Endre KABOS

Endre Kabos competed at the 1932 and 1936 Olympics in sabre fencing, winning three gold medals, with golds in the team event both years, and in individual sabre in 1936, adding a bronze at the 1932 Olympics in individual sabre. Kabos was first noticed internationally when he won the 1928 Slovakian Championship in sabre. He also won a silver medal at the 1930 European Championships, then won European golds in individual sabre in 1933 and 1934. Kabos fenced on winning Hungarian sabre teams at the 1931 and 1933-35 Europeans. Not as financially well off as some of his compatriots, Kabos retired after the 1934 Europeans to open a grocery store, but was helped by some sponsors and was able to return to the Hungarian team.

Those were the good days. In World War II Kabos, who was Jewish, was sent to a labor camp in Vax, Hungary. He was spotted by a prison guard who recognized him as the Olympic champion and arranged for his transport to Budapest, where Kabos worked for the Army as a driver. In November 1944 Kabos was driving an ammunitions truck across the Margaret Bridge connecting Buda and Pest when the bridge was destroyed by an explosion from a pipe bomb that had been planted by the Arrow Cross Party. Kabos was killed in the explosion or in the resultant fall into the Danube.