Ana Maria Popescu

1.1. Early Life and Introduction to Fencing

Born in 1984 in the Rahova district of Bucharest, Ana Maria was the second of two children. Her parents, noting her energetic nature, encouraged her to engage in sports. She initially tried tennis because courts were conveniently located near her home. However, she found herself to be the only left-handed player and felt a lack of competitive events, leading her to quit after just one year. At the age of ten, her elder brother, Marius, who played football for a school team of CSA Steaua București, introduced her to the fencing hall in Ghencea. Although initially uninterested, as she was not a fan of The Three Musketeers, she was immediately drawn to the sport upon entering the hall. She specifically took up épée fencing because it was the only left-handed weapon available at the club when she began training. Within just six months of starting, she became the champion of Romania for her age group, a testament to her rapid adaptation and natural talent. Standing 5.7 ft ^{(1.75 m)} tall and weighing 139 lb ^{(63 kg)}, her physical attributes were well-suited for fencing. She was sometimes affectionately known by nicknames such as Brânzica, Brînzi, or Brînzici, derived from her maiden name Brânză, which means 'cheese' in Romanian, with 'Brânzica' being a diminutive meaning 'little cheese'.

1.2. Education and Early Training Environment

Ana Maria's early success quickly caught the attention of national coach Dan Podeanu, who selected her for centralized training after a trial. At 13 years old, at the beginning of her eighth grade, she left her family to move to Craiova. There, she trained at the Junior Olympic Centre for épée alongside older athletes. She continued her studies at the Petrache-Trișcu Sports High School, an institution that later honored her by naming one of its alleys after her. The high school provided a specialized curriculum for young athletes, dedicating three or four hours daily to academics, with the remaining time focused on sports. However, the sports facilities in post-Ceaușescu Romania were in a state of disrepair. Lacking a dedicated building, training sessions were initially held in the high school's community hall, and fencers had to change behind curtains due to the absence of locker rooms.

After completing her bacalaureat, Popescu received an athletic scholarship offer from an American university but chose to remain in Romania. She initially hoped to study psychology at university before enrolling in the Faculty of Sports and Physical Education at the University of Craiova, where she earned a master's degree in 2007. In the same year, she was awarded the title of Master Emeritus in Sports (Maestru Emerit al Sportului^Romanian). In 2001, she joined CSA Steaua, one of Romania's main sports clubs, which is operated by the Ministry of National Defence of Romania. She was initially granted the rank of sergeant. Despite her military affiliation, she is not under military obligation and is seconded full-time to her sport. Coming from a military family-her grandfather, father, and brother all served in the army-she frequently appears in uniform in the media. Following her studies, she was promoted to lieutenant, and as of 2015, she holds the rank of major. She has stated that her hobbies include watching cartoons and collecting Eeyore dolls.

1.3. Marriage and Social Engagement

In August 2015, Ana Maria married Pavel Popescu, a water polo player for CSA Steaua, and subsequently announced her intention to compete under her married name, Popescu. Beyond her athletic pursuits, she is actively involved in social causes. She supports AITA, an association dedicated to children with autism in Bucharest. From September 2013 to November 2014, she spearheaded the campaign Aleargă de ziua ta!^Romanian ("run on your birthday"), which encouraged individuals to celebrate their birthdays by engaging in physical activity and raising funds for charitable causes. Additionally, Popescu lent her voice to the Romanian language dub of the animated film Rise of the Guardians.

2.1. Early Career and Junior Success (2001-2004)

Ana Maria Popescu, then known as Ana Maria Brânză, won her first senior national championship at the young age of fifteen. Her initial exposure to international competition came at the 1999 Cadet World Championships in Keszthely, where she finished 28th. This experience, however, served as a powerful motivator, as she observed fencers from countries with superior training conditions: "I saw kids from France wearing immaculate white outfits, while I had a yellowed kit and sneakers ripped up at the toe. But I went after them to defeat them."

In 2001, she joined the fencing section of CSA Steaua, training under coach Cornel Milan. That same year, she achieved her first significant international results, securing a gold medal at the Cadet World Championships and a team silver medal at the Junior World Championships, both held in Gdańsk. These early accomplishments led the Romanian media to compare her to Olympic foil champion Laura Badea-Cârlescu, but Popescu expressed a desire to surpass Badea's achievements. In 2002, Popescu continued her junior dominance by winning the gold medal at the Junior World Championships in Antalya, defeating China's Tan Li in the final. Her performance was lauded for her "remarkable tactical mastery for a seventeen and a half year old girl."

