Irina Embrich

2.1. Childhood and early sports

Irina Embrich's first sport was gymnastics, but she found the strict discipline characteristic of the Soviet Union era to be a source of resentment. Subsequently, she shifted her focus to rhythmic gymnastics before ultimately discovering and pursuing fencing under the guidance of coach Samuil Kaminski. In her early competitive years, Embrich showed promise, ranking 20th in the cadet World Championships in 1996 and improving to 12th in 1998. Her breakthrough came in 1999 when she secured a bronze medal at the junior event.

2.2. Education and personal life

After completing high school, Embrich pursued higher education, studying chemistry at the Tallinn University of Technology in Estonia. A pivotal moment in her career occurred in 2004 when her coach relocated from Estonia to Norway. Around the same time, Nikolai Novosjolov, an épée champion and her contemporary, agreed to train with her, fostering a collaborative, equal footing relationship rather than a traditional student-master dynamic. In the same year, Embrich married a fellow student, and in 2005, they welcomed their daughter, Maria. She successfully continued her fencing career while managing her personal life milestones.

3.1. Career development and early international success

Following her junior bronze medal in 1999, Embrich continued to develop as a fencer. A major achievement came at the 2006 World Fencing Championships in Turin, Italy, where she earned a silver medal in individual women's épée, losing the final to Tímea Nagy with a score of 15-11. The following year, at the 2007 World Championships, she secured a bronze medal in the same event. These impressive performances led to her being recognized as the Estonian Sportswoman of the Year 2007.

3.2. Major international competitions

In the 2012-13 season, Embrich consistently performed well, earning bronze medals at the World Cup events held in Leipzig, Germany, and Saint-Maur-des-Fossés, France. That same season, she was part of the Estonian team that won the gold medal at the 2013 European Fencing Championships in Zagreb, Croatia. At the 2013 World Fencing Championships in Budapest, Hungary, she reached the table of 16 but was defeated by Emese Szász, who eventually claimed a bronze medal, leading Embrich to finish 10th.

During the 2013-14 season, Embrich achieved a notable second-place finish at the Budapest Grand Prix, where she was defeated 7-15 in the final by world no.1 Ana Maria Brânză. This result significantly boosted her world ranking to 4th place. At the 2014 European Fencing Championships in Strasbourg, France, her individual campaign ended in the table of 32, again at the hands of World No. 1 Emese Szász. In the team event, Estonia was defeated by Russia in the semi-finals, then by Italy, finishing fourth overall. At the 2014 World Fencing Championships in Kazan, Russia, Embrich advanced to the quarter-finals, defeating World No. 2 Ana Brânză along the way, before being defeated by Rossella Fiamingo of Italy, who went on to win the gold medal.

3.3. Olympic and World Championship highlights

Irina Embrich is a two-time Olympian, having competed in the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympic Games and the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games. Her career pinnacle came at the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games, held in 2021, where she clinched the gold medal with the Estonian team in Women's Épée. At the World Championships, she earned a team gold medal in 2017, complementing her individual silver from 2006, individual bronze from 2007, and team silver from 2014. These achievements underscore her consistent performance at the highest levels of international fencing.

5.1. Olympic Games medals

5.2. World Championship medals

5.3. European Championship medals

5.4. Grand Prix medals

5.5. World Cup medals