Radio România Internațional

Tag: luge

Athlete of the Week on RRI – Valentin Crețu

In recent years, Romanian athletes have been grabbing good
results in winter sports. Whereas in skiing and biathlon events progress seems
to be slower, our athletes are closing in to world rankings in bob sledding and
sleigh events. In the latest Winter Olympics hosted by Beijing, Romania’s luge
team made up of Raluca Strămăturaru, Valentin Creţu and the Marian Gîtlan /
Darius Șerban tandem ranked 9. In the women’s singles, Andreea Grecu ranked 12,
while the men’s 4-man bobsleigh crew made up of Mihai Tentea, Raul Dobre,
Ciprian Daroczi and Cristian Radu finished the competition in 13th
place.

Last Tuesday, in the relay team at the World Cup in
Altenberg, Germany, Romania ranked 6. Competing were Raluca Strămăturaru,
Valentin Crețu and the pair made up of Ștefan Handaric and Sebastian Motzca.
The greatest achievement came on Friday, however, when Valentin Crețu won the
Nations Cup, held in Winterberg on the sidelines of the World Cup. Crețu won
the men’s singles with 52.412 seconds, followed closely by Florian Müller of
Germany and Jonathan Eric Gustafson of the USA. For this result, we have
designated Valentin Crețu Athlete of the Week on RRI.

Valentin Crețu was born September 9, 1989 in Sinaia, a city
located at the foothills of Bucegi Mountains, which are famous for their
slopes. He is enrolled at the local sports club. In 2004 he was drafted into
Romania’s national team, and starting the 2006-2007 season has been competing
in World Cup events. Valentin Crețu has so far qualified to four editions of the
Olympics Games – in 2010 in Vancouver, in 2014 in Sochi, in 2018 in PyeongChang
and in 2022 in Beijing. His objective is securing qualification to the 2026
Olympics to be hosted by Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo in Italy. (VP)

14 February 2023
Radio Romania International Sports Club

A new edition of the Winter Olympics Games has recently drawn to a close. This year, the competition was rather unusual because of the COVID-19 pandemic and the new restrictions that have been put in place for the safety of the participants. Nonetheless, the sporting show was there and so were the controversies. All things considered, it was an exceptional event that brought together the winter sports elite at world level.

Romania was represented by a 22-strong delegation, whose members competed in seven disciplines: luge, bobsleigh, alpine skiing, cross-country skiing, ski jumping, biathlon and speed skating. The most audacious objectives have been set by the Romanian Bobsleigh and Luge Federation. Among them, the winning of a medal, a feat that would have come as a premiere since 1968. However, performance failed to meet expectations, to that effect. Romanian delegation’s best result in the Beijing Winter Olympics was the luge relay crew’s coming in 9th. The athletes were Raluca Strămăturaru, Valentin Creţu and the pair made of Marian Gîtlan and Darius Şerban. Then Andra Grecu was 12th placed in the monobob event. 13th-placed was the 4-man bobsleigh crew made of Mihai Tentea, Raul Dobre, Ciprian Daroczi and Cristian Radu. Romania’s 2-man luge crew made of Marian Gîtlan and Darius Şerban came in 14th in the event.

As soon as the delegation returned to Romania, the President of the Romanian Olympic and Sports Committee, Mihai Covaliu, expressed his dissatisfaction with the Romanian delegation’s below-par run in the Olympics. Covaliu said that the special efforts made in certain disciplines did not translate into high-level performance. Among other things, Covaliu made mention of the fact that the bobsleigh crews had their training sessions in Germany. Mihai Covaliu went on to say that it was not okay for the Romanian athletes to train jointly with the German team, to have good training facilities, to succeed in a similar number of downhill races and then, at the Olympics, to have so poor a timing that they could not explain it themselves. The Romanian Sports Minister, Eduard Novak, added the Romanian athletes would have the chance to win Winter Olympic medals in 10 or 20 years’ time, provided investments are being made in infrastructure and coaches for the next four years.

(EN)

23 February 2022
Radio Romania International Sports Club

A new edition of the Winter Olympics Games has recently drawn to a close. This year, the competition was rather unusual because of the COVID-19 pandemic and the new restrictions that have been put in place for the safety of the participants. Nonetheless, the sporting show was there and so were the controversies. All things considered, it was an exceptional event that brought together the winter sports elite at world level.

