Radio România Internațional

Tag: Gold medal

  • Olympic Profiles 2024

    Olympic Profiles 2024

    At the Olympics in Paris Romania’s rowers claimed the first gold medals after a break of 32 years. The last rowers to step onto the first step of the Olympic podium were part of the Romanian four who ran in Barcelona in 1992. The gold medal tradition was carried on in Paris by Andrei Cornea and Marian Enache, the new Olympic champions of the double scull race.

    The two rowers managed to put on a thrilling performance in the qualifiers. They qualified in the third position, the last to ensure participation in the A finals and that proved to be a lesson for them, a lesson that they learned pretty well. The Romanians got the upper hand in the final race, which they dominated almost entirely ending it in 6 minutes, 12 seconds and 58 hundredths, almost a second and a half before the runner-up Dutch team.

    Andrei Cornea: “We didn’t look back until the last hundreds of meters as we trusted the boat from the very beginning. I was knackered in the last part of the race, but I looked right and I realized the others were more tired than I was and that somehow gave me strength. I knew I could endure for another 10 strokes and they would not be able to overtake us.” 

    That was Romania’s first gold in the men’s double scull race.

    Marian Florian Enache:  “We knew that nothing was impossible because we worked very hard and we eventually made it to the finals. And if you make it to such a great sporting event you cannot think that the others are stronger or that you cannot succeed. We knew that any failure was impossible, out of the question and all. And if you really want to and you work day in and day out with great goals in mind, you’ll always succeed.”

    Andrei Sebastian Cornea was born in Vatra Dornei, northern Romania on 10 November 1999. He represented Romania in a major competition at the European Championships in Poznan in 2020, when he ran with Romania’s four.

    At the European championships in Szeged this year he joined Marian Enache in Romania’s double scull and the two walked away with gold.

    Marian Florian Enache was born in Târgu Cărbuneşti, south-western Romania on 5 August 1995. Together with Ioan Prundeanu ranked ninth at the Olympics in Tokyo in 2020.

  • August 25, 2024

    August 25, 2024

    NOMINEE The Romanian Prime Minister, Marcel Ciolacu, leader of the Social-Democratic Party (PSD), was officially nominated as the PSD candidate for the upcoming presidential election during a PSD congress held in Bucharest yesterday. He was also reconfirmed as president of the Political-Parliamentarian formation, which is presently co-ruling Romania. In a speech delivered at the event, Ciolacu presented the programme with which he wants to win the highest position in Romania. The country’s industry, agriculture and public services are the main axes of his strategy. According to him, the Social-Democrats have managed to win the trust of the Romanians through unity, and he proposes a new type of president, ‘a president for all’. Most of the PSD members who took the floor during the Congress lashed out at their partners in the coalition that is presently ruling Romania and made ironical statements against the country’s incumbent president Klaus Iohannis. The Social-Democrats haven’t won the presidential election since the year 2000. The first round of the presidential ballot is due on November 24 and the second on December 8.

     

    HEAT Romania is in for its 13th consecutive day of extremely high temperatures. Meteorologists have issued new code yellow and orange alerts for three thirds of the country. Counties in the country’s west and south are bracing up for temperatures of 36-38 degrees Celsius and higher thermal discomfort. A code yellow alert has also been issued for the regions in the north-west, center, north-east and the Black Sea coast where the highs of the day are expected to go up to 36 Celsius. The heat wave persists in the capital city Bucharest, whose citizens are bracing up for temperatures of 36 degrees Celsius. The noon reading in Bucharest was 33.

     

    MEDALS Students from Romania have walked away with four medals from the International Geography Olympiad hosted by the Irish capital Dublin over August 19th and 24th. David Mihai Dumitrescu, from the National College ‘Carol l’ in Craiova, south-western Romania, won gold in Dublin and Ian Mitocaru, from the National College in Iasi became silver medalist. Tudor Olariu from the Iasi-based ‘Costache Negruzzi College’ and Iustin Balan from the ‘Garabet Ibraileanu’ National College in Iasi stepped onto the podium third step. According to the Education Ministry in Bucharest, Romania’s team in Dublin has been coordinated by teachers Mihaela and Dorin Fiscutean of the National College in Iasi.

