Radio România Internațional

Tag: athlete

  • Athlete of the week

    Athlete of the week

    Athlete Mădălina Florea came in 6th in the women’s Mountain classic event as part of the World Mountain and Trail Running Championship in Austria’s Innsbruck-Stubai. Madalina clocked one hour, seven minutes and 25 hundredths of a second, in the 15.5- kilometer event, held at an altitude of 760 meters, The winner was US athlete Grayson Murphy, with a timing of one hour, four minutes and 29 seconds, As part of the same event, Magdalena Bosânceanu came in 46th, Adelina Panaet came in 48th, while Liliana Dragomir came in 54th.



    For her remarkable feat in the recently-held Championships, Radio Romania International has designated Mădălina Florea the Athlete of the week.



    30-year-old Madalina Florea was born on February 3rd, 1993 in central Romania’s Sighisoara. Initially, Madalina was into rhythmic gymnastics for three years, trying her hand at the ribbon, rope, ball and the pair of clubs. Madalina Florea took a completely different career path in sports, taking up athletics and also playing football with her colleagues while on training sessions. In her senior’s career, Madalina scooped gold in the semi-marathon held in Bucharest, in 2014. Then in Great Britain’s Birmingham, in 2016, Madalina walked away with silver, also in the semi-marathon. Also in 2016, she won bronze in the teams’ competition as part of the European cross-country Championships in Chia, Italy. In 2017, in Abidjan on the Ivory Coast, Madalina took part in the Francophony Games, where she came in 4th in the 5,000m race. As part of the same event, Madalina Florea came in 3rd in the 10,000m race.



    In 2018, Madalina sustained a serious ankle injury and the ensuing surgical operation kept her away from the track for one year. In 2019 however, she had a vigorous comeback and won the semi-marathon in Bucharest, reenacting her performance of 2014. Also in 2019, at the World Mountain and Trail Running Championship held in Angostura, Argentina, Madalina walked home with bronze in the nations’ competition. In 2022, Madalina Florea’s record included a silver medal in the World Mountain Running Championship in El Paso, Spain.




  • Athlete of the week

    Athlete of the week

    Athlete Mădălina Florea came in 6th in the women’s Mountain classic event as part of the World Mountain and Trail Running Championship in Austria’s Innsbruck-Stubai. Madalina clocked one hour, seven minutes and 25 hundredths of a second, in the 15.5- kilometer event, held at an altitude of 760 meters, The winner was US athlete Grayson Murphy, with a timing of one hour, four minutes and 29 seconds, As part of the same event, Magdalena Bosânceanu came in 46th, Adelina Panaet came in 48th, while Liliana Dragomir came in 54th.



    For her remarkable feat in the recently-held Championships, Radio Romania International has designated Mădălina Florea the Athlete of the week.



    30-year-old Madalina Florea was born on February 3rd, 1993 in central Romania’s Sighisoara. Initially, Madalina was into rhythmic gymnastics for three years, trying her hand at the ribbon, rope, ball and the pair of clubs. Madalina Florea took a completely different career path in sports, taking up athletics and also playing football with her colleagues while on training sessions. In her senior’s career, Madalina scooped gold in the semi-marathon held in Bucharest, in 2014. Then in Great Britain’s Birmingham, in 2016, Madalina walked away with silver, also in the semi-marathon. Also in 2016, she won bronze in the teams’ competition as part of the European cross-country Championships in Chia, Italy. In 2017, in Abidjan on the Ivory Coast, Madalina took part in the Francophony Games, where she came in 4th in the 5,000m race. As part of the same event, Madalina Florea came in 3rd in the 10,000m race.



    In 2018, Madalina sustained a serious ankle injury and the ensuing surgical operation kept her away from the track for one year. In 2019 however, she had a vigorous comeback and won the semi-marathon in Bucharest, reenacting her performance of 2014. Also in 2019, at the World Mountain and Trail Running Championship held in Angostura, Argentina, Madalina walked home with bronze in the nations’ competition. In 2022, Madalina Florea’s record included a silver medal in the World Mountain Running Championship in El Paso, Spain.




