Athlete of the Week – Fencer Simona Gherman

Simona Gherman won the epee event at the European Championship in Poland.

Steliu Lambru, 28.06.2016, 13:48

The European Fencing Championships that came to a close last week in Torun, Poland, brought about very good results for Romania. Two Romanian fencers battled for the gold medal in the women’s epee singles. Simona Gherman won the match 9-5 against Ana-Maria Popescu, who grabbed Silver. In the main draw, Simona Gherman gradually edged out Josephine Coquin of France, 13-12, and Estonians Irina Embrich 15-11 and Julia Beljajeva, 15-12.

In the quarterfinals, Gherman knocked out Monika Sozanska of Germany 13-10, and brushed aside Renata Knapik Miazga of Poland, 15-12. The Romanians dominated the epee event. Apart from the two finalists, Simona Pop ranked 7th after losing to Ana-Maria Popescu in the quarterfinals, 9-15. For her remarkable achievement, we have designated Simona Gherman Athlete of the Week on RRI.

Simona Gherman was born in Bucharest on April 12, 1985. She is enrolled at the Steaua Army Sports Club. In the seniors’ competitions she has two World titles in 2010 in Paris and 2011 in Catania. With Romania’s team she has five European gold medals, in 2008 in Kiev, in 2009 in Plovdiv, in 2011 in Sheffield, in 2014 in Strasbourg and in 2015 in Montreux. In 2012 she won gold at the European Championships in Legnano, Italy, after defeating another Romanian, Anca Maroiu, in the final.

In the team event that year, Gherman won silver with Romania’s team. Two years later in 2014, she won bronze in the women’s epee singles. At the 2012 London Olympics, Simona Gherman lost narrowly in the quarterfinals to Yana Shemyakina of Ukraine. After the Olympics Simona Gherman took a break from fencing to devote some time to her family. She resumed her competitive career in 2014.

(Translated by V. Palcu)