Fencing great Mangiarotti dead at 93

• Tweet

MILAN, Italy, May 26 (UPI) -- Fencing great Edoardo Mangiarotti, who collected 13 Olympic medals in his long career, died in Milan Friday at 93, the Italian Fencing Federation said.

Mangiarotti was the most prolific Olympic fencer in the history of the Games and competed in five Games between 1936 and 1960, and attended the spectacle up until 2008.

Mangiarotti suffered a stroke five months before the 2008 games in China but fulfilled his vow to be there, The New York Times said Saturday. His death at his home was believed to have been caused by a heart attack.

"Edoardo Mangiarotti's total of 39 gold, silver and bronze medals in Olympics and the World Fencing Championships not only earns him the distinction of being the greatest fencer in sports history, but also distinguishes him as the most decorated athlete in all Olympic sports in the history of the Olympics," the federation said in a written statement.

Born in 1919, Mangiarotti was part of a fencing family and took up the sword at age 14 and won his first gold in the epee when he was 17 at the 1936 Berlin games.

He won his last medal in 1960 using his trademark style of fencing with his left hand and attacking early and focusing on defense late in the match, the Times said.