Quick Facts
Biography
Cécilia Berder (born 13 December 1989) is a French sabre fencer, who won a team silver medal at the 2009 and 2014 World Championships.
Career
Berder was born in 1989 in Morlaix, and grew up in the nearby city of Quimper. A very energetic child, she was pushed by her parents toward sport. Her first choice was rock climbing, but the class was full, so she opted for fencing at Escrime Quimper Cornouaille.
She first tried foil, the traditional teaching weapon, but found it boring. Coach Serge Larher suggested she try sabre, even though the class had only boys. After her baccalauréat she joined the centre for promising young athletes in Orléans, where she trained with the likes of Anne-Lise Touya and Léonore Perrus. She won the bronze medal in the 2007 Junior European Fencing Championships at Prague.
In 2008 Berder was selected as reserve for the Beijing Olympics. The same year, she took her first national senior title. In the 2009 World Championships at Antalya she climbed her first international podium with a team silver medal after France were defeated in the final by Ukraine. The next season, Berder climbed her first podium in the World Cup with a bronze medal in the Orleans Grand Prix, hosted by her own club. France were defeated again by Ukraine in the 2010 World Championships at home in Paris, this time in the semi-finals. In the small final they overcame the United States, weakened by the injury withdrawal of Olympic champion Mariel Zagunis, to earn the bronze medal. In 2011 Berder made her way to the final of the Orléans Grand Prix, where she was defeated by Zagunis.
In the 2013–14 season Berder won her first World Cup title in Antalya, defeating reigning Olympic champion Kim Ji-yeon along the way. She also earned her first medal in the European Championships with a team silver in Strasbourg. In the World Championships, she got to the table of 16, a personal best to date, but was stopped by Zagunis. In the team event, France defeated Hungary, then host Russia and Italy to meet the United States in the final. France stood their ground for most of the match, leading 20–15 at some point, before giving way in the seventh leg. They were eventually beaten 39–45. Berder finished the season 16th in world rankings, a personal best.
Berder is pursuing a master of journalism at the École supérieure de journalisme de Paris.
Berder is competing at the 2016 Summer Olympics. She defeated Ibtihaj Muhammad in the second round.