Emese Szász-Kovács

Emese Szász-Kovács (born 7 September 1982) is a Hungarian left-handed épée fencer, three-time Olympian, and 2016 individual Olympic champion.

Career
Szász's first sport was swimming, but she grew tired of it. She did not think she would succeed in a ball game, being left-handed, so she took on fencing. Her first coaches were György Felletár and Béla Kopetka. She joined the junior national Hungarian team, with which she won a gold medal at the 1998 Junior World Championships in Valencia and a silver medal at the 1999 edition in Keszthely.

She began the 2013–14 season by winning gold in the 2013 World Combat Games in Saint-Petersburg, defeating in the final world champion Julia Beljajeva.

Awards

 * Hungarian Fencer of the Year (5): 2010, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016
 * Honorary Citizen of Zugló (2016)


 * Orders and special awards
 * HUN Order of Merit of the Hungarian Rep (civil) 4class BAR.svg Order of Merit of Hungary – Officer's Cross (2016)