The same year marked her debut in senior major competitions. At the 2002 European Fencing Championships in Moscow, she reached the quarter-finals before being eliminated by Lyubov Shutova. At the 2002 World Fencing Championships in Lisbon, she advanced to the semi-finals, where she was defeated by Germany's Imke Duplitzer, earning a bronze medal. Popescu later recalled this as her fondest victory, attributing it to her youth at the time and the fact that she competed without her coach, accompanied only by her sabre colleagues.

Despite her rapid ascent, Popescu experienced a period of apprehension before her bouts, stating, "When you get on the piste, it looks to you like your opponent is out to steal your dreams." This led to struggles during the 2002-03 Fencing World Cup season, where her best individual result was a quarter-final finish in Prague. However, a double gold medal haul at the Junior European Fencing Championships in Poreč helped her overcome this hurdle. That season also saw the debut of the Romanian women's épée team in senior competitions, finishing 8th at the 2003 World Fencing Championships.

In April 2004, she once again won the Junior World Championships, narrowly defeating Bianca Del Carretto 15-14 in the final. She reached the quarter-finals at the senior European Championships in Copenhagen. Popescu qualified for the 2004 Summer Olympics by securing a silver medal at the zonal qualifying tournament in Ghent, where she notably defeated top-seed Sophie Lamon of Switzerland in the table of 16, though she lost to Sonja Tol of the Netherlands in the final. For her Olympic debut in Athens, Popescu managed to defeat the experienced Hungarian fencer Adrienn Hormay but was eliminated in the table of 16 by China's Zhang Li, finishing 16th overall. She later explained that she felt overwhelmed by the Olympic experience, feeling like "a child lost amongst big-name athletes."

2.2. Rise to Prominence and First Olympics (2004-2008)

In the 2004-05 Fencing World Cup season, Ana Maria Popescu achieved her first podium finish in the World Cup series, earning a silver medal at the Budapest Grand Prix. This result, combined with a quarter-final placement at the 2005 World Championships in Leipzig, where she lost to Estonia's Maarika Võsu, allowed her to conclude the season within the Top 10 for the first time in her career. The following season, 2005-06, she secured her first World Cup title in Budapest and recorded four additional top-eight finishes.

At the 2005 European Fencing Championships in İzmir, she was defeated in the second round by her teammate Iuliana Măceșeanu. However, in the team event, Romania triumphed over Russia with a score of 45-43 and then faced Hungary in the final. Popescu delivered a crucial performance, defeating Tímea Nagy in the final leg, which enabled Romania to secure a narrow 33-32 victory. This win against a double Olympic champion bolstered her confidence, leading her to believe she could become a champion herself. She reached the quarter-finals again at the 2006 World Championships in Turin but was defeated by Nagy on this occasion.

The 2007-08 Fencing World Cup season saw Popescu claim a gold medal at the St. Petersburg World Cup, silver medals in Budapest and Havana, and bronze medals in Luxembourg and Barcelona. Her consistent performance propelled her to the second place in the world rankings, securing her qualification for the women's individual épée event at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, as the women's team épée event was not included in the Olympic program for that edition. The 2008 European Fencing Championships, held in Kyiv in July, served as the final preparatory event before the Olympics. Popescu reached the semi-finals, where she overcame Russia's Anna Sivkova. In the final, she lost 15-10 to Hormay, whom she had previously defeated at the Athens Olympics, earning her first individual European silver medal. In the team event, Romania defeated Poland and Hungary, then decisively prevailed over Germany in the final to secure a bronze medal, which was their second continental team title.

In August, the Romanian delegation arrived in Beijing two weeks ahead of the competition. As the sole Romanian épée fencer at the Games, she trained with foilists Cristina Stahl and Virgil Sălișcan. As the No. 2 seed, she received a bye in the first round. She then defeated Japan's Megumi Harada 15-11 and Russia's Lyubov Shutova 15-13 to reach the semi-finals. There, she faced the experienced 39-year-old Ildikó Mincza-Nébald of Hungary. After a closely contested bout where neither fencer gained more than a two-hit advantage, Popescu delivered the decisive hit to secure her place in the final. Following a brief rest, she met world No. 1 Britta Heidemann of Germany, who established an early four-hit lead. Popescu rallied to 10-12 in the third and final period, but Heidemann scored three consecutive hits, closing the bout 15-11 with a double touche. Popescu attributed Heidemann's victory to her superior physical condition, remarking that the German had "fenced like a man." For her silver medal, Popescu was awarded the Romanian Order for Sports Merit (Ordinul "Meritul Sportiv"), second class. She finished first in the overall women's épée World Cup rankings for two consecutive seasons, 2007-2008 and 2008-2009. She was also appointed a member of the athletes' commission of the International Fencing Federation by its executive committee for the period 2009-2013.