  • Athlete of the Week

    Athlete of the Week

    Romania’s greatest
    football player in history, Gheorghe Hagi, also proves to be a good club
    manager. The team he is coaching, Farul Constanţa, won this year’s edition of
    the Romanian Football Super League, one round ahead of the end of the
    championship. On Sunday, Farul defeated FCSB 3-2 on home turf, and are now 4
    points ahead in the standings, a gap which the teams ranking next can no longer
    make up for.




    In a quite
    dramatic match on Sunday, FCSB was ahead 2-0, with goals scored by Adrian Şut, on
    9 minutes and Andrea Compagno, 8 minutes later. Farul scored once before half
    time, thanks to the Brazilian Mateus Santos. Tudor Băluţă scored for the draw
    on 58 minutes, and Louis Munteanu scored the winning goal just minutes before
    the end of the match. Munteanu’s goal secured the second championship title for
    Hagi’s team, after the one in 2017, when the team was called Viitorul
    Constanţa. For the goal that decided the fate of the Romanian Super League this
    year, Radio Romania International designates Louis Munteanu as Athlete of the
    Week.




    Louis
    Munteanu was born in Vaslui (eastern Romania), on 16 June 2002. He attended the
    Gheorghe Hagi Football Academy, then he was recruited by Viitorul Constanţa. He
    made his debut as a striker in Romania’s top league at the age of 17, in
    October 2019, in a match against Dinamo Bucharest. In September 2021 he was
    transferred to the Italian side Fiorentina, but he never got to play in the
    first team there. Last summer he was loaned to Farul Constanţa. He played
    several times in Romania’s junior and youth teams, but he is yet to play for
    the national team. (AMP)

  • Athlete of the Week

    Athlete of the Week

    Romania’s greatest
    football player in history, Gheorghe Hagi, also proves to be a good club
    manager. The team he is coaching, Farul Constanţa, won this year’s edition of
    the Romanian Football Super League, one round ahead of the end of the
    championship. On Sunday, Farul defeated FCSB 3-2 on home turf, and are now 4
    points ahead in the standings, a gap which the teams ranking next can no longer
    make up for.




    In a quite
    dramatic match on Sunday, FCSB was ahead 2-0, with goals scored by Adrian Şut, on
    9 minutes and Andrea Compagno, 8 minutes later. Farul scored once before half
    time, thanks to the Brazilian Mateus Santos. Tudor Băluţă scored for the draw
    on 58 minutes, and Louis Munteanu scored the winning goal just minutes before
    the end of the match. Munteanu’s goal secured the second championship title for
    Hagi’s team, after the one in 2017, when the team was called Viitorul
    Constanţa. For the goal that decided the fate of the Romanian Super League this
    year, Radio Romania International designates Louis Munteanu as Athlete of the
    Week.




    Louis
    Munteanu was born in Vaslui (eastern Romania), on 16 June 2002. He attended the
    Gheorghe Hagi Football Academy, then he was recruited by Viitorul Constanţa. He
    made his debut as a striker in Romania’s top league at the age of 17, in
    October 2019, in a match against Dinamo Bucharest. In September 2021 he was
    transferred to the Italian side Fiorentina, but he never got to play in the
    first team there. Last summer he was loaned to Farul Constanţa. He played
    several times in Romania’s junior and youth teams, but he is yet to play for
    the national team. (AMP)

  • Athlete of the Week

    Athlete of the Week


    The first major sporting event of the year in athletics was hosted by Istanbul in Turkey. The European Indoor Athletics Championships brought together roughly 600 athletes from 47 countries and Romania was represented by 14 athletes, 7 in the mens competitions and 7 in the womens contests. Four of them had made it to the finals of their competitions: Claudia Bobocea in the 15 hundred meter race. Alina Rotaru and Gabriel Bitan in the long jump event and Gabriela Stanciu in the high jump contest. Bitan won bronze in the event and Bobocea became silver medalist and has also been designated Athlete of the Week by Radio Romania International.


