Julia Beljajeva
Julia Beljajeva is an Estonian épée fencer who competes right-handed for Tartu Kalev. She was born on July 21, 1992, in Tartu, Estonia, and is coached by Natalja Kotova.
She is a two-time European team champion, the 2017 World Team Champion, and the 2013 World Champion in individual épée. Beljajeva also won Olympic team gold at the Tokyo 2020 Games (held in 2021) and competed in the Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020 Olympics.
Beljajeva started fencing at age 10 after her aunt suggested it. She earned early cadet medals, including bronze in the Nordic Cadet Championships, silver in 2008, and gold in 2009 at the Cadet European Championships.
In the senior ranks, she helped Estonia win bronze in the 2012 European Championships (team) in Legnano and gold in the 2013 European Championships (team) in Zagreb.
Her breakout moment came at the 2013 World Fencing Championships in Budapest. Seeded 69th, she defeated world No. 1 Ana Brânză 15–14 in the quarterfinals, then beat Emese Szász and Anna Sivkova to win the gold medal in individual épée, Estonia’s second world title in the discipline.
In the 2013–14 season she won silver at the Doha Grand Prix and reached the Barcelona quarterfinals. At the European Championships in Strasbourg she lost in the second round, and Estonia finished fourth in the team event. At the World Championships in Kazan in 2014, she lost to teammate Erika Kirpu in the round of 16, and Estonia won silver in the team event.
Beljajeva has continued to compete at a high level and added Olympic team gold with the Tokyo Games.
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 09:14 (CET).