Anja Fichtel
Anja Fichtel in 1995
Personal information
Born (1968-08-17) 17 August 1968
Tauberbischofsheim, West Germany
Height1.75 m (5 ft 9 in)
Weight62 kg (137 lb)
Sport
SportFencing
ClubFC Tauberbischofsheim
Medal record
Representing  Germany
Women's Fencing
Olympic Games
Gold medal – first place1988 Seoulfoil, ind,
Gold medal – first place 1988 Seoulfoil, team
Silver medal – second place 1992 Barcelonafoil, team
Bronze medal – third place 1996 Atlantafoil, team
World Fencing Championships
Gold medal – first place 1986 World Fencing Championshipsfoil, ind,
Gold medal – first place 1989 World Fencing Championshipsfoil, team
Gold medal – first place 1990 World Fencing Championshipsfoil, ind,
Gold medal – first place 1993 World Fencing Championshipsfoil, team
Silver medal – second place 1989 World Fencing Championshipsfoil, ind,

Anja Fichtel-Mauritz (born 17 August 1968, née Fichtel) is a retired German foil fencer. At the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul, she won in the individual and team competitions,[1][2] and she won the individual competition of the World Championship in 1986 and 1990. She was winner of the World Championships in 1985, 1989, 1993 as a member of the national German team and second in team competition at the 1992 Summer Olympics. From 1986 until 1996 Fichtel held the title of German champion.

Biography

Anja Fichtel attended the Kaufmännische Schule Tauberbischofsheim[3] and fought for the Fencing-Club Tauberbischofsheim.

Fichtel is remembered not just for her many victories, but also for her vigorous fencing style. As Elena Grishina, the Soviet fencer, recalls:

The appearance of Anja Fichtel in foil fencing has drastically changed our view on that type of weapon. Earlier the foil fencers would exchange technical tricks for a long while, using parries and counter-parries, attacks with multiple riposte and parat riposte, attacks with multiple binds and disengagements. Anja used to advance with three quick balestra, then stepped back, forcing her opponent to come closer, then she threw her arm above her head and vigorously attacked with a large lunge, making it almost half-size of the strip. She would aim the hit either at the shoulder or the back of competitor, and there was practically no chance to avoid it.

In 1990, she won the "Russian Cup," an international tournament in foil fencing for women held in Moscow, where the highest award was reserved for the foil fencer who did not lose a single bout. A year later, she again won the same cup.

Seven weeks before the Olympics in Barcelona, Anja gave birth to her son Lauren. She followed her husband Merten Mauritz to Austria and changed her name to Fichtel-Mauritz. She still represented Germany at the team Olympics and took second place behind the Italian team.[2]

The Russians met Fichtel in Moscow in 1993. At the “Russian Cup”, she lost to Diana Bianchedi and took second place. In March 1997, she announced her retirement, and in October of the same year she gave birth to her second baby, and in 2007 her third child was born. Her elder son Lauren has also taken up fencing.[2]

Palmarès

1985 Junior World Fencing Championships, foil, individual and team
1986 World Fencing Championships, foil, individual
1988 Junior World Fencing Championships, foil, individual
1988 Olympic Games, foil, individual and team
1989 World Fencing Championships, foil, individual
1989 World Fencing Championships, foil, team
1990 World Fencing Championships, foil, individual
1992 Olympic Games, foil, team
1993 World Fencing Championships, foil, team

References

  1. ↑ "Olympics Statistics: Anja Fichtel-Mauritz". databaseolympics.com. Archived from the original on 2011-08-16. Retrieved 2011-07-30.
  2. 1 2 3 "Anja Fichtel-Mauritz Olympic Results". sports-reference.com. Archived from the original on 2020-04-17. Retrieved 2011-07-30.
  3. ↑ 75 Jahre Kaufmännische Schule Tauberbischofsheim, StieberDruck GmbH, 113 Seiten, TBB 1997, S.49
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