    We recall that Romania also put up a good show at the 2015 indoor edition in Prague, when Marian Oprea became bronze medalist in the triple jump event and Florentina Iusco in the long jump event. At the latest edition in Torun, Poland, the best Romanian performance was obtained by Daniela Stanciu who came fifth in the high jump contest. In Istanbul, Stanciu ranked seventh and Alina Rotaru fifth.


    Gabriel Bitan has won for Romania the first European medal in the mens long jump event since the silver obtained by Bogdan Ţăruş in 2005.


    However, the most interesting performance was obtained by Claudia Bobocea in the 15 hundred meter race, where she obtained the best time in her entire career, 4 minutes, 3 seconds and 76 hundredths. She was outperformed by multiple world and Olympic medalist Laura Muir, of Britain who ended the race only 36 hundredths before the Romanian athlete. Sofia Ennaoui of Poland came third in the race.


    Claudia Bobocea was bron in Bucharest on 11th June 1992 and took up athletics in 2007. She has always been among the worlds fastest runners in middle-distance races, although she has failed to obtain medals in major competitions.


    In 2016, she qualified for the 800 meter race in Rio Olympics but unfortunately went 51st. She obtained her best indoor performance in 2019 in Glasgow, when she ended the race in the seventh place, so the medal in Istanbul is her best performance so far.


    (bill)


  • Athlete of the Week

    Athlete of the Week


    The first major sporting event of the year in athletics was hosted by Istanbul in Turkey. The European Indoor Athletics Championships brought together roughly 600 athletes from 47 countries and Romania was represented by 14 athletes, 7 in the mens competitions and 7 in the womens contests. Four of them had made it to the finals of their competitions: Claudia Bobocea in the 15 hundred meter race. Alina Rotaru and Gabriel Bitan in the long jump event and Gabriela Stanciu in the high jump contest. Bitan won bronze in the event and Bobocea became silver medalist and has also been designated Athlete of the Week by Radio Romania International.


    We recall that Romania also put up a good show at the 2015 indoor edition in Prague, when Marian Oprea became bronze medalist in the triple jump event and Florentina Iusco in the long jump event. At the latest edition in Torun, Poland, the best Romanian performance was obtained by Daniela Stanciu who came fifth in the high jump contest. In Istanbul, Stanciu ranked seventh and Alina Rotaru fifth.


    Gabriel Bitan has won for Romania the first European medal in the mens long jump event since the silver obtained by Bogdan Ţăruş in 2005.


    However, the most interesting performance was obtained by Claudia Bobocea in the 15 hundred meter race, where she obtained the best time in her entire career, 4 minutes, 3 seconds and 76 hundredths. She was outperformed by multiple world and Olympic medalist Laura Muir, of Britain who ended the race only 36 hundredths before the Romanian athlete. Sofia Ennaoui of Poland came third in the race.


    Claudia Bobocea was bron in Bucharest on 11th June 1992 and took up athletics in 2007. She has always been among the worlds fastest runners in middle-distance races, although she has failed to obtain medals in major competitions.


    In 2016, she qualified for the 800 meter race in Rio Olympics but unfortunately went 51st. She obtained her best indoor performance in 2019 in Glasgow, when she ended the race in the seventh place, so the medal in Istanbul is her best performance so far.


    (bill)


  • Athlete of the Week

    Athlete of the Week

    Men’s
    tennis in Romania has been, for several years now, at a much lower level than
    women’s tennis. Whereas in the WTA ranking we have 4 athletes among the world’s
    top 100, with men Romania has only one presence among the top 300. Nicholas
    David Ionel, a student of the former great Romanian player Andrei Pavel, is
    currently ranked 227th ATP. Between the 300th and 400th
    places we have 3 other Romanians: Filip Jianu, ranked 319th, Cezar Crețu,
    382 and Marius Copil, 383.