2.3. World #1 and Olympic Silver (2008-2012)

Following the Beijing Olympics, Ana Maria Popescu began experiencing tendon pain in her weapon hand, but the demanding competition schedule prevented her from addressing it immediately. At the 2009 European Fencing Championships in Plovdiv, she was defeated in the second round by fellow Romanian Anca Măroiu. However, she secured her third continental team title when Romania successively defeated Russia, Germany, and Poland. Teammate Simona Gherman playfully referred to the team as the "Power Praf^Romanian" girls, a nod to The Powerpuff Girls anime, due to the challenges faced during their match against Russia. This nickname stuck, and they later incorporated it into their pre-match battle cry: "Suntem fetițele PowerPraf și am venit să vă facem pilaf!^Romanian" (We're the Powerpuff Girls and we'll make mincemeat of you!).

Popescu was rested for the Romanian national championships to protect her hand. She arrived at the 2010 World Fencing Championships in Antalya holding the World No. 1 ranking but cautioned that she was only fencing at 50 to 60% of her full capacity due to her wrist issues. She was eliminated 9-10 in the table of 16 by Canada's Sherraine Schalm. The Romanian team was defeated in the first round by Italy, again by a single hit, and finished sixth after the placement matches.

Following this setback, Popescu decided to address her persistent wrist problems. Medical examinations in Romania and France indicated that her condition was operable, but surgery would likely end her fencing career. Instead, she opted for a break from competition to undergo a strict recovery program. After several months of hiatus, she made a triumphant return, earning gold medals in her first two competitions: the Florina and Nanjing 2010 World Cup events. Despite this, she continued to suffer from left-wrist pain and required medical attention after each competition until 2012.

At the 2010 World Fencing Championships in Paris, Popescu again experienced an early exit in the individual event. However, she played a pivotal role in securing Romania's first team gold medal in épée, alongside Simona Gherman, Loredana Dinu, and Anca Măroiu. Popescu contributed more than half of the hits scored by Romania in the final against Germany. Her final relay against Imke Duplitzer, which she won 18-10, was described as "a real example of technique and tactical intelligence" in an otherwise "quite monotonous" match.

In 2011, Popescu earned a bronze medal in the individual event at the 2011 European Fencing Championships in Sheffield and a gold medal in the team event after defeating Russia 45-31. The victory ceremony was marred by an incident when Trei culori, the former communist-era national anthem of Romania, was played instead of the current Deșteaptă-te, române!. Popescu decided to walk off in protest and convinced her teammates to follow her.

At the 2011 World Fencing Championships in Catania, Popescu was stopped in the semi-finals by Sun Yujie of China, earning her a bronze medal, her second World Championships medal. In the team event, the "Power Praf^Romanian" girls easily defeated Great Britain and then Poland. However, Popescu sustained a hand injury during the quarter-finals against Poland and required medical attention. She fenced with a bandaged hand and only one relay in the semi-final against Germany, which Romania won with a tight score of 24-23. She was initially to be rested during the final against China but was eventually called upon to replace a stressed Măroiu. She lost her first relay 1-4 to Sun Yujie, but her subsequent 4-1 performance against Xu Anqi contributed to Romania's sudden-death victory. Popescu was crowned team world champion for the second time in a row. For this outstanding performance, she, Măroiu, and Alexandru, as members of the military club CSA Steaua, received the emblem of honor of the Romanian Army (emblema de onoare a Armatei României^Romanian), and all team members were granted honorary citizenship of Craiova.

In May 2012, the Romanian team received new kits from their equipment sponsor PBT, which included red, yellow, and blue colored masks, allowing them to form the tricolor flag of Romania as a team. Popescu, as no one else wanted it, opted for the yellow mask, which has since become her distinctive trademark. She was considered to carry the flag for Romania at the London Olympics but declined, citing her left hand problem.

Ranked World No. 1 in April 2012, Popescu aimed for gold at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London. However, she was narrowly defeated 14-13 in the round of 16 by Ukraine's Yana Shemyakina, who ultimately won the gold medal. The top-seeded Romanian team she led also fell short of the podium, suffering a 38-45 defeat to 10th-ranked South Korea in the quarter-finals. Popescu expressed her deep disappointment, stating, "This is the most painful moment in my life." After the Games, three Romanian team members retired from the sport, but Popescu decided to continue her career, setting her new goal on the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. Following the resignation of her long-time coach Dan Podeanu, she began training under Octavian Zidaru.

