Amita Berthier

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Amita Berthier
Personal information
NationalitySingaporean
Born (2000-12-15) 15 December 2000 (age 23)
Singapore
Sport
SportFencing
Medal record
Representing  Singapore
Asian Games
Bronze medal – third place 2018 Indonesia Team foil
Asian Fencing Championships
Bronze medal – third place 2023 Wuxi Individual
Southeast Asian Games
Gold medal – first place 2017 Malaysia Individual foil
Gold medal – first place 2019 Philippines Individual foil
Gold medal – first place 2019 Philippines Team foil
Representing the Notre Dame Fighting Irish
Event 1st 2nd 3rd
NCAA Championships 0 1 3
Total 0 1 3

Amita Marie Nicolette Berthier OLY (born 15 December 2000) is a Singaporean, left-handed foil fencer. She attended the University of Notre Dame from 2018 to 2023, clinching 4 individual NCAA Fencing Championships medals.[1] Representing Singapore, Berthier has won 3 SEA Games gold medals and qualified for 2 Olympic Games.

On 16 December 2017, Berthier became the first Singaporean fencer to win a Junior World Cup title at the Havana leg in Cuba in the eight-leg series.[2][3][4]

Tokyo 2020[edit]

In April 2021, she qualified for the Singapore Olympic team at the 2020 Summer Olympics, by winning the Asia-Oceania Olympic Qualification Tournament held in Tashkent, Uzbekistan. In doing so, she became the first Singaporean to secure an Olympic spot through a qualifying tournament.[5] Berthier was unfortunately knocked out in the round of 32 by eventual Olympic champion Lee Kiefer.[6]

In 2023, Berthier won a joint-bronze in the women’s foil at the 2023 Asian Fencing Championships held in Wuxi, China. She was then chosen alongside wushu athlete Jowen Lim as the flagbearers for the 2022 Asian Games (delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic) held in Hangzhou, China.[7] Berthier was again unlucky, being eliminated in the women’s individual foil quarter-finals.[8]

Paris 2024[edit]

On 17 March 2024, Berthier qualified for the Paris Olympics via her individual ranking points. Ranked 28th in the world in the women’s foil, she claimed crucial points at the International Fencing Federation (FIE) Grand Prix in Washington DC by finishing joint-20th.[9]

Berthier will be training with the Singapore national team's foil head coach, Oleg Matseichuk, for 3 months as part of her preparations for the Paris Olympics.[10] She will also compete in the Fencing World Cups in Georgia, Hong Kong and Shanghai, the Asian Fencing Championships in Kuwait, and travel to Japan and Poland for training camps.[11]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Amita Berthier". Notre Dame Fighting Irish - Official Athletics Website. 13 November 2018. Retrieved 19 March 2024.
  2. ^ Lim, Say Heng (18 December 2017). "Fencing: Maiden Junior World Cup title brings birthday delight for Amita Berthier". The Straits Times. Retrieved 18 December 2017.
  3. ^ Lim, Say Heng (17 December 2017). "Fencing: Amita Berthier wins foil title at Junior World Cup in Cuba, eyes Asian Games spot in 2018". The Straits Times. Retrieved 18 December 2017.
  4. ^ Lim, Say Heng (18 December 2017). "Singaporean teen fencer marks birthday with historic title". The New Paper. Retrieved 18 December 2017.
  5. ^ "Fencing: Amita Berthier books Tokyo Olympics ticket after tense final in qualifying tournament". 25 April 2021.
  6. ^ Ang, Ervin (28 March 2023). "S'pore fencer Berthier to train full-time ahead of Asian Games, Olympics". The Straits Times. ISSN 0585-3923. Retrieved 19 March 2024.
  7. ^ "WEEKLY ROUND-UP: Sports happenings in Singapore (31 Jul-6 Aug)". Yahoo News. 6 August 2023. Retrieved 21 September 2023.
  8. ^ "Singapore fencer Amita Berthier narrowly misses out on Asian Games medal". CNA. Retrieved 19 March 2024.
  9. ^ Teoh, Melvyn (18 March 2024). "Singaporean fencer Amita Berthier qualifies for Paris Olympics". The Straits Times. ISSN 0585-3923. Retrieved 19 March 2024.
  10. ^ "Singapore fencer Amita Berthier not going to Paris Olympics to make up the numbers". CNA. Retrieved 15 April 2024.
  11. ^ Kwek, Kimberly (4 April 2024). "A Parisian family affair for Singaporean fencer Amita Berthier at 2024 Olympics". The Straits Times. ISSN 0585-3923. Retrieved 15 April 2024.

External links[edit]