     

    COAL According to the National Institute for Statistics in Bucharest, Romania’s coal production dropped by 20% in the first six months of the year against the same period of 2023. The country’s coal imports have also dropped by 30%, the same report says. According to the estimates of the National Commission for Strategy and Prognosis, this downward trend is likely to continue in the following years as other energy-production facilities will become operational. The EU’s consumption and production of coal last year dropped by 23%, to its lowest level in recorded history, says the EU statistical Office, Eurostat. According to the same sources, the 100 million ton slump in the coal production in a single year is one of the sharpest ever registered in the EU for this type of fuel. With almost two thirds of the entire EU consumption, Germany and Poland were the biggest coal consumers.

     

    VOLLEYBALL The Romanian women’s volleyball side was outperformed 3-0 by Croatia, in its first match of Group G of the preliminaries of the European Championships EuroVolley 2026. The entire game was dominated by the Croatian side, which tops the ranking after having also defeated the selection of Kosovo. Romania will be taking on Kosovo at home on August 29th. Winners of the seven preliminaries groups as well as the best five teams ranking second are to qualify for the final tournament.

    (bill)

  • Romanian rowing, among the best in the world once again

    Romanian rowing, among the best in the world once again

    Romania won four gold medals at the World Rowing Championships in Racice, the Czech Republic, that ended on Sunday. The Romanian athletes are third in the nation’s medal count, after Britain, with 7 gold medals, 1 silver and 4 bronze and Italy, with 5 gold medals, 3 silver and 1 bronze. Ionela Cozmiuc brought Romania its first medal on Friday, in women’s single lightweight. A European champion, she was the favorite to winning the competition. She had a difficult start, however being only third after the first quarter of the race. She then managed to outrun the second boat, being shortly behind the first place at a difference of one and a half seconds. She finally secured first place, two seconds ahead of Martine Veldhuis of the Netherlands. Jackie Kiddle of New Zealand came out third in this category.



    In the men’s double-scull event, Marius Cozmiuc, the husband of Ionela Cozmiuc and Sergiu Bejan won gold on Saturday. They are also European champions at this category while Marius won Olympic silver last year alongside Ciprian Tudosa. In Racice, Cozmiuc and Bejan finished the race by more than one second ahead of the Spanish team, who raked second and almost three seconds ahead of the British team, who finished third placed.



    The Romanian women’s double sculls team made up of Ancuta Bodnar and Simona Radis, Olympic and European champions, brought Romania gold on Sunday. They had no problems in winning the race, almost three seconds ahead of the team from the Netherlands. Ireland ended the race third placed, more than five seconds behind the Romanians. One of the Romanian athletes, Ancuta Bodnar, turned 24 on Sunday, when she won gold. Simona Radis won another gold medal with the women’s eight crew. The Romanian boat dominated the race and was four seconds ahead of the second place, the Netherlands and six and a half seconds ahead of the third placed, Canada. Romania had not won the 8+1 category at a world championship since 2017, when they competed on Sarasota lake in Florida, the US.



    The wins of the Romanian rowing teams come two years ahead the Olympic Games due in Paris. Given the recent results, Romania may bring home most Olympic medals in 2024. (EE)




  • Sports Flash

    Sports Flash

    The Romanian athlete Bianca Ghelber on Wednesday won the gold medal at the European Championships in Munich, in the hammer throw event. She won with a throw of 72 meters and 72 centimeters, followed by the Polish Ewa Rozanska, with 72 meters and 12 centimeters, and the Italian Sara Fantini, with 71 meters and 59 centimeters. Romania thus obtained the first continental gold medal after a break of 20 years. Also in Munich, in 2002, Ionela Tîrlea won the only title for Romania, in the 400m hurdles.



    The Romanian swimmer David Popovici, gold medalist in the 100m and 200m freestyle events, was named the best swimmer in the mens swimming events at the European Swimming Championships in Rome. We recall that, in the 100m event David Popovici registered a new world record, and in the 200m race he set a new competition record. In a ranking based on the best performances at the European Championships hosted by Italy, David Popovici took first place in the mens category, with 1,003 points. In the womens category, the first was the Lithuanian Ruta Meilutyte, with 985 points. On Wednesday, David Popovici withdrew from the 400m freestyle final of the European Championships, to which he had qualified with the fourth time.



