At the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow, eight events in fencing were contested. Men competed in both individual and team events for each of the three weapon types, but women competed only in foil events. They were held between July 22 and July 31 at the fencing hall of the Sports Complex of the Central Sports Club of the Army.
Vladimir Viktorovich Smirnov was a Soviet foil and épée fencer. He was the 1980 Olympic champion in men's foil, and the 1981 world champion in men's foil. He was killed accidentally in a bout during the 1982 World Fencing Championships in Rome, Italy.
France competed at the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. 206 competitors, 177 men and 29 women, took part in 128 events in 18 sports.
Michael Marx is an American foil and epee fencer and fencing master. He is the brother of Robert Marx, who has also represented the U.S. in multiple Olympic fencing events. Michael and his brother were taught to fence by their mother, fencing coach Colleen Olney, who is considered by many prominent fencers to be "the mother of fencing in Oregon".
Edoardo Mangiarotti was an Italian fencer. He won a total of 39 Olympic titles and World championships, more than any other fencer in the history of the sport. His Olympic medals include one individual gold, five team golds, five silver, and two bronze medals from 1936 to 1960.
France competed at the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow, USSR. In partial support of the American-led boycott of the 1980 Summer Olympics, France competed under the Olympic Flag instead of its national flag. 121 competitors, 98 men and 23 women, took part in 85 events in 13 sports.
Ramón Fonst Segundo was a Cuban fencer who competed in the early 20th century. He was one of the greatest world fencers, individual and by team; he was born and died in Havana.
Mark Petrovich Midler was a Soviet Russian foil fencer. He competed at four Olympic Games, at which he won two gold medals.
Eduard Teodorovich Vinokurov was a Soviet Russian Olympic champion and world champion sabre fencer.
Lydia Hatuel-Czuckermann is an Israeli fencer. One of Israel's top female fencers, she competed in the individual foil event at the 1984, 1992, and 1996 Olympiads. Her fencing career started at the age of 8, she maintained an international ranking until 2004, and she still competed at the national level in 2012.
Viktor Alekseyevich Krovopuskov is a retired sabre fencer, who competed for the USSR.
Mauro Numa is an Italian fencer and one of the strongest during the 1980s.His career started very early and in 1979, at 18, he was included in the Foil's Italian Team. In 1980 Numa could not compete at the Moscow Olympic Games due to the boycott.
Valentyna Ksenofontivna Rastvorova was a Ukrainian who was a Soviet fencer who competed in the 1956, 1960, and 1964 Olympics in the individual foil and team foil events. She won an individual silver medal and team gold medal in 1960, and a team silver medal in 1964. She also won six gold and two silver medals at the world championships of 1956–67.
Bruno Boscherie is a French fencer who took part in the 1980 Olympic Games in Moscow.
Dorina Vaccaroni is an Italian former fencer, competing in the foil.
Gay Kristine Jacobsen D'Asaro is an American Olympic foil fencer.
Véronique Trinquet is a French fencer. She won a silver medal in the women's team foil event at the 1976 Summer Olympics.
The men's foil was one of eight fencing events on the fencing at the 1980 Summer Olympics programme. It was the eighteenth appearance of the event. The competition was held from 22 to 23 July 1980. 37 fencers from 16 nations competed. Nations had been limited to three fencers each since 1928. The event was won by Vladimir Smirnov of the Soviet Union, the nation's first victory in the men's foil since 1960 and second overall. His countryman Alexandr Romankov took bronze, becoming the eighth man to win multiple medals in the event. It was the first time in five Games that France did not receive the bronze medal—though Pascal Jolyot earned silver instead.
Elaine Gayle Cheris is an American Olympic foil and épée fencer.
Inès Boubakri is a Tunisian foil fencer. She is a four-time Olympian, who won a bronze medal at the 2016 Summer Olympics, and is a member of Association sportive de Bourg-la-Reine in France, under head coach Yann Detienne.
