Maplewood fencer Ibtihaj Muhammad might be out of contention for an individual medal at the Rio Olympics, but that didn’t dampen the enthusiasm of her hometown.
On Monday, Muhammad — who grew up in Maplewood and was a member of the Columbia High School fencing team — made history by becoming the first U.S. Olympian to compete in the games while wearing a hijab. She bested Ukranian Olena Kravatska, 15-13, in the round of 32 of the women’s sabre competition, but then lost to France’s Cécilia Berder in the next round.
But it mattered little to the crowd of young aspiring fencers gathered at the New Jersey Fencing Alliance that afternoon, for a celebration co-hosted by NJFA and Maplewood Township.
In addition to streaming the women’s individual and team Sabre events, NJFA coaches offered free open bouting as well as mini-clinics. Owner and coach Frank Mustilli gave youngsters a tutorial on the sport, including an overview of the equipment, differences between the three weapons (foil, epee and sabre), and info on scoring.
Then the crowd watched a replay of the morning’s matches, cheering Muhammad on.
Ibtihaj Muhammad in the 2016 Olympics (credit Lucy Nicholson, Reuters)
Speaking to reporters after her match this morning, Muhammad said, “I always say that in a sport like fencing, you’re your own biggest opponent. If you can control yourself and your nerves and your emotions, and execute the actions that you want, you’ll always be successful, and I failed to do that today,” according to an article in The New York Times.
Muhammad continued, “This has been a beautiful experience for me. I know that this was written for me, the chips fell where they did, and I feel proud to represent Team U.S.A. even in defeat.”
Speaking of her position as a role model for women and Muslims, Muhammad said, “I want to break cultural norms and show girls that it’s important to be active; it’s important to be involved in sport.”
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