    Two of
    these players are standing out these days thanks to notable performances in
    international tournaments. Two weeks ago, Nicholas David Ionel reached the
    quarter-finals of the challenger tournament in Yokkaichi, Japan, a competition
    in which Filip Jianu stopped in the eighth-finals stage. In the doubles
    competition, they reached the semi-finals together. Filip Jianu then flew to
    Turkey, where on Sunday he won the ITF tournament in Antalya, and Radio România
    International designated him Athlete of the Week.




    In Turkey,
    Jianu, seed no 1, defeated the Dutch Ryan Nijboer, 6-4, 6-2 in the first round.
    In the round of 16, he beat Turkey’s Sarp Agabigun, 6-1, 6-0 and then in the
    quarter-finals he outplayed Uzbekistan’s Maxim Shin, 6-1, 6-3. In the semis, the
    Romanian moved past the Austrian David Pichler 6-1, 6-2, and won the final
    against Montenegro’s Rrezart Cungu 6-2, 6-4. This was Jianu’s 5th ITF
    title, and the first one this year.




    Filip Jianu
    was born in Bucharest on September 18, 2001, and is one of the main members of
    Romania’s Davis Cup team. In the juniors’ ranking put together by the
    International Tennis Federation in 2019, he came out 5th. That same
    year, he was included in the ATP ranking and moved up slowly, but steadily. He
    finished 397th in 2020, and his best ranking in 2021 was 317. This August,
    he saw his best performance so far, number 284 in the world. (AMP)

  • Athlete of the Week

    Athlete of the Week

    Men’s
    tennis in Romania has been, for several years now, at a much lower level than
    women’s tennis. Whereas in the WTA ranking we have 4 athletes among the world’s
    top 100, with men Romania has only one presence among the top 300. Nicholas
    David Ionel, a student of the former great Romanian player Andrei Pavel, is
    currently ranked 227th ATP. Between the 300th and 400th
    places we have 3 other Romanians: Filip Jianu, ranked 319th, Cezar Crețu,
    382 and Marius Copil, 383.




    Two of
    these players are standing out these days thanks to notable performances in
    international tournaments. Two weeks ago, Nicholas David Ionel reached the
    quarter-finals of the challenger tournament in Yokkaichi, Japan, a competition
    in which Filip Jianu stopped in the eighth-finals stage. In the doubles
    competition, they reached the semi-finals together. Filip Jianu then flew to
    Turkey, where on Sunday he won the ITF tournament in Antalya, and Radio România
    International designated him Athlete of the Week.




    In Turkey,
    Jianu, seed no 1, defeated the Dutch Ryan Nijboer, 6-4, 6-2 in the first round.
    In the round of 16, he beat Turkey’s Sarp Agabigun, 6-1, 6-0 and then in the
    quarter-finals he outplayed Uzbekistan’s Maxim Shin, 6-1, 6-3. In the semis, the
    Romanian moved past the Austrian David Pichler 6-1, 6-2, and won the final
    against Montenegro’s Rrezart Cungu 6-2, 6-4. This was Jianu’s 5th ITF
    title, and the first one this year.




    Filip Jianu
    was born in Bucharest on September 18, 2001, and is one of the main members of
    Romania’s Davis Cup team. In the juniors’ ranking put together by the
    International Tennis Federation in 2019, he came out 5th. That same
    year, he was included in the ATP ranking and moved up slowly, but steadily. He
    finished 397th in 2020, and his best ranking in 2021 was 317. This August,
    he saw his best performance so far, number 284 in the world. (AMP)

  • Athlete of the Week

    Athlete of the Week

    A couple of days ago the Italian city of Parma played
    venue for a major women’s tennis tournament of the WTA 250 series. The main
    draw of the clay tournament Parma Ladies Open, a competition with 200 thousand Euros
    in prize money, included two Romanians, 3rd-seeded Irina Begu and 6th-seeded
    Ana Bogdan. Bogdan made it to the semifinals and was awarded a prize of almost 9
    thousand Euros.

