Ildikó Rejtő (also known as Györgyné Sági, formerly Jenőné Újlaky; born 11 May 1937) is a retired Hungarian two-time Olympic and five-time World Champion foil fencer.[1][2]

Ildikó Rejtő
Personal information
Birth nameIldikó Rejtő
Full nameIldikó Rejtő Györgyné Sági
Born (1937-05-11) 11 May 1937 (age 87)
Budapest, Hungary
Height164 cm (5 ft 5 in)
Weight56 kg (123 lb)
Sport
Country Hungary
SportFencing
EventFoil
ClubÚjpesti TE
Medal record
Representing  Hungary
Olympic Games
Gold medal – first place 1964 Tokyo Foil individual
Gold medal – first place 1964 Tokyo Foil team
Silver medal – second place 1960 Rome Foil team
Silver medal – second place 1968 Mexico City Foil team
Silver medal – second place 1972 Munich Foil team
Bronze medal – third place 1968 Mexico City Foil individual
Bronze medal – third place 1976 Montreal Foil team
World Championships
Gold medal – first place 1959 Budapest Foil team
Gold medal – first place 1962 Buenos Aires Foil team
Gold medal – first place 1963 Gdansk Foil individual
Gold medal – first place 1967 Montreal Foil team
Gold medal – first place 1973 Gothenburg Foil team
Silver medal – second place 1961 Turin Foil team
Silver medal – second place 1963 Gdansk Foil team
Silver medal – second place 1966 Moscow Foil team
Silver medal – second place 1971 Vienna Foil team
Silver medal – second place 1971 Vienna Foil individual
Silver medal – second place 1974 Grenoble Foil team
Silver medal – second place 1975 Budapest Foil team
Bronze medal – third place 1958 Philadelphia Foil individual
Bronze medal – third place 1969 Havana Foil team
Bronze medal – third place 1973 Gothenburg Foil individual

Early and personal life

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She was born in Budapest, Hungary, and is Jewish.[3][4][5] She was born deaf.[6][7] She had had scoliosis since she was a teenager,[8] which caused her father to enroll her in fencing lessons, in order to help straighten her back.[9]

Career highlights

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Because she was deaf, when she started fencing at age 15 she learned by reading written instructions from her coaches.[6][10]

She won the junior girls world foil championship in 1956–57, and was the Hungarian women's foil champion in 1958.[11][12] She was the Hungarian Sportswoman of the Year in 1963 and 1964.[12]

She represented Hungary in every Olympics from 1960 to 1976 and won seven Olympic medals, two gold (one each in foil individual and foil team), three silver (three foil team), and two bronze (one each in foil individual and foil team).[6] At the 1960 Olympics in Rome at the age of 23, she won a team silver medal in women's foil.[13] At the 1964 Olympics in Tokyo at the age of 27, she won both an individual and a team gold medal in women's foil.[13] At the 1968 Olympics in Mexico City at the age of 31, she won an individual bronze medal and a team silver medal in women's foil.[13] At the 1972 Olympics in Munich at the age of 35, she won a team silver medal in women's foil.[13] At the 1976 Olympics in Montreal at the age of 39, she won a team bronze medal in women's foil.[13]

She won the 1963 individual foil World Fencing Championships title, and the 1962, 1967, and 1973 team foil World Championships titles.[13]

As a senior, she won the women's foil competition at the World Veterans Championships in 1999.[14]

Rejtő was inducted as a member of the International Jewish Sports Hall of Fame.[14][15]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Ildikó Rejtő-Ujlaky-Sági Archived 23 July 2016 at the Wayback Machine. sports-reference.com
  2. ^ New Guinness Book of Records - Norris McWhirter, Ross McWhirter
  3. ^ Taylor, P. (2004). Jews and the Olympic Games: The Clash Between Sport and Politics: with a Complete Review of Jewish Olympic Medalists. Sussex Academic Press. p. 240. ISBN 9781903900888. Retrieved 20 June 2015.
  4. ^ Encyclopaedia Judaica - Fred Skolnik, Michael Berenbaum
  5. ^ Encyclopedia of Jews in Sports
  6. ^ a b c The Armchair Olympian: How Much Do You Know About Sport's Biggest Competition?
  7. ^ Day by Day in Jewish Sports History - Bob Wechsler
  8. ^ Rejtő Ildikó és Wichmann Tamás volt a Gépész vendége Archived 13 August 2021 at the Wayback Machine. Sonline
  9. ^ Előbb kisebbségi érzését, majd a világot mosta le. Index.hu
  10. ^ The Incredible Fencer Ujlaky-Rejto Ildiko: The Deaf Olympic Champion – The Olympians
  11. ^ "Uslaky-Rejto, Ildiko": Jews In Sports
  12. ^ a b "Seattle’s Derrick Coleman: another great deaf sportsperson"
  13. ^ a b c d e f Ildikó Rejtő-Ujlaky-Sági | Olympics at Sports-Reference.com
  14. ^ a b Griffin, Stan. "A Look Back at Olympic Fencing: Ildiko Uslaky-Rejto". Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 18 April 2014.
  15. ^ "Deaf Sports People"
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Awards
Preceded by Hungarian Sportswoman of The Year
1963–64
Succeeded by