Games. It was the first to include recognised professionals in a medals competition after modern Olympic Games founder Pierre de Coubertin arranged special events for professional fencing "masters" in the original 1896 and 1900 competitions.
The clothing has become so protective, though, that officials modified masks a few years ago to return a "human face" to the event. Fine, but for intense reality, the 1924 team foil competition still wins: After the Olympic Games, an Italian and a Hungarian settled a scoring controversy with a real duel.
击剑概述（1896年成为奥运会正式比赛项目）
奥运会击剑比赛与埃罗尔·弗林(Errol Flynn) 的武侠传奇颇为相似，只不过在比赛中加入了比赛规则、保护服装和电子记分系统。两名对手相对而立，运用做假动作，冲刺，防守和反击等战术，谁率先获得规定点数，谁就获胜。
从古代战争中演变而来的击剑运动是历届现代奥运会的正式比赛项目，而享此殊荣的只有4个比赛项目。击剑又是第一项允许专业运动员参加的奥运会比赛项目。在1896和1900年的奥运会上，现代奥林匹克之父顾拜旦为专业击剑“大师”们专门设置了比赛项目。
击剑选手服装的保护性不断加强，以至于几年前，竞赛官员们不得不对防护面具加以改进，以便让击剑运动恢复“人性化面貌”。但是在严酷的现实中， 1924年一场男子团体花剑比赛后，一位意大利选手和一位匈牙利选手竟然真的通过决斗来定胜负。
