Foil, Individual, Women

Deaf fencer Ildikó Rejtő-Ujlaky had been a regular on the international scene for nearly a decade but did not make her breakthrough as an individual until she claimed victory at the 1963 World Championships. She survived a close call in the quarter-finals where she needed a barrage but then proceeded to the final pool, defeating reigning Olympic champion Heidi Schmid on the way. The final pool stage proved inconclusive with Rejtő-Ujlaky, Helga Mees of Germany and Antonella Ragno of Italy each recording two wins out of three. Ragno lost both matches in the barrage which left the final match as Rejtő-Ujlaky versus Mees to decide the Olympic title. Mees had already defeated the Hungarian on two occasions during the competition but this time the tables were turned and Rejtő-Ujlaky emerged the winner by 4 hits to 2.

Rejtő-Ujlaky added a bronze medal in the individual event in 1968 and won team medals in every Olympic Games until 1976. All three medallists were married to, or would later marry, fellow Olympians.