    Her performance in Parma has also pushed her 7 WTA notches up
    to the 46th position, for the first time in her career. She has also got the
    Athlete of the Week title, Radio Romania International awards weekly to the
    best Romanian performance.






    In Parma, Bogdan obtained a first two-set win, 6-1,
    6-2, against Laura Pigossi of Brasil. Then she defeated Ana Schmiedlova of Slovakia
    in three sets 6-2, 3-6, 6-3. Bogdan then met her compatriot Irina Begu in the
    quarters whom she outperformed 6-2, 7-6. In the semifinals she managed a good
    show against Mayar Sherif of Egypt who eventually won the game 6-4, 3-6, 6-4. Sherif
    won the trophy after beating top seed Maria Sakkari of Greece in the finals.






    Ana Bogdan was born on 25 November 1992, in Sinaia,
    southern Romania, and turned professional in 2007. In 2009 she was second in
    the junior world ranking. She made it to the 59th position in the WTA ranking in
    June 2018. Her main performances had been two WTA semis in Florianopolis in
    2016 and in Bucharest a year later. Since then she has had a constant ascension,
    making it to the semis in Paris in May and in Portoroz, Slovenia, in September.

    She played two finals, in Warsaw, in July where she lost and in Iasi, northern
    Romania, in August where she won. Among the Romanian players she comes fourth after
    9th-seeded Halep, Irina Begu on the 33rd position and
    Sorana Cirstea who is presently ranking 39th in the WTA standings.




    (bill)

  • Athlete of the Week

    Athlete of the Week

    A couple of days ago the Italian city of Parma played
    venue for a major women’s tennis tournament of the WTA 250 series. The main
    draw of the clay tournament Parma Ladies Open, a competition with 200 thousand Euros
    in prize money, included two Romanians, 3rd-seeded Irina Begu and 6th-seeded
    Ana Bogdan. Bogdan made it to the semifinals and was awarded a prize of almost 9
    thousand Euros.

    Her performance in Parma has also pushed her 7 WTA notches up
    to the 46th position, for the first time in her career. She has also got the
    Athlete of the Week title, Radio Romania International awards weekly to the
    best Romanian performance.






    In Parma, Bogdan obtained a first two-set win, 6-1,
    6-2, against Laura Pigossi of Brasil. Then she defeated Ana Schmiedlova of Slovakia
    in three sets 6-2, 3-6, 6-3. Bogdan then met her compatriot Irina Begu in the
    quarters whom she outperformed 6-2, 7-6. In the semifinals she managed a good
    show against Mayar Sherif of Egypt who eventually won the game 6-4, 3-6, 6-4. Sherif
    won the trophy after beating top seed Maria Sakkari of Greece in the finals.






    Ana Bogdan was born on 25 November 1992, in Sinaia,
    southern Romania, and turned professional in 2007. In 2009 she was second in
    the junior world ranking. She made it to the 59th position in the WTA ranking in
    June 2018. Her main performances had been two WTA semis in Florianopolis in
    2016 and in Bucharest a year later. Since then she has had a constant ascension,
    making it to the semis in Paris in May and in Portoroz, Slovenia, in September.

    She played two finals, in Warsaw, in July where she lost and in Iasi, northern
    Romania, in August where she won. Among the Romanian players she comes fourth after
    9th-seeded Halep, Irina Begu on the 33rd position and
    Sorana Cirstea who is presently ranking 39th in the WTA standings.




    (bill)

  • The Athlete of the Week

    The Athlete of the Week

    Romania has a longstanding tradition in rowing, having won no fewer than 10 gold medals in the history of the Olympic Games. Eight of these were won by Romania’s canoeists, including the likes of Leon Rotman and Ivan Patzaichin, who made history in world competitions. The latest of the golden generation of canoeists is Florin Popescu; he and Mitica Pricop walked away with gold from the mens C2 1000 meter race of the Olympic Games in Sydney in the year 2000, after an absence of 16 years. As a coincidence, the previous title had been obtained in the same race in Los Angeles 1984 by Ivan Patzaichin and Toma Simionov.