    The Romanian tennis player Simona Halep withdrew from the WTA 1,000 tournament in Cincinnati on Wednesday, ahead of her second round match against Russian Veronika Kudermetova. According to the organizers, Halep withdrew due to an injury to her right thigh. In the first round, the Romanian had passed the Russian Anastasia Potapova, after, last week, she had won another WTA 1000 tournament, in Toronto. (LS)

  • Sports Flash

    Sports Flash

    The Romanian athlete Bianca Ghelber on Wednesday won the gold medal at the European Championships in Munich, in the hammer throw event. She won with a throw of 72 meters and 72 centimeters, followed by the Polish Ewa Rozanska, with 72 meters and 12 centimeters, and the Italian Sara Fantini, with 71 meters and 59 centimeters. Romania thus obtained the first continental gold medal after a break of 20 years. Also in Munich, in 2002, Ionela Tîrlea won the only title for Romania, in the 400m hurdles.



    The Romanian swimmer David Popovici, gold medalist in the 100m and 200m freestyle events, was named the best swimmer in the mens swimming events at the European Swimming Championships in Rome. We recall that, in the 100m event David Popovici registered a new world record, and in the 200m race he set a new competition record. In a ranking based on the best performances at the European Championships hosted by Italy, David Popovici took first place in the mens category, with 1,003 points. In the womens category, the first was the Lithuanian Ruta Meilutyte, with 985 points. On Wednesday, David Popovici withdrew from the 400m freestyle final of the European Championships, to which he had qualified with the fourth time.



    The Romanian tennis player Simona Halep withdrew from the WTA 1,000 tournament in Cincinnati on Wednesday, ahead of her second round match against Russian Veronika Kudermetova. According to the organizers, Halep withdrew due to an injury to her right thigh. In the first round, the Romanian had passed the Russian Anastasia Potapova, after, last week, she had won another WTA 1000 tournament, in Toronto. (LS)

  • September 15, 2018

    September 15, 2018

    COMMEMORATION The mountain resort of Busteni in southern Romania has today
    seen a series of events aimed at commemorating WWI heroes, celebrating the
    Great Union and 90 years since the inauguration of the Heroes Cross on the
    Caraiman Peak. Situated at an altitude of 2291 meters, the Cross was erected upon
    the initiative of Queen Marie of Romania in memory of Romania’s WWI heroes. The
    monument has been recognized by the Guinness World Records as the largest summit
    cross.








    VISIT Currently on a visit to Romania, the EU’s regional
    policy commissioner Corina Cretu will today be meeting local authorities in
    Alba, central Romania, a region with a high level of EU-funds absorption. Cretu
    had earlier made an appeal to the Romanian authorities to submit to the
    Commission ample transport infrastructure projects in order to be able to
    absorb the EU funds allotted to this sector. During a debate with citizens
    held in Cluj, north-western Romania on Friday, commissioner Cretu criticised
    the high level of bureaucracy and intricate procedures. Romania lost funds
    allotted to transport infrastructure, Cretu said adding that Bucharest managed
    an absorption rate of 20% between 2007-2013 and lost 2 billion euros destined
    to transport infrastructure. The EU commissioner has also criticized the
    delayed works at the three regional hospitals in Romania.












    ROWING Romanians Ionela-Livia Cozmiuc and Gianina-Elena Beleaga
    reaped gold in the lightweight double scull race of the World Rowing
    Championships in Plovdiv, Bulgaria on Saturday. Also on Saturday Marius-Vasile
    Cozmiuc and Ciprian Tudosa reaped silver in the men’s pair while Romania’s men
    four ended the race on the fifth position. On Sunday our men’s double, women’s
    and men’s eight will also be vying for a medal in Plovdiv.












    CLEANUP Currently underway in Romania, the National Cleanup Day is
    an event staged by ‘Let’s Do it, Romania!’ foundation, which has reached its
    sixth edition this year. ‘Let’s Do it, Romania!’ is the largest social movement
    in this country, which has so far involved the participation of 1.4 million
    volunteers who have gathered over 18 thousand tons of waste. The event is part
    of the international action plan World Cleanup Day, unfolding under the aegis
    of ‘Let’s Do it, World’ and the United Nations Environment Programme UNEP. The
    objective of the World Cleanup Day is to mobilize 5% of the world population in
    order to change people’s attitude towards the proper waste management and
    disposal and could be considered the most ambitious civic initiative at world
    level ever. The Romanian organizers want to mobilize one million volunteers who
    could get actively involved in cleanup operations. The Let’s Do it, World
    movement was born in 2008, when Estonia staged its first national cleanup day.