2.4. Post-London and Continued Success (2012-2016)

In the 2012-13 Fencing World Cup season, Ana Maria Popescu demonstrated remarkable consistency, achieving podium finishes in six out of eight World Cup events, including gold medals at the Challenge International de Saint-Maur and the Havana Grand Prix. She also led CSA Steaua to a silver medal in the European Champion Clubs' Cup in Naples. In May, she secured her eighth national title, winning both the individual and team events.

As the World No. 1 in the FIE rankings, she entered the 2013 European Fencing Championships as a favorite. She had a close 15-14 victory in the table of 32 against 17-year-old Alona Komarov of Israel. Her subsequent bouts were more decisive, and she ultimately earned the gold medal after defeating Italy's Francesca Quondamcarlo 15-11 in the final. In the team event, she led a largely revamped Romanian squad, now nicknamed "Poky Power." She scored the decisive hit in the 44-43 quarter-final against Sweden; Romania then defeated Hungary but lost to Estonia in the final, settling for a silver medal.

During the 2013 World Fencing Championships in Budapest, Popescu comfortably advanced to the table of eight but was narrowly defeated 14-15 by Estonia's Julia Beljajeva, who went on to win the competition. In the team event, Romania successively defeated Denmark, Venezuela, and South Korea, avenging their defeat at the London Olympics. They were stopped in the semi-finals by Russia, who secured a decisive 44-33 victory. Romania then faced France in the match for the third place; Popescu entered the final leg with the score tied at 25-25 and decisively beat Joséphine Jacques-André-Coquin 8-3 to secure the bronze medal. Popescu was also re-elected as a member of the athletes' commission during the world championships. She concluded the year ranked World No. 1 for a record-equalling third time and was honored with a gold medal from the FIE during its centenary gala dinner in Paris at the Automobile Club de France on November 30, 2013.

In the 2013-14 Fencing World Cup season, Popescu participated in the 2013 World Combat Games in Saint-Petersburg but failed to medal after defeats against Emese Szász and Xu Anqi. She finished fifth in the first World Cup event of the season in Doha after a 7-8 quarter-final loss to Julianna Révész. However, she won the gold medal in the team event, scoring the decisive hit in additional time in the last three matches, including a 19-18 victory over China in the final. She then went on to win the Budapest Grand Prix, prevailing 15-7 against Irina Embrich in the final. She later earned a bronze medal in Saint-Maur after being stopped in the semi-finals by China's Xu Anqi, who ultimately won the competition. After three consecutive podium finishes in Barcelona from 2011 to 2013, she exited the 2014 competition in the table of 8 following a 15-11 defeat against Qin Xue of China. In the team event, she led her team to the semi-finals, where Romania was defeated 35-20 by Russia. Romania then faced the United States; Popescu scored the winning hit in additional time to secure the bronze medal. The remainder of the season did not bring her any further podium placings, and she lost her World No. 1 ranking to Emese Szász in May.

At the 2014 European Fencing Championships in Strasbourg, Popescu was unable to defend her individual title, being beaten 8-9 in the table of 32 by teammate Simona Gherman, who eventually won a bronze medal. In the team competition, No. 2 seed Romania received a bye, then defeated Ukraine 45-31, beat Italy 29-24 in the semi-final, and overcame Russia 38-34 in a very tight and tactical final, allowing Popescu to win her fifth team European gold. The 2014 World Fencing Championships in Kazan proved disappointing, as Popescu was stopped in the table of 16 by Estonia's Irina Embrich and slid to fifth place in the FIE rankings. In the team event, Romania prevailed over Germany but was defeated in the table of 8 by Italy. Popescu entered the last leg with Italy leading 25-24 but was overcome 16-8 by newly crowned World champion Rossella Fiamingo. Romania then entered the placement rounds, first defeating China and then the United States to secure fifth place in the competition. Following this setback, Octavian Zidaru was replaced as coach by Dan Podeanu, whom Popescu regards as a "second father" and who was persuaded to return for a second stint.

Popescu began the 2014-15 Fencing World Cup season with a silver medal at the Legnano World Cup, suffering a 12-13 defeat in additional time against Ukraine's Anfisa Pochkalova. In the team event, she scored the winning hit in extra time in the semi-finals against Italy, but Romania was overcome by Estonia in the final and settled for silver. She achieved another second-place finish in Xuzhou after losing in the final to Emese Szász. At the Doha Grand Prix, her path to the podium was again blocked by Gherman, who defeated her 4-3 in the quarter-finals.

