Michael D'Asaro Sr. (March 14, 1938 – December 12, 2000) was an American fencing master and coach. D'Asaro was a

Pan American Games The Pan American Games (also known colloquially as the Pan Am Games) is a continental multi-sport event in the Americas featuring summer sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The competition is held ...

, U.S., and World Military Sabre Champion, and had the particular distinction of being perhaps the last top-level three-weapon competitor. He was also a fencing coach at San Jose State University.

Accomplishments

Sabre

1960 Summer Olympics The 1960 Summer Olympics ( it, Giochi Olimpici estivi del 1960), officially known as the Games of the XVII Olympiad ( it, Giochi della XVII Olimpiade) and commonly known as Rome 1960 ( it, Roma 1960), were an international multi-sport event held ...

– 4th place US team. *

– 1st in individual and team, 1963. * Nationals – 1st, 1962, medalist in '60, '66, and '67. * NCAA – 1st 1960.

Foil

Nationals – 3rd, 1963, 1st (team) 1959.

Épée

Pan American Games – 2nd (individual), 1st (team), 1959. Martini-Rossi – 3rd, 1963.

Coaching

Olympic Coach and member of the National Coaching Staff: 1976 Olympics, 1977 World University Games, 1975 and '79 Pan American Games, and 1973 and '74 Junior World Championships.

Honors

D'Asaro was inducted into the USFA Hall of Fame in 2002. He finished his coaching career at Westside Fencing Center in Los Angeles.

Miscellaneous

His former wife,

Gay Jacobsen D'Asaro Gay Kristine Jacobsen D'Asaro (now Gay MacLellan) is an American Olympic foil fencer. She attended the University of California, Santa Barbara from 1972 to 1974 and fenced as a member of the UC Santa Barbara Gauchos. She later transferred and ...

, was a member of the 1976 and 1980 US Women's Olympic Foil Teams. His son, Michael D'Asaro Jr., coached in California at California Institute of Technology
Santa Barbara Fencing Academy
and his soon to open club, Salle D'asaro. Michael Jr. has now relocated to

Trophy Club, Texas Trophy Club is a suburb of the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. When established in the 1970s, it was one of the earliest premier planned communities in Texas, built around the only golf course designed by Ben Hogan. It is located west of DFW Airpor ...

. He's also made mention of a new fencing club.

Former students

*Jeff Richardson *Darrell Bluhm *Michael D'asaro Jr. *Thom Cate * Soren Thompson, two-time Olympian in epee and world champion

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:D'Asaro, Michael Sr. 1938 births 2000 deaths Fencers at the 1960 Summer Olympics San Jose State Spartans fencing coaches American male épée fencers Olympic fencers for the United States Fencers at the 1959 Pan American Games Fencers at the 1963 Pan American Games Medalists at the 1959 Pan American Games Medalists at the 1963 Pan American Games Pan American Games gold medalists for the United States in fencing Pan American Games silver medalists for the United States in fencing American male foil fencers American male sabre fencers