ONE would have expected her to buckle under the pressure, and on such a big stage.
But Rania Rahardja surpassed all expectations to win Singapore's first gold at the ongoing Asian Junior and Cadet Fencing Championships.
The 16-year-old, making her international debut, beat South Korean Kim Ha Ri 15-13 in the individual women's epee final at Republic Polytechnic on Friday.
She now has her sights set on making Singapore's team for next year's inaugural Youth Olympics. Fencing will be one of the 26 sports offered at the Aug 14-26 event.
If she succeeds, it would be a remarkable journey for someone who started competitive fencing just six months ago.
Rania booked her place in the final after beating compatriot Valerie Tan in the round of 32, India's Stefitha Chalil in the round of 16, Hong Kong's Chow Man Yu in the quarter-finals and Taiwan's Tseng Hsiu-hui in the semi-finals.
