Maria Vicol
{{Short description|Romanian fencer (1935–2015)}}
{{Infobox sportsperson
| name = Maria Vicol
| image = Maria Vicol 1960.jpg
| image_size =
| caption = Vicol at the 1960 Olympics
| fullname = Maria Taitiș-Vicol
| nickname =
| nationality =
| residence =
| birth_date = {{birth date|1935|10|17|df=yes}}
| birth_place = Bucharest, Romania
| death_date = {{Death date and age|2015|03|13|1935|10|17|df=yes}}
| death_place =
| height = {{convert|1.65|m|ftin|abbr=on}}
| weight = {{convert|57|kg|lb|abbr=on}}
| country =
| sport = Fencing
| event = Foil
| medaltemplates =
{{MedalCountry | the {{ROU}} }}
{{MedalCompetition|Olympic Games}}
{{MedalBronze| 1960 Rome | Foil}}
{{MedalBronze| 1968 Mexico | Team foil}}
{{MedalCompetition|World Championships}}
{{MedalGold| 1969 Havana | Team foil}}
{{MedalSilver| 1965 Paris | Team foil}}
{{MedalSilver| 1970 Ankara | Team foil}}
{{MedalBronze| 1961 Turin | Team foil}}
| show-medals = yes
}}
Maria Vicol (née Taitiș, 17 October 1935 – 13 March 2015) was a Romanian foil fencer, Olympic bronze medalist in 1960 and an Olympic team bronze medalist in 1968.{{cite web |url=https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/vi/maria-vicol-1.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200417230538/https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/vi/maria-vicol-1.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=2020-04-17 |title=Maria Vicol Olympic Results |accessdate=2010-11-06 |work=sports-reference.com}}{{Cite web|date=2021-06-04|title=Maria Vicol, prima medaliată olimpică din istoria scrimei româneşti! Peste ani, a descoperit-o pe Laura Badea|url=https://www.fanatik.ro/maria-vicol-prima-medaliata-olimpica-din-istoria-scrimei-romanesti-peste-ani-a-descoperit-o-pe-laura-badea-19536389|access-date=2021-08-25|website=FANATIK.RO|language=ro}}
Career
Vicol took up fencing at Progresul Bucharest, where she was trained by Angelo Pellegrini.{{citation|editor-first=Alexe|editor-last=Nicu|title=Educaţiei Fizice și Sportului din România|volume=1|chapter=Federația Română de Scrimă|url=http://www.mts.ro/documente/documente/1019-1058%20National%20Federations%20-%20Fencing.pdf|year=2002|publisher=Aramis|place=Bucharest|pages=1057|language=Romanian}} In April 1956 she won a silver medal at the Junior World Championships in Luxembourg, bringing Romania its first fencing medal in a major competition. This was followed by a bronze medal in the individual foil at the 1960 Summer Olympics in Rome.[http://www.databaseolympics.com/games/gamessport.htm?g=15&sp=FEN "1960 Summer Olympics – Rome, Italy – Fencing"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070219011514/http://www.databaseolympics.com/games/gamessport.htm?g=15&sp=FEN |date=2007-02-19 }} databaseOlympics.com (Retrieved on 27 September 2008) She was part of the same generation as Olga Szabo, Ana Pascu, Ecaterina Stahl, Ileana Jenei, and Suzana Ardeleanu, with whom she won several team medals in the World Championships: bronze at the 1961 World Fencing Championships in Turin, silver at the 1965 World Fencing Championships in Paris and the 1970 World Fencing Championships in Ankara and gold at the 1969 World Fencing Championships in Havana. She also earned a team bronze medal at the 1968 Summer Olympics in Mexico.{{cite web | title=Olympic Medal Winners | publisher=International Olympic Committee |url=http://www.olympic.org/uk/athletes/results/search_r_uk.asp | accessdate=2009-03-05 }}
Vicol began teaching fencing in 1968 at CS Cutezătorii. She then moved to CS Bucharest, where she discovered the future Olympic champion Laura Badea-Cârlescu. She was also an international referee.
Vicol died on 13 March 2015, aged 79. She was married to the rugby player Florin Vicol.[http://www.cosr.ro/sportiv/maria-vicol Maria Vicol]. Romanian Olympic Committee{{cite news|url=http://frscrima.ro/a-incetat-din-viata-maria-vicol/|title=A încetat din viață Maria Vicol!|publisher=Romanian Fencing Federation|date=13 March 2015|language=Romanian}}
References
{{Commons category|Maria Vicol}}
{{reflist}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Vicol, Maria}}
Category:Romanian female fencers
Category:Olympic fencers for Romania
Category:Fencers at the 1960 Summer Olympics
Category:Fencers at the 1964 Summer Olympics
Category:Fencers at the 1968 Summer Olympics
Category:Olympic bronze medalists for Romania
Category:Olympic medalists in fencing
Category:Fencers from Bucharest
Category:Medalists at the 1960 Summer Olympics