The Barcelona World Cup in January 2015 proved disappointing as Popescu lost in the second round to Poland's Renata Knapik-Miazga, then ranked 57th in the world. She subsequently dropped to eighth place in the FIE rankings. In the team event, Romania defeated Israel and then China in the quarter-finals. However, Popescu injured her weapon hand after Sun Yujie accidentally collided with her. She fenced only part of the semi-final against Sweden, which defeated Romania 45-33. She did not fence at all in the small final, where a last-bout rally by Gherman allowed Romania to secure the bronze medal. After being rested for ten days, she reached the quarter-finals in the Buenos Aires World Cup but lost to Korea's Shin A-lam. In the team event, Romania prevailed over Venezuela and Estonia, then crushed Russia 45-24 before yielding 26-30 to Italy. Their silver medal allowed them to climb to third place in the World rankings. In March, Popescu earned a silver medal at the Budapest Grand Prix after losing again to Shin in the final. She subsequently reached third place in the FIE rankings. In May, she was defeated by Anca Măroiu in the Romanian national championship, earning a bronze medal. She was rested for the Rio de Janeiro Grand Prix, but Shin A-lam's average result at the competition allowed Popescu to reach second place in the world rankings.

At the 2015 European Fencing Championships in Montreux, Popescu switched her yellow mask for a tricolor one bearing Romanian colors. In the individual event, she fell short of the podium after a quarter-final defeat to world No. 1 Emese Szász. In the team event, Romania defeated Ukraine, then met Sweden, coached by Romanian Adrian Pop. Popescu entered the last relay on a draw and defeated Sweden's captain Emma Samuelsson to lead her team into the final. As in the 2013 edition, they met Estonia, whom they defeated this time 45-30. Popescu claimed her sixth continental title, a record in women's épée. A few weeks later, she reached the final at the 2015 European Games in Baku after a sudden-death victory over Estonia's Erika Kirpu. She then proceeded to defeat Russia's Yana Zvereva, winning Romania's first gold medal at the Games. In the team event, Romania reached the final, where they met the same Estonian team as at the European Championships and produced a repeat performance, allowing Popescu a double gold haul.

At the 2015 World Fencing Championships in Moscow, Popescu was unexpectedly eliminated in the second round by Estonia's Katrina Lehis, whom she had always defeated before. In the team event, Romania successively defeated Turkey, Switzerland, Hungary, and Ukraine to meet China in the final. Popescu opened the match against Xu Anqi but struggled, losing 2-5. The subsequent bouts proved equally challenging, and Popescu entered the last relay with Romania trailing 28-36. She could not bridge the gap, and Romania ultimately lost 36-45, taking the silver medal. Popescu finished the season ranked World No. 4.

2.5. Later Career and Final Achievements (2016-Present)

Following a highly successful period, Ana Maria Popescu continued to compete at the highest level, achieving further Olympic and World Championship medals. At the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, she achieved a career highlight by winning the team gold medal in women's épée. In the same year, at the 2016 European Fencing Championships in Toruń, she earned an individual silver medal and a team bronze medal, showcasing her enduring individual and collective strength.

Popescu maintained her presence on the Grand Prix and World Cup circuits. In 2017, she secured a gold medal at the Doha Grand Prix. Her individual success continued into 2019, where she won gold at the Budapest Grand Prix and a bronze medal at the Cali Grand Prix. In November 2019, she claimed another gold at the Tallinn World Cup. Her strong performances extended into 2020 with a gold medal at the Doha Grand Prix and a silver medal at the Havana World Cup.

Her illustrious career culminated at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, where she earned her second individual Olympic silver medal. This achievement further solidified her status as one of the most decorated épée fencers in history, demonstrating remarkable longevity and consistency at the elite level of the sport.

3.1. Olympic Games

3.2. World Championships

3.3. European Championships

3.4. Grand Prix and World Cup Series

3.5. Cadet and Junior Competitions

3.6. Military Sport Competitions

Ana Maria Popescu has also achieved notable success in military sports competitions, reflecting her affiliation with military sports organizations.

• Military World Games / Military World Fencing Championships
  • Team gold, 2011 Rio de Janeiro
  • Team gold, 2010 Caracas
  • Individual gold, 2006 Bucharest
  • Team gold, 2005 Bucharest
  • Individual gold, 2005 Grosseto
  • Individual bronze, 2010 Caracas
  • Team bronze, 2005 Grosseto
  • Military European Fencing Championships
    • Individual gold, 2009 Göteborg
    • Team gold, 2009 Göteborg