Anja Fichtel

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**Anja Fichtel**

Biography
Profession	Sportsman
Born	August 17, 1968
Nationality	Germany

Anja Fichtel (born August 17, 1968) is a German fencer born in Baden-Württemberg. The Champion of 1988 Olympic Games in Seoul in individual and team championship. The World Champion in 1986 and 1990 in individual championship. The World Champion in 1985, 1989, 1993 as a member of the national German team. The Silver Prize winner of 1992 Olympic Games in team championship. The Champion of Germany from 1986 to 1996.

[edit] Biography

German women fencers in foil were repeatedly winning the world championships in both individual and team competitions. However, only Anja Fichtel managed to win an individual gold prize. Her predecessors, Heidi Schmidt, the winner of the World Cup in 1961, Cornelia Hanisch, who won three gold awards in 1979, 1981 and 1985, and her successor Sabine Bau, who became the strongest fencer of the world in 1998, have certainly put themselves on record in history of fencing in Germany, and worldwide. But Anja is remembered by her contemporaries not only by bright victories, but in particular, by her uncompromised vigorous fencing style.

Tall, well-built, emotional Fichtel in her best years left no chances for victory to her competitors. Aggressively attacking, she used to smash the defense with such force, that one wouldn’t think a lady is fencing. However, as soon as she left the fencing strip, she turned into a charming coquettish girl, who attracted glances of all men.

Elena Grishina, the member of the USSR national team, recalls: “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».

Russian spectators have met Anja for the first time in 1990, when the “Russian Cup”, an international tournament in foil fencing for women was held in Moscow. All fencing elite arrived to the USSR capital. The competitions of the Russian Cup, like those ones of the World Cup, were arranged in accordance to the new system, without repechage.

Only the foil fencer, who did not lose any bout, could pretend to the highest award. Anja Fichtel, who at her 22 years had already won the titles of the World Champion and the Olympic Champion, was a doubtless leader of the competitions. On the verge of final bouts Anja said, that she came to win. At the same time, in an interview to the “Soviet Sport” reporter she said that she was brought to fencing by her brother Klaus, when she was 10. Like all members of the German national team, she is being trained in “Tauberbishoffsheim” Fencing Center. Like any trainee of the Center, she works four hours per day at a furniture factory and is trained three-four hours every day, excluding Monday. At that time Fichtel shared her idea to quit fencing strip in two years. “One should go in for sports while it gives pleasure, she commented; I have already achieved everything in fencing, but there are so many other interesting things in life – I need to get a profession and to obtain other knowledge, to see a lot of interesting things”.

A year later Anja came to Moscow again to achieve another victory at the “Russian Cup”. She looked a true premiere among other best world fencers. One would think she doesn't know how to lose. In 1991 Anja said: "It is the greatest pleasure to me to go out to the strip and play cat-and-mouse, deceive a competitor with some traps, arranged for her. Fencing gives me is as great a pleasure as sex”.

Seven weeks prior to the Olympics in Barcelona Anja gave birth to her son Lauren. She moved to her husband Torsten Mauritz to Austria, and her surname was changed to Fichtel-Mauritz. Despite all those changes in her private life, the German premiere took part in the team Olympic tournament and together with her team-partners took the second place after the Italian fencers.

For the last time the Russians met Fichtel in Moscow in 1993. At the “Russian Cup” she lost in the competition to Diane Byakendy and took the second place. In March 1997 Anja publicly annunciated her intention to retreat from professional sport. In October of the same year she gave birth to the second baby, and in 2007 her third child was born. Her elder “Olympic” son Lauren took after Anja, in his fifteen years he became the winner at one of the most prestigious tournaments of Germany.

Having left the sport, Fichtel became an exemplary wife. She is exclusively devoted to the children and household.