Iuliana Măceșeanu (born 7 July 1981) is a Romanian épée fencer, bronze medallist at the 2005 European Championships and three-time team European champion (2006, 2008, and 2009).

Career

Măceșeanu took up fencing at CSM Craiova when she was twelve years old. She was accompanying her younger brother to his gymnastics class and wanted to try the sport too, but the coach thought her frame was too big and directed her to the fencing hall which stood across the park. Măceșeanu joined the junior national team in 1999 and transferred to

CSA Steaua CSA may refer to: Arts and media * Canadian Screen Awards, annual awards given by the Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television * Commission on Superhuman Activities, a fictional American government agency in Marvel Comics * Crime Syndicate of Amer ...

in Bucarest under the coaching of

Cornel Milan Cornel Răzvan Milan (born 8 September 1971) is a Romanian fencer and fencing coach. In 1991, he won the bronze medal at the Junior World Fencing Championships in Istanbul. He competed in the individual and team épée events at the 1992 Summe ...

. With Loredana Iordăchioiu and

Ana Maria Brânză Ana Maria Popescu, formerly known as Ana Maria Brânză (, born 26 November 1984), is a Romanian left-handed épée Fencing, fencer. Popescu is a four-time team European champion, 2013 individual European champion, and two-time team world champi ...

she won a team silver medal in the 2001 Junior World Championships in Gdańsk. In the senior category, she climbed her first

World Cup A world cup is a global sporting competition in which the participant entities – usually international teams or individuals representing their countries – compete for the title of world champion. The event most associated with the name is ...

podium with a silver medal in the 2003 Budapest Grand Prix, followed by a quarter-final place in the Prague World Cup. At the 2005 European Championships in Zalaegerszeg, Măceșeanu reached the semi-finals where she was edged out 14–15 by Ukraine's

Yana Shemyakina Yana Volodymyrivna Shemyakina (; born 5 January 1986)
The next season she reached the quarter-finals at the 2006 European Championships in İzmir. In the team event, Măceșeanu, Brânză, Iordăchioiu and

Anca Măroiu Anca Măroiu (née Băcioiu, born 5 August 1983) is a Romanian épée fencer. She is double team world champion, in 2010 and 2011, silver medallist at the 2012 European Fencing Championships and three-time European team champion (2006, 2009 and ...

prevailed 45–43 over Russia, then edged out Hungary 33–32 to win the gold medal. At the

World Championships A world championship is generally an international competition open to elite competitors from around the world, representing their nations, and winning such an event will be considered the highest or near highest achievement in the sport, game ...

in Turin, Măceșeanu made it again to the quarter-finals before losing 15–11 to Estonia's

Irina Embrich Irina Embrich, née Zamkovaja (born 12 July 1980) is an Estonian left-handed épée fencer. Embrich is the 2024 individual European champion, a two-time team European champion, and a 2017 team world champion. A two-time Olympian, Embrich is a 20 ...

. This result allowed her to finish the 2005–06 season No.36 in world rankings, her career best. The 2006–07 season proved disappointing both for Măceșeanu and the team, Romania finishing 10th at the

in Saint-Petersburg. Măceșeanu did not qualify for the

2008 Summer Olympics The 2008 Summer Olympics (), officially the Games of the XXIX Olympiad () and officially branded as Beijing 2008 (), were an international multisport event held from 8 to 24 August 2008, in Beijing, China. A total of 10,942 athletes fro ...

, but she took part in the

held in Beijing for events not in the Olympic programme. She was eliminated in the first round at the

European Championships A European Championship is the top level international sports competition between European athletes or sports teams representing their respective countries or professional sports clubs. In the plural, the European Championships also refers t ...

in Kyiv. In the team event, Măceșeanu, Brânză, Iordăchioiu and

Simona Alexandru Simona Gherman (née Alexandru; born 12 April 1985) is a retired Romanian épée fencer, European champion in 2012 and 2016. She was twice team World Champion in 2010 and 2011 and five-time team European Champion in 2008, 2009, 2011, 2014, and 20 ...

overcame Hungary in the semi-finals, then crushed favourites Germany in the final to earn Măceșeanu's second European title. In 2009 Măceșeanu moved to London with her partner and took a job as fencing coach at the London Fencing Club, returning to Romania to train with the national team before major competitions. At the

in Plovdiv, she lost in the table of 32 to her captain Ana Brânză. In the team event, Romania retained their European title in after defeating Germany again, this time in the semi-finals, then winning over Poland. Their medal hopes for the

in Antalya were however cut short. In the individual event, Măceșeanu lost in the first round to

Anfisa Pochkalova Anfisa Serhiyivna Pochkalova (; born 1 March 1990) is a Ukrainian épée fencer. She is the 2009 world individual bronze medalist. Personal life Pochkalova was born 1 March 1990 in Lviv. She is a student at the Lviv State University of Physical ...

of Ukraine. Weakened by an injured Brânză, Romania were edged out 32–31 by Italy and finished 5th. In the 2009–10 season Romania lost to France in the quarter-finals of the

in Legnano and finished 5th.She was replaced by Loredana Iordăchioiu for the

in Paris, at which Romania won the first women's épée world title in their history. Iuliana Maceseanu retired from her fencing career and stopped taking part in international competitions in 2011.

References

External links

Profile
at the European Fencing Confederation {{DEFAULTSORT:Maceseanu, Iuliana 1981 births Living people Romanian female fencers Romanian épée fencers People from Craiova 21st-century Romanian sportswomen