Cover Épée fencer Kiria Tikanah Abdul Rahman
Épée fencer Kiria Tikanah Abdul Rahman
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Competing in various sports from kitefoiling to fencing, equestrian and rowing, seven athletes, who are among those representing Singapore at the Paris 2024 Olympics, share what it means to perform at the top of their game. Singapore fencer Kiria Tikanah Abdul Rahman shares her hopes for her second Olympics
When Kiria Tikanah Abdul Rahman first stepped into the Z Fencing club more than a decade ago, never in her wildest dreams would she have thought that one day she would qualify for the Olympics, twice—an achievement recently celebrated by Singapore’s president Tharman Shanmugaratnam on his social media. “It’s been a wild ride,” enthuses Kiria, who took up fencing as a recreational sport, with classes once a week. (Fun fact: she started out in the same class as fellow Singaporean fencer Amita Berthier and her sister.) She later switched clubs, and then weapons, going from foil to épée.
The number of classes—and their intensity—slowly increased and she started taking part in competitions, before finally making her Olympic debut three years ago at Tokyo 2020.
“My first [Olympics] was really memorable. It was a totally new experience for me, so I went with my eyes open and tried to soak in the atmosphere as much as possible,” the 23-year-old épée fencer tells us. ”As it was my first time competing with such high-level fencers, the nerves got to me at the start, and I didn’t execute my actions. I fenced a lot better after I got past that.”
Read more: Paris Olympics 2024: Meet the 19 Singaporean athletes who will be competing this year
Above .Kiria
(pictured right)
competing at the
2023 Asian Fencing
Championships
in Wuxi, China
.Kiria (pictured right) competing at the 2023 Asian Fencing Championships in Wuxi, China
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In the opening round of 64 for the women’s individual épée event, Kiria won 15-11 over Hong Kong’s Lin Yik Hei Coco, but subsequently in the round of 32, lost 10-15 to Romania’s Ana Maria Popescu, who went on to win the silver medal. After the high of her first Olympics, however, Kiria struggled to find her form. “I felt that everyone was watching me, and I wasn’t living up to their expectations. This mentality overwhelmed me and affected my performance.”
But Kiria delivered when it mattered the most. At the Asia-Oceania Zonal Olympic Qualifier in the United Arab Emirates this April, she held her own and came out tops in the closely fought final, thus earning her spot for Paris 2024. “A few [of my recent] results have shown that if I fenced as I normally would, it would produce even better results,” explains Kiria “I stopped thinking about what other people thought of me. I’m just going to focus on [what is in front of me], and hopefully that’ll be enough.”
Above Kiria has been fencing for over a decade
Kiria has been fencing for over a decade
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While there is no one athlete that she particularly looks up to, Kiria singles out Spanish tennis star Rafael Nadal for his work ethic. “I’ve been watching his matches since young, and I like how he works hard for every point, whether he’s winning or losing. I aspire to have that kind of mentality and work ethic because it’s not over until it’s over. He has shown that countless times and it’s something that I hope to emulate.”
Kiria is a firm believer that everything happens for a reason. “Sometimes we think that we know the best way for ourselves, but we don’t. As it turns out, there’s an even better way. You’d never have thought of the solution unless you’ve encountered unexpected hiccups along the way.” For Paris 2024, Kiria says, “I do have goals that I’ve set for myself, but I rarely want to share them. What I can tell you is that I want to do better than I did in Tokyo. I’m aiming to do my best, from start to finish and, hopefully, I get to go far.”
Credits
Images: Fencing Singapore
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As Senior Editor of Tatler Singapore, Hashirin champions and refines the storytelling across platforms—curating and crafting compelling profiles, cover stories and features that spotlight visionaries shaping culture, business and impact. Driven by curiosity, she draws inspiration from the artists, changemakers and trailblazers she encounters through her work. Beyond the pages of Tatler, she is an avid supporter of local theatre and delights in seeking out art in every city she visits.