    Florin Popescu was born on August 30th 1974 in Olt County, southern Romania. Together with Mitica Pricop he clinched gold in the 500 meter race and bronze in the 1000 meter event at the European Championships in Zagreb in 1999. After the victory in Sydney, the two athletes won the gold medal in the 1000 and 500 meter races of the European Championships in Milan in 2001.



    A year later, Pricop was replaced by Silviu Simiocencu, and the Romanian boat compelled international recognition in the competitions of 2002 and 2003, when they even won the world title in the 1000 meter race. Unfortunately, in Athens 2004, the Romanian boat went only fourth, in the races of 500 and 1000 meters.



    After Athens, Popescu took a break from competitions, but a year later he joined Romanias four, which became the gold medalists at the European Championships in Poznan in the 1000 meter race. And that was the last great performance in the career of Florin Popescu who is now coaching Romanias Olympic canoe team. (bill)


  • The Athlete of the Week

    The Athlete of the Week

    Romania has a longstanding tradition in rowing, having won no fewer than 10 gold medals in the history of the Olympic Games. Eight of these were won by Romania’s canoeists, including the likes of Leon Rotman and Ivan Patzaichin, who made history in world competitions. The latest of the golden generation of canoeists is Florin Popescu; he and Mitica Pricop walked away with gold from the mens C2 1000 meter race of the Olympic Games in Sydney in the year 2000, after an absence of 16 years. As a coincidence, the previous title had been obtained in the same race in Los Angeles 1984 by Ivan Patzaichin and Toma Simionov.



    Florin Popescu was born on August 30th 1974 in Olt County, southern Romania. Together with Mitica Pricop he clinched gold in the 500 meter race and bronze in the 1000 meter event at the European Championships in Zagreb in 1999. After the victory in Sydney, the two athletes won the gold medal in the 1000 and 500 meter races of the European Championships in Milan in 2001.



    A year later, Pricop was replaced by Silviu Simiocencu, and the Romanian boat compelled international recognition in the competitions of 2002 and 2003, when they even won the world title in the 1000 meter race. Unfortunately, in Athens 2004, the Romanian boat went only fourth, in the races of 500 and 1000 meters.



    After Athens, Popescu took a break from competitions, but a year later he joined Romanias four, which became the gold medalists at the European Championships in Poznan in the 1000 meter race. And that was the last great performance in the career of Florin Popescu who is now coaching Romanias Olympic canoe team. (bill)


  • Athletes of the Year 2021

    Athletes of the Year 2021

    The Tokyo Olympics were the most
    important sports event of the year 2021. Although held one year later than
    scheduled, the competitions were by no means less spectacular. New records were
    set, new champions emerged, while some of the old ones reconfirmed their worth.


    In Tokyo, Romania’s delegation went
    up on the Olympic podium 4 times, with rowing occasioning 3 of these instances.
    The most valuable medals were won by the women’s double sculls team made up of Simona
    Radiș and Ancuța Bodnar, winners of the Olympic gold. Silver medals went to Mihăiţă
    Ţigănescu, Mugurel Semciuc, Ştefan Berariu and Cosmin Pascari in the men’s coxless
    four event, and to Ciprian Tudosă and Marius Cozmiuc for the coxless pair event.


    The only individual medal was won in
    fencing, where veteran Ana-Maria Popescu won the silver in the epee final.


    Thanks to these performances, Radio
    Romania International designates Olympic champions Ancuţa Bodnar and Simona
    Radiş as Athletes of the Year 2021.


    In the double sculls final, Bodnar and
    Radiş won by a comfortable margin, after having led the race from beginning to
    the end. Second came the rowers of New Zealand and the Netherlands. The Romanian
    team finished in 6:41:03, a new Olympic record over 3 seconds better than the
    previous one, set in London in 2012 by Britain’s team.


