John Erle Fethers (4 December 1929 – 30 March 2010) was an Australian fencer. He competed in six events at the

1952 Summer Olympics The 1952 Summer Olympics ( fi, Kesäolympialaiset 1952; sv, Olympiska sommarspelen 1952), officially known as the Games of the XV Olympiad ( fi, XV olympiadin kisat; sv, Den XV olympiadens spel) and commonly known as Helsinki 1952 ( sv, Helsin ...

. He was a longstanding member and coach at the Melbourne-based VRI Fencing Club. On 10 October 2009 in recognition of a significant international fencing career, outstanding personal contribution to Australian fencing, and lasting legacy in the training and development of numerous coaches and Olympic athletes, he was inducted as a Living Legend to the VRI Hall of Fame.

Early years

Born in Melbourne, he began fencing at the age of 17 - the same year the Australian Amateur Fencing Association was formed (1946). John’s interest and passion for fencing were inspired by the films of Australian actor

Errol Flynn Errol Leslie Thomson Flynn (20 June 1909 – 14 October 1959) was an Australian-American actor who achieved worldwide fame during the Golden Age of Hollywood. He was known for his romantic swashbuckler roles, frequent partnerships with Olivia ...

with whom he bore an almost identical size and appearance. (He eventually met Flynn at Paris airport in 1954). A natural fencing talent, he won the 1946 Victorian novice and intermediate

foil Foil may refer to: Materials * Foil (metal), a quite thin sheet of metal, usually manufactured with a rolling mill machine * Metal leaf, a very thin sheet of decorative metal * Aluminium foil, a type of wrapping for food * Tin foil, metal foil ma ...

championships and won bronze in the Victorian Open foil championship. In 1949 he won bronze for foil at the inaugural Australian Fencing Championships. Shortly after, he was selected to represent Australia in foil at the 1950

British Empire Games The Commonwealth Games, often referred to as the Friendly Games or simply the Comm Games, are a quadrennial international multi-sport event among athletes from the Commonwealth of Nations. The event was first held in 1930, and, with the exce ...

in Auckland, New Zealand and won silver. At the 1951 Australian Fencing Championships he became the first fencer to win gold in epee, foil and

sabre A sabre ( French: �sabʁ or saber in American English) is a type of backsword with a curved blade associated with the light cavalry of the early modern and Napoleonic periods. Originally associated with Central European cavalry such as th ...

- a feat that has only been matched once.

International career

Seeking international experience, he joined the 1950s Australian 'invasion' of Britain. He was selected to represent Australia in the foil at the

Helsinki Helsinki ( or ; ; sv, Helsingfors, ) is the Capital city, capital, primate city, primate, and List of cities and towns in Finland, most populous city of Finland. Located on the shore of the Gulf of Finland, it is the seat of the region of U ...

- the first time an Australian fencing team competed at the Olympic Games. In 1953 and 1954 he reached the semi-finals of the men's individual foil at the FIE World Championships. He won silver in foil and bronze in sabre for Australia at the

Vancouver Vancouver ( ) is a major city in western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the List of cities in British Columbia, most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the ...

1954 British Empire Games in Canada. In 1954, he won the

title at the

British Fencing Championships The British Fencing Championships are held annually to determine the British champion. The Championships are currently held at the English Institute of Sport, Sheffield. The championships were not held during World War I, World War II and in 202 ...

. He later reached the finals round at the individual men's foil at the 1955 FIE World Championship.Australian Fencing Federation: Fencer Profiles While selected to represent Australia at the

Melbourne Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Its name generally refers to a met ...

1956 Summer Olympics The 1956 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XVI Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event held in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, from 22 November to 8 December 1956, with the exception of the equestrian events, whi ...

he was unable to return to Australia insufficient time to compete.

Honours

In 1961, he was awarded the Challenge Gilbert Duval, one of Europe's highest fencing honours, awarded to the fencer judged the best consistent fencer over a five-year period. In 1956, after a year's study and training at the French Academy of Arms, he became a Maitre d'Armes (Master of Arms).

Later years

He returned to Australia in 1964 and became a member and coach at VRI Fencing Club. He coached the 1964 Australian Olympic Fencing Team before being appointed national coach in 1966. He remained a national coach and coach at VRI for several decades, then at La Trobe University Fencing Club from 1990-1995, before eventually retiring. He later returned from retirement to coach at the Melbourne University Fencing Club before his final well-deserved retirement. Drawing on a lifetime interest and passion for fencing in performance, he appeared in several films and short films and choreographed duels for film, stage and television. His achievements in fencing have never been bettered by a fellow Australian.

References

External links

*
Australian Fencing Federation
{{DEFAULTSORT:Fethers, John 1929 births 2010 deaths Australian male fencers Olympic fencers for Australia Fencers at the 1952 Summer Olympics Sportspeople from Melbourne Commonwealth Games medallists in fencing Commonwealth Games silver medallists for Australia Commonwealth Games bronze medallists for Australia Fencers at the 1950 British Empire Games Fencers at the 1954 British Empire and Commonwealth Games 20th-century Australian people 21st-century Australian people Sportsmen from Victoria (state) Medallists at the 1954 British Empire and Commonwealth Games