Albert Axelrod
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| Born |
February 12, 1921 The Bronx, United States | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Died |
February 24, 2004 (aged 83) The Bronx, United States | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | Fencing | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Medal record
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Albert Axelrod, known as Albie, (February 12, 1921, in The Bronx, New York – February 24, 2004, of a heart attack in The Bronx),[2] was an American foil fencer.[3]
He was the only American men's foil fencer to reach the finals at the world championships until Gerek Meinhardt won the bronze medal in the 2010 World Fencing Championships.[4]
Fencing career
High School
Axelrod was Jewish,[5] the son of Russian Jewish immigrants who had fled the pogroms, grew up in the Bronx.[6] A heart murmur kept Axelrod from participating in most sports, so his mother encouraged him to learn fencing at Stuyvesant High School in New York.[4] After graduation in 1938, he studied with 1920 Olympic champion Giorgio Santelli and won amateur titles as a member of the Salle Santelli club.[7]
College
Axelrod served in the US navy in World War II, and then attended the City College of New York.[4] His college team reached the National Team Foil Championships in 1948, the same year he was U.S. Intercollegiate Fencing Association and NCAA Champion.[3]
US Championships and rankings
Axelrod was ranked # 1 in the United States in 1955, 1958, 1960, and 1970. He was in the top ten 22 times in the years 1942 to 1970. He was a five-time winner of the National Foil Team Championship (1940, 1950, 1952, 1954, and 1958), and his team won the National Three-Weapon team crown five times (1949, 1952, 1954, 1962, and 1963).[3]
World Championships
He was a member of the United States World Championship team four times. His best placing was fifth, in 1958.[3]
Olympics
Axelrod was on five U.S. Olympic Teams (1952–68).[7] He won the bronze medal in Individual Foil competition at the 1960 Summer Olympics.[3]
Pan American Games
He was also a member of four U.S. Pan American Games teams. He won three team gold medals, one team silver, and four individual silvers in Foil.[3]
Maccabiah Games
Axelrod, who was Jewish, won many gold and silver medals in his six appearances at the World Maccabiah Games.[3]
Approach to fencing
"I have no purely defensive moves", Axelrod told The New York Times in 1966. "Everyone attributes my skill to the fact that I'm a physical freak, that I have tremendously fast reflexes. I'm not a natural athlete. When it comes to fencing, I'm completely synthetic. I had to practice arduously and break down into tiny components every move I make.[4]
Editor
Axelrod was the Editor of "American Fencing" magazine (1986–90).[6]
Hall of Fame inductions
Axelrod was inducted into the International Jewish Sports Hall of Fame in 1973.[8]
He was inducted into the USFA Hall of Fame in 1974.[9]
Miscellaneous
Axelrod worked as an electrical engineer for the Grumman Corporation.[4]
See also
References
- ↑ "Olympics Statistics: Albert Axelrod". databaseolympics.com. Retrieved September 26, 2010.
- ↑ "Saying Goodbye – Remembering those in the sports world who died in 2004". Sports Illustrated. December 30, 2004. Retrieved November 2, 2007.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Albert Axelrod". Archived from the original on 10 October 2007. Retrieved March 31, 2014.
- 1 2 3 4 5 Martin, Douglas (March 5, 2004). "Albert Axelrod, 83, a Champion in Fencing". New York Times. Retrieved March 31, 2014.
- ↑ Taylor, Paul (2004). Jews and the Olympic Games: The Clash Between Sport and Politics: With a Complete Review of Jewish Olympic Medallists. Sussex Academic Press. ISBN 9781903900871. Retrieved October 15, 2011.
- 1 2 "Fencing Forum".
- 1 2 "Albert Axelrod Olympic Results". sports-reference.com. Retrieved September 26, 2010.
- ↑ "Elected Members". Archived from the original on 26 September 2007. Retrieved November 2, 2007.
- ↑ Shaw, Andy. "Axelrod, Albert". US Fencing Hall of Fame. Retrieved March 31, 2014.