    Ancuţa Bodnar was born on 25th September 1998, in
    the village of Vatra Moldoviţei in Suceava County (north). She races for the
    Bucharest club Dinamo. Simona Radiş is a few months younger: born on 5th
    April 1999, in Botoşani (also in the north), and a member of the rival club,
    Steaua Bucharest.

    The 2 athletes have been part of the same double sculls team
    since 2019. Their first major performance was recorded in the same year, in
    early June-the silver medal in the European Championships in Lucerne, Switzerland.
    Later that year, in September, in Linz, they won the silver in the World
    Championships.

    The next major competition was the 2020 European Championship in
    Poznan, Poland, followed by the 2021 European Championship in Varese, Italy, in
    which Ancuţa Bodnar and Simona Radiş won the gold. (tr. A.M. Popescu)

  • Athlete of the Week

    Athlete of the Week




    This past weekend, the
    Romanian swimmer David Popovici won the gold in the 200m freestyle final of the
    European Short Course Swimming Championships in Kazan, Russia. Popovici came
    first with 1:42:12. At the age of only 17, he thus won his first continental
    senior title, while also setting a new national record. Second and third came 2
    Dutch swimmers, Luc Kroon and Stan Pijnenburg.


    Popovici’s gold was
    the 3rd medal for Romania in this short course championship, after
    the silver and bronze won by Robert Glinţă in the 100m and 50m backstroke finals.
    I’m glad I could attend this European competition. We’ve been quite united and
    had a lot of fun. And I’m also happy to have written history for Romanian
    swimming, said Popovici upon his return to Romania. He is the first Romanian,
    in fact, to have won a European short course championship.


    For his outstanding
    performance, Radio Romania International has designated David Popovici the
    Athlete of the Week.


    David Popovici was
    born on 15 September 2004, in Bucharest, and has specialised in freestyle races,
    having set the juniors’ world records for 100m and 200m freestyle. Also in the
    junior category, he is the European champion in the 50m, 100m and 200m
    freestyle events. In the same European Championship edition, held in Rome, he
    won the silver in the 4x100m freestyle relay with his Romanian teammates.


    His best performance
    was his qualification in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, where at 16 years of age, he
    came up 4th in the 200m freestyle final. I think in Tokyo I learned
    to better control my emotions, to focus on my lane and do what I do best,
    young Popovici also said upon his return from Kazan. (tr. A.M. Popescu)

  • Athlete of the Week

    Athlete of the Week




    This past weekend, the
    Romanian swimmer David Popovici won the gold in the 200m freestyle final of the
    European Short Course Swimming Championships in Kazan, Russia. Popovici came
    first with 1:42:12. At the age of only 17, he thus won his first continental
    senior title, while also setting a new national record. Second and third came 2
    Dutch swimmers, Luc Kroon and Stan Pijnenburg.


    Popovici’s gold was
    the 3rd medal for Romania in this short course championship, after
    the silver and bronze won by Robert Glinţă in the 100m and 50m backstroke finals.
    I’m glad I could attend this European competition. We’ve been quite united and
    had a lot of fun. And I’m also happy to have written history for Romanian
    swimming, said Popovici upon his return to Romania. He is the first Romanian,
    in fact, to have won a European short course championship.


    For his outstanding
    performance, Radio Romania International has designated David Popovici the
    Athlete of the Week.


    David Popovici was
    born on 15 September 2004, in Bucharest, and has specialised in freestyle races,
    having set the juniors’ world records for 100m and 200m freestyle. Also in the
    junior category, he is the European champion in the 50m, 100m and 200m
    freestyle events. In the same European Championship edition, held in Rome, he
    won the silver in the 4x100m freestyle relay with his Romanian teammates.


    His best performance
    was his qualification in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, where at 16 years of age, he
    came up 4th in the 200m freestyle final. I think in Tokyo I learned
    to better control my emotions, to focus on my lane and do what I do best,
    young Popovici also said upon his return from Kazan. (tr. A.M. Popescu)