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| POPESCU Ana Maria |
| NOC |
Romania
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| Gender | Women |
| Born |
26 Nov 1984
in Bucharest, ROU
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| Height | 1.75 m |
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Further Personal Information |
| Higher education |
Physical Education - University of Craiova: Romania |
General Interest |
| Hobbies |
Walking her dog, video blogging, collecting mementos from places she visits while competing, roller skating, spin classes, growing herbs for cooking. (Instagram profile, 19 Feb 2022; YouTube channel, 13 Jan 2022; Facebook page, 12 Jun 2019) |
| Injuries |
She underwent surgery on her right knee in May 2020 due to issues that affected her during the 2019/20 season. (gsp.ro, 26 May 2020)
She had a problem with her left hand following the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing. (ESCRIME XXI, 08 Mar 2012) |
| Famous relatives |
Her husband Pavel Popescu has played water polo for the CSA Steaua Bucuresti club in Romania. (Facebook profile, 17 Jun 2017; agerpres.ro, 03 Oct 2014) |
Sport Specific Information |
| Why this sport? |
Her parents wanted her to take up a sport. She initially played tennis before her older brother Marius, who was a member of CSA Steaua Bucuresti's youth football team, took her to his club's fencing hall. After six months of training, she became national champion in her age group. |
General Interest |
| Awards and honours |
In 2017 she and her teammates from the national epee team received the Performance and Team Spirit Award from Romanian news agency News.ro. (frscrima.ro, 28 Mar 2017)
In 2016 she received a Sports Merit Order Class I from the government of Romania. (frscrima.ro, 27 Sep 2016)
In 2016 she was named an Honorary Citizen in Bucharest, Romania. (frscrima.ro, 09 Nov 2016)
In 2015 she was named Athlete of the Year by the CSA Steaua Bucuresti club in Romania. (mediafax.ro, 17 Dec 2015) |
Sport Specific Information |
| Handedness |
Left |
| When and where did you begin this sport? |
She began fencing in 1996 in Bucharest, Romania. |
Further Personal Information |
| Languages |
English, Romanian, Spanish |
| Family |
Husband Pavel Popescu |
| Other names |
Ana Maria Branza |
General Interest |
| Other information |
RETIREMENT
In late 2021 she announced her retirement from competitive fencing. "I thought I was ready for this moment, because I don't feel like going any further. I know this, I have no motivation to go on." (digisport.ro, 07 Dec 2021, 04 Dec 2021; Federatia Romana de Scrima Facebook page, 07 Dec 2021; romania-insider.com, 29 Nov 2021)
AUTHOR
In 2018 she wrote a book for children called 'En Garde. The Little Girl with the Tricolour Mask' that traces her career from childhood. (news.ro, 26 Sep 2018) |
| Sporting philosophy / motto |
"Fencing is my passion, not a job." (anamariabranza.ro, 01 Jun 2017) |
Further Personal Information |
| Residence |
Bucharest, ROU |
| Olympic Games |
| 2020 |
2 |
Individual Epee |
Tokyo, Japan |
| 2016 |
1 |
Team Epee |
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil |
| 2012 |
Final 5-6 |
Team Epee |
London, England |
| 2008 |
2 |
Individual Epee |
Beijing, China |
| World Championships |
| 2018 |
2 |
Individual Epee |
Wuxi, China |
| 2013 |
5 |
Individual Epee |
Budapest, Hungary |
| 2011 |
1 |
Team Epee |
Catania, Italy |
| 2011 |
3 |
Individual Epee |
Catania, Italy |
| 2010 |
1 |
Team Epee |
Paris, France |
| 2009 |
6 |
Team Epee |
Antalya, Turkey |
| 2006 |
4 |
Team Epee |
Turin, Italy |
| 2006 |
5 |
Individual Epee |
Turin, Italy |
| 2005 |
5 |
Individual Epee |
Leipzig, Germany |
| 2003 |
8 |
Team Epee |
Havana, Cuba |
| 2002 |
3 |
Individual Epee |
Lisbon, Portugal |
| European Championships |
| 2018 |
6 |
Individual Epee |
Novi Sad, Serbia |
| 2018 |
8 |
Team Epee |
Novi Sad, Serbia |
| 2016 |
2 |
Individual Epee |
Torun, Poland |
| 2015 |
5 |
Individual Epee |
Montreux, Switzerland |
| 2013 |
1 |
Individual Epee |
Zagreb, Croatia |
| 2013 |
2 |
Team Epee |
Zagreb, Croatia |
| 2011 |
3 |
Individual Epee |
Sheffield, England |
| 2010 |
5 |
Team Epee |
Leipzig, Germany |
| 2009 |
1 |
Team Epee |
Plovdiv, Bulgaria |
| 2008 |
1 |
Team Epee |
Kiev, Ukraine |
| 2008 |
2 |
Individual Epee |
Kiev, Ukraine |
| 2007 |
5 |
Team Epee |
Ghent, Belgium |
| 2006 |
1 |
Team Epee |
Izmir, Turkey |
| 2004 |
6 |
Individual Epee |
Copenhagen, Denmark |
| 2002 |
6 |
Individual Epee |
Moscow, Russia |
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