    (translated by bill)

  • Athlete of the Week – Fencer Simona Gherman

    Athlete of the Week – Fencer Simona Gherman

    The European Fencing Championships that came to a close last week in Torun, Poland, brought about very good results for Romania. Two Romanian fencers battled for the gold medal in the women’s epee singles. Simona Gherman won the match 9-5 against Ana-Maria Popescu, who grabbed Silver. In the main draw, Simona Gherman gradually edged out Josephine Coquin of France, 13-12, and Estonians Irina Embrich 15-11 and Julia Beljajeva, 15-12.



    In the quarterfinals, Gherman knocked out Monika Sozanska of Germany 13-10, and brushed aside Renata Knapik Miazga of Poland, 15-12. The Romanians dominated the epee event. Apart from the two finalists, Simona Pop ranked 7th after losing to Ana-Maria Popescu in the quarterfinals, 9-15. For her remarkable achievement, we have designated Simona Gherman Athlete of the Week on RRI.



    Simona Gherman was born in Bucharest on April 12, 1985. She is enrolled at the Steaua Army Sports Club. In the seniors’ competitions she has two World titles in 2010 in Paris and 2011 in Catania. With Romania’s team she has five European gold medals, in 2008 in Kiev, in 2009 in Plovdiv, in 2011 in Sheffield, in 2014 in Strasbourg and in 2015 in Montreux. In 2012 she won gold at the European Championships in Legnano, Italy, after defeating another Romanian, Anca Maroiu, in the final.



    In the team event that year, Gherman won silver with Romania’s team. Two years later in 2014, she won bronze in the women’s epee singles. At the 2012 London Olympics, Simona Gherman lost narrowly in the quarterfinals to Yana Shemyakina of Ukraine. After the Olympics Simona Gherman took a break from fencing to devote some time to her family. She resumed her competitive career in 2014.


    (Translated by V. Palcu)

  • Athlete of the Week – Judoka Daniel Natea

    Athlete of the Week – Judoka Daniel Natea

    The European Judo Union last weekend scheduled the European Open in Prague. It was an all-male competition, given that a womens version of the European Open was concurrently hosted by the Polish capital Warsaw.



    Quite a few Romanian judoka were among the protagonists of the Prague competition. In the 73 kilogram category, Robert Papp Florian defeated Israels Evgeniy Sholos through ippon. However, the Romanian judoka sustained a defeat by Ukraines Artem Homula, also through ippon. In the 81 kilogram category, Elemer Szocs was defeated in his first match against Italian Massimiliano Carollo, while Cristian Bodarlau lost to Kazakh judoka Adlet Missin. In the 100 kilogram category, Valentin Radu grabbed a win over Slovak contender Matej Hajas, but was then defeated by Italian opponent Giuliano Loporchio.



    The big feat occurred in the 100 plus category since Romanias Daniel Natea walked away with gold, winning the final against Russian challenger Soslan Bostanov, again through ippon. Nateas buildup towards the final included wins in the games against Icelands Thormodur Jonsson, also through ippon, against the French Hamza Ouchani and Mongolian Temuulen Battulga.



    Here is what Daniel Natea told the site of the European Judo Union, immediately after winning the final, Today I feel really fine, since its been six months since I last won a medal, so here I am today, walking away with gold, and with 100 points that go with the medal. Now I can carry on with my training for the Olympic Games..



    Daniel Nateas noteworthy feat in Prague prompted Radio Romania International to designate the young judoka the Athlete of the Week.



    Our top-flight judoka was born on April 21st, 1992 in the central Romanian town of Sibiu. He took up judo when he was 10. Year after year he made a step forward in his career, constantly climbing up in international rankings. Daniel Natea currently ranks 14th in the world standings of the 100+ kilogram category.



    (Translated by E. Nasta)