Maria Arozamena, Illustrations Editor

By Gabriella Avramova

For the first time in her career, Yoana Ilieva, age 23, fenced at the Olympics and she did not disappoint. Ilieva finished with an astonishing result of tenth place, the best finish from a female Bulgarian fencer at the Olympics. 

Her work ethic inspires many athletes to continue chasing their dream and bring their best form on the piste.  

“The Olympics is the biggest sporting forum and a dream for almost every child practicing a sport,” said Ilieva when interviewed in Bulgarian. After a very intensive and successful season, she was able to fulfill that dream and get a quota for the Olympics. 

Even though her fight for a spot at this tournament took immense amounts of preparation – two to three practices a day, a strict dietary regimen, weekly meetings with physical trainers —  her hard work was repaid by showcasing to Bulgarian athletes that their place is in the international spotlight of sports. 

The Olympian practices and fences for V. Etropolski Fencing Academy, where many other amazing athletes helped her prepare. It is also the academy where the Bulgarian National Women Saber Team that consists of Yoana Ilieva, Olga Hramova, Emma Neikova and Kalina Atanasova fence. 

According to the International Fencing Federation (FIE) the team is ranked ninth in the world for the 2023/2024 season. These girls have won many titles together and share the motivation to be in the top of the world rankings, but moreover aspire to compete together at the Olympics. 

While the team didn’t qualify for the 2024 Paris Olympics together, it didn’t stop the members to encourage Ilieva and support her throughout her journey. 

“As a team, we are satisfied with Yoana’s performance. We look with optimism and hope to the next Olympics. We hope to qualify the whole team. We are all very positive and full of energy” said Kiril Zaharinov, a coach at the Academy who works with the men’s and women’s national teams. 

With the team’s full support and Ilieva’s impressive dedication to the sport and her country, the preparations for the Olympics began. 

“In the Olympics, the possible opponents are known in advance, as we, they too, watch and study the opponents, and this requires the element of surprise and the application of new actions so that the opponent is not ready for us. Also, due to the importance of the competition, Yoana Ilieva had to be prepared and mentally stable, for which we used a specialist – a psychologist for her” said Ivaylo Vodenov, the national coach of Bulgaria. 

“Apart from physical and technical training We also had to prepare her mentally, so that she would be calm and motivated all the time. To ensure maximum calmness and concentration.” reported Zaharinov.

The national coaches working with the team believe in a strong mental game and persistence. Alongside practicing technique and endurance, the Academy focuses on mental health and ensures its athletes find themselves in a positive environment where they can bring the best versions of themselves into the gym everyday. 

Before a competition, Ilieva tries her best to avoid thinking about fencing at all. Instead, she pours her energy and concentration during the actual competition: she thinks about the opponent she will soon face, tactics to use and strengths that will drive her to victory. 

“When the tension is high, I breathe deeply and tell myself that I am ready for this moment,” said Ilieva. “This is my moment to be a great athlete” 

Yoana’s ability to remain calm during bouts has enabled her to show dominance on the piste and spotlight her quick actions and flicks. 

“I knew that if Yoana kept her style and forced the opponent to match her, she would have no problem with the final victory,” said Vodenov. 

An athlete’s mental shape may be just as important as their physical conditions when they step on the piste. Thus, having the understanding of self-care wins half the battle, the rest is fencing, which the Bulgarians have gotten down. 

“I know that I have trained a lot, more than most of the competitors, so I know that I can win. When I lose it’s quite difficult because I know how much I fought to get here. I usually wait a little while and then I look at my bouts and analyze what needs to change to get better.

Many times, Ilieva, at age 23, is the youngest competitor in the room.

“That’s both my motivator and my weak link,” she said. 

Being from a smaller country with less opportunities, doesn’t necessarily mean less results. Ilieva and the rest of the team have proven that with their performance, perseverance and dedication. 

“This is one of the most motivating feelings that makes us train and show the best result, but at the same time it is also a huge burden that we have to overcome, because of the responsibility to represent Bulgaria and not only ourselves” reported Vodenov. 

Their continuous presence in the highest forms of fencing tournaments inspires many athletes from smaller countries that it is possible to be competing at the top and win. Moreover, they encourage many female athletes to continue working hard. 

Due to intensive training, Ilieva was prepared when arriving at the Olympics. Receiving an automatic bye in the bracket, her first bout was for the Table of 32 against Japanese fencer, Risa Takashima. Ilieva’s speed and footwork dominated the arena with her famous quick jabs and tactical strengths that evaded her opponents’ gameplans. After winning that bout with a score of fifteen to ten, Ilive advanced to the Table of 16 and faced Hungarian fencer, Luca Virag Szucs, but lost with a score of ten to fifteen. 

After an impressive finish for her first Olympics, Ilieva is even more motivated for the next Olympics. As a result of her tireless effort she has placed Bulgarian fencing back into the spotlight and made her country as well as fencing enthusiasts around the world proud. 

“In conclusion, I would say that participating in the Olympics, as well as in competitions of the highest rank (World and European) is the best doping, the best motivator to make you undergo harder and harder training so you can perform at a higher level” said Vodenov. 

Saber fencing at the Olympic level was permitted for women in 2004.