Grigory Kriss


Grigory Yakovlevich Kriss is a retired Soviet Olympic épée fencer who won four Olympic medals.

Early life

Kriss was born in Kiev, Ukraine, and is Jewish. He was an officer in the Red Army of the Soviet Union.

Fencing career

He competed at the 1964 Olympics winning a gold medal in Individual Epee, the 1968 Olympics winning silver medals in both Individual Epee and Team Epee, and the 1972 Olympics winning a bronze medal in Team Epee.
At the World Championships he won the Individual Epee silver medal in 1967, the Individual Epee gold medal in 1971, and four World Team Epee medals: a bronze in 1965, a silver in 1966, a gold in 1969, and a silver in 1971.

Hall of Fame

Kriss was inducted into the International Jewish Sports Hall of Fame in 1989.

Life outside competitive fencing

He was a physical education teacher, and a fencing coach.