Ten gold medals were awarded in individual and team events, further divided into three styles of fencing: épée, foil and sabre.

[1] Fencing is one of the few sports that have been featured in every modern Olympic Games, and for the first time female competitors competed individually using the sabre.

The Lexan window mask, showing the athletes' faces, was used for the first time at these Olympics.

Italy finished top of the fencing medal table at the 2004 Summer Olympics.

[1] A total of 223 fencers (129 men and 94 women) from 42 nations competed at the Athens Games:[1]