Melbournian John Fethers attended Malvern campus from 1937 to 1945 and was seventeen when he first handled a sword, but within six months of taking up the sport, he was already a medallist at the Victoria State championships. He quickly rose through the ranks and in 1950 was chosen to compete for Australia at the British Empire Games in New Zealand, where he won the silver medal in the individual foil behind René Paul of England.
Fencing Career
- 1950 British Empire Games: Won silver in the individual foil.
- Historic Achievement: In 1951, became the first man to win all three weapons at the Australian national championships.
- 1952 Helsinki Olympics: Competed in all available disciplines, reaching the second phase in both Épée and Foil.
- 1954 British Empire and Commonwealth Games:
- Silver in individual foil.
- Bronze in individual sabre.
- Silver in team foil.
- Bronze in team sabre.
- Bronze in team épée.
- 1954: Won the British Open and reached the semi-finals of the World Championships.
- 1955: Became the first Australian to reach the final pool at a World Championships but was unable to travel back to Australia for the selection matches, missing out on the Melbourne Games.
Professional Career and Coaching
Towards the end of the decade, Fethers decided to turn professional. His Olympic career continued as he became a coach for the Australian team in Tokyo and later served as national head coach. In addition to being a fencing master, Fethers worked in the movies, choreographing swordfights and appearing as a stunt double in fencing scenes.
Major Championship Podium Finishes
- 1950 British Empire Games:
- 2nd in Foil Individual.
- 1954 British Empire and Commonwealth Games:
- 2nd in Foil Individual.
- 2nd in Foil Team (with Ivan Lund and Roderick Steele).
- 3rd in Sabre Individual.
- 3rd in Sabre Team (with Ivan Lund, Roderick Steele, and Laurence Smith).
- 3rd in Épée Team (with Ivan Lund and Laurence Smith).
Image credit: Olympedia
