Byron Lester Krieger was an American foil, sabre and epee fencer.
22 Facts About Byron Krieger
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Byron Krieger was born and raised in Detroit, Michigan, lived in Southfield as an adult, and was Jewish.
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Byron Krieger graduated from Northwestern High School, where he was a member of the school fencing club under the direction of his English teacher, Beatrice Merriam.
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Byron Krieger attended Wayne State University in Michigan, where de Tuscan coached.
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Byron Krieger established himself as a top-ranked fencer competing in an All Star Midwest team against Canada, Mexico, Cuba, and the US Sectional teams.
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Byron Krieger represented the United States in the British-American matches in Toronto, where he was undefeated in the US victory.
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Byron Krieger won gold medals in team foil and team sabre and the team silver in epee at the 1951 Pan American Games in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
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Byron Krieger came in 6th in both the individual foil and sabre events.
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Byron Krieger was the only American to defeat the Argentine National Champion.
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In 1957 Byron Krieger won the individual saber championship; a gold medal in the foil team, and a second place in individual foil at the 1957 Maccabiah Games in Israel.
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Byron Krieger was the lone Michigan athlete to represent the United States at the Games.
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Byron Krieger won 55 state and Midwest titles in all three fencing weapons, including all three weapons in the same year five times.
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Byron Krieger competed twice for the United States at the Olympics.
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Byron Krieger competed in the team foil event at the 1952 Summer Olympics in Helsinki, reaching the quarterfinals.
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Byron Krieger competed in the matches against France and Italy, and was the first American fencer to beat the French two-time Olympic champion Christian d'Oriola.
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Byron Krieger received the Detroit Sports Guild Outstanding Athlete Award in 1951.
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Byron Krieger was selected to referee Olympia style Latin American Games in Venezuela and Guatemala.
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Byron Krieger served for many years as both President of the Michigan Division of the Amateur Fencers' League and the Salle de Tuscan Fencing Club, and devoted many years to officiating at State and Intercollegiate matches.
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Byron Krieger had a long career with the Internal Revenue Service in Detroit, and retired in 1979 as Associate Chief Appeals.
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Byron Krieger died at age 95 on November 8,2015, from injuries he incurred in a fire in his home in Boca Raton, Florida.
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Byron Krieger was a devout Jew and was celebrating the Sabbath by lighting the traditional Shabbat candle, signifying the beginning of the Sabbath.
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Byron Krieger suffered from Parkinson's disease, and the match he lit for the candle fell from his hands and onto his sweater.