Ana Maria Popescu is a Romanian épée fencer who is currently ranked world no.1 according to FIE(The Fédération Internationale d’Escrime), an international governing body of Olympics. Popescu earned her first Olympic win with a silver medal in the individual épée event at the 2008 Summer Olympic Games and the gold medal in the 2013 European Fencing Championships.
Having started her career as an épée fencer since 2001, Popescu has earned altogether 13 World Cup titles to her name and with the Romanian team, she won two times World champion title and six-times European champion. She got much recognition after she won the Women’s épée World Cup series a record-equalling three times first in 2007-08, then 2008-09 and 2013-14.
Recently on July 13, 2020, for the fourth time, Popescu won the women’s épée World Cup after gathering most points in the fencing competition charts.
What is Ana Maria Popescu Famous for?
- Famous as 4 times Women’s épée World Cup series winning no. 1 épée fencer.
Source: @frscrima
Where was Ana Maria Popescu Born?
Ana Maria Popescu was born on November 26, 1984, in Bucharest, Romania. Her birth name is Ana Maria Florentina Brânză. Her nationality is Romanian. Popescu belongs to White ethnicity while Sagittarius is her zodiac sign.
Ana Maria Popescu was born as the second of two children to her parents: Adrian Brânză(father) and Maria Brânză(mother). Belonging from a military family, her grandfather and father, who served in Army were supportive including her mother as they were the ones who pushed Ana and her elder brother, Marius towards the sport.
She first tried tennis but she couldn’t continue as she was the only left-handed player and because of the lack of competitive events. When she was ten, her elder brother Marius, who played football for a school team of CSA Steaua București, took her to his club’s fencing hall in Ghencea. As there was no other left-handed weapon available in the club, she turned to épée.
Just after only six months of training, she became champion of Romania for her age group and was subsequently noticed by national coach Dan Podeanu.
When she was 13 and was an 8-grade student, she left her family and moved to Craiova to train at the Junior Olympic Centre for épée with other older athletes than her. She pursued her studies at the Petrache-Trișcu Sports High School which offers a specific curriculum for young athletes that later gave her name to one of its alleys.
After her baccalaureat(exam) she was offered an athletic scholarship from an American university, but she chose to stay in Romania. She then joined the University of Craiova as a freshman of the Faculty of sports and physical education and got graduated with a Master’s Degree in 2007. The same year, she was awarded the title of master emeritus in sports.
In 2007, when she was 16, she joined CSA Steaua under coach Cornel Milan and received the grade of sergeant.
Source: @rri.ro
Ana Maria Popescu’s Career Highlights
- Ana Maria Popescu won her first senior national championship at the age of 15.
- She got her first win with a gold medal at the Cadet World Championships and a team silver medal at the Junior World Championships, both in Gdańsk.
- In 2002, Ana won the gold medal at the Junior World Championships in Antalya for which she was praised as a remarkable tactical mastery for a seventeen and a half-year-old girl.
- In April 2004, she won the Junior World Championships again after defeating Bianca Del Carretto.
- In the 2004–05 season, she reached her first podium in the Fencing World Cup with a silver medal at the Budapest Grand Prix.
- In the 2007–08 season, she earned a gold medal at the St Petersburg World Cup, a silver in Budapest and Havana, and a bronze in Luxembourg and Barcelona.
- With the victory, she reached the second place in world rankings and got qualified to the women’s individual épée event of the 2008 Summer Olympics. For her silver medal,l she was awarded the Romanian order for sports merit.
- In 2011, Ana earned a bronze medal in the individual event of the 2011 European Fencing Championships in Sheffield and a gold medal in the team event after defeating Russia.
- During the London 2012 Summer Olympics, Ana was ranked no. 1 but she won a silver medal. Later, she led CSA Steaua to a silver medal in the European Champion Clubs’ Cup and got her 8th national title as well as the team event.
- Brânză entered the 2014–15 season with a silver medal at the Legnano World Cup.
- At the 2015 European Games in Baku, she managed to win Romania’s first gold medal at the event.
- In her 19 years long career, Popescu has won a record-equalling 4 women’s épée World Cup series, 13 World Cup titles.
- On July 13, 2020, for the fourth time, Popescu won the women’s épée World Cup after gathering most points in the fencing competition charts.
Source: @verdict.ro
Ana Maria Popescu’s Husband
Ana Maria Popescu is married to Pavel Popescu for 5 years now. Pavel is also a Romania athlete who plays water polo for CSA Steaua with whom she got married in August 2015. Ana even announced Pavel’s intention to change her name for the competition. Currently, she resides at Bragadiru, Ilfov, Romania.
Ana Maria Popescu’s Net Worth
Ana Maria Popescu has quite great earnings from her professional career as a professional épée fencer. Having started her professional career since 2001, Popescu has come through a long way making Romania a world-renowned country. She has managed to amass a healthy fortune from her several matches and games. Her net worth is estimated to be around $5 million.
Ana Maria Popescu’s Height
Ana Maria Popescu is a beautiful lady who looks young even though she is in her 30s. With her marvelous épée fencing technique, she has managed to win several hearts all around the world. She stands tall with a height of 5ft. 9inch.(1.75m) while her body weighs around 63kg(139 lbs). She has a fair complexion with black hair and brown eyes.
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