LAUSANNE, Dec. 6, 2024 – The FIE is saddened to learn of the passing of Peter Westbrook (USA, MH) on November 29, at the age of 72. He competed in five Olympic Games in men’s sabre, and earned an individual bronze medal at the 1984 Games in Los Angeles.
He was born on April 16, 1952, in St. Louis, Missouri, and grew up in Newark, New Jersey. He began fencing at the Essex Catholic High School and then competed while attending New York University. Between 1974 and 1995, Westbrook won 13 USA national men’s sabre titles, including eight consecutively between 1979 and 1986. He became a member of the FIE Hall of Fame in addition to being inducted into the USA Fencing Hall of Fame, New York University Athletics Hall of Fame, Sports Hall of Fame of New Jersey and International Sports Hall of Fame.
Following his competitive career, he founded the Peter Westbrook Foundation, a non-profit organisation that helped develop fencing athletes from underdeveloped communities in New York City. His programme has produced numerous nationally and internationally ranked athletes, including Olympians Akhi Spencer-El, Ibtihaj Muhammad, Daryl Homer, Curtis McDowald, Khalil Thompson and Lauren Scruggs. Scruggs most recently won two medals at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
USA Fencing Chair of the Board of Directors Damien Lehfeldt said that Westbrook was “one of the most influential figures in the history of American Fencing. You cannot tell our history without Peter’s on-strip accomplishments, nor can you tell them without his contributions via his foundation.”
Westbrook published a personal memoir in 1997, titled “Harnessing Anger: The Way of an American Fencer,” which was the story of his childhood and how his experiences influenced his success as an Olympic fencer and was inspirational in the founding of his Foundation.
The FIE extends its sincere condolences for their loss to Peter Westbrook’s family and friends, USA Fencing and the Pan American Fencing Confederation, and expresses its deepest sympathy during this difficult time.