Romania was represented by a 22-strong delegation, whose members competed in seven disciplines: luge, bobsleigh, alpine skiing, cross-country skiing, ski jumping, biathlon and speed skating. The most audacious objectives have been set by the Romanian Bobsleigh and Luge Federation. Among them, the winning of a medal, a feat that would have come as a premiere since 1968. However, performance failed to meet expectations, to that effect. Romanian delegation’s best result in the Beijing Winter Olympics was the luge relay crew’s coming in 9th. The athletes were Raluca Strămăturaru, Valentin Creţu and the pair made of Marian Gîtlan and Darius Şerban. Then Andra Grecu was 12th placed in the monobob event. 13th-placed was the 4-man bobsleigh crew made of Mihai Tentea, Raul Dobre, Ciprian Daroczi and Cristian Radu. Romania’s 2-man luge crew made of Marian Gîtlan and Darius Şerban came in 14th in the event.

As soon as the delegation returned to Romania, the President of the Romanian Olympic and Sports Committee, Mihai Covaliu, expressed his dissatisfaction with the Romanian delegation’s below-par run in the Olympics. Covaliu said that the special efforts made in certain disciplines did not translate into high-level performance. Among other things, Covaliu made mention of the fact that the bobsleigh crews had their training sessions in Germany. Mihai Covaliu went on to say that it was not okay for the Romanian athletes to train jointly with the German team, to have good training facilities, to succeed in a similar number of downhill races and then, at the Olympics, to have so poor a timing that they could not explain it themselves. The Romanian Sports Minister, Eduard Novak, added the Romanian athletes would have the chance to win Winter Olympic medals in 10 or 20 years’ time, provided investments are being made in infrastructure and coaches for the next four years.

(EN)

23 February 2022
Sports flash

The opening ceremony of the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympic
Games is scheduled this coming Friday. A 22-strong Romanian delegation will compete
in the Olympics, with 8 women athletes and 14 men athletes vying for medals. Luge,
bobsleigh, alpine skiing, cross-country skiing, ski jumping, biathlon and speed
skating are the competing disciplines. However, the head-coach of the Olympic luge
team, Ioan Apostol, is Covid-19-infected, according to an announcement made by
the Romanian Olympic and Sports Committee. The Romanian sports body added the
Romanian head-coach would stay in isolation, in keeping with the Games Organizing
Committee’s system of regulations. All participants in the Winter Olympics are being
tested daily.

The Romanian Sports Minister Eduard Novak has stated the
Gymnastics and Athletics federations have climbed 9 and 10 notches down, respectively,
following a classification compiled according to a state-budget form of financing earmarked for the two federations. The causes of that are the poor results Romanian gymnasts and athletes have had
in recent years. The parameters that were taken into account for the
classification were the 2021 results in international competitions, that is
world, European cups, world and European championships, seniors’, Under-21 versions
of competitions, as well as the number of medals. Minister Novak spoke highly
of the rowers, with their 34 medals, and of judokas, with 14 medals. Eduard Novak also mentioned the table tennis players, with their 9 medals. The
Romanian sports minister went on to say, QUOTE, I want us to invest, since 48
of the clubs belong to the Ministry and a mere 12 or 15 gymnastics departments,
which is quite unassuming. I intend to open, in two, maybe three years’ time, 15
or 20 other gymnastics sections. Because gymnastics, just like the winter
sports, is being practiced in certain areas alone. And if we want our
gymnastics to grow on firm grounds, we need to have gymnastics practiced countrywide,
it’s the key to all that, UNQUOTE.

There are a couple of stadiums in Bucharest that have been recently refurbished
to host the teams that will be preparing, in Romania, for EURO 2020. As of late, these stadiums have timidly entered
the competition circuit. On Saturday, the Triumphal Arch Stadium will be
hosting the rugby match pitting the Romanian national team against Russia.
However, the Arena will soon be opened for football competitions as well, yet pending
legal matters are still to be sorted out.

Romanian vice-champions, FCSB, have already made public their intention
to play on the new stadium, which has a seating capacity of 80,000 seats. Rapid
head-coach Mihai Iosif told a press conference that the Giulesti Stadium, on
February 26, could host the Bucharest derby pitting Rapid against Dinamo.
Construction works for the new Giulesti Stadium were completed in late 2021. On
January 4, 2022, Rapid Sports Club officially took over the administration of
the new stadium. The club immediately initiated the procedures to obtain all
official permits for the stadium.

(EN)

3 February 2022
Sports flash

The opening ceremony of the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympic
Games is scheduled this coming Friday. A 22-strong Romanian delegation will compete
in the Olympics, with 8 women athletes and 14 men athletes vying for medals. Luge,
bobsleigh, alpine skiing, cross-country skiing, ski jumping, biathlon and speed
skating are the competing disciplines. However, the head-coach of the Olympic luge
team, Ioan Apostol, is Covid-19-infected, according to an announcement made by
the Romanian Olympic and Sports Committee. The Romanian sports body added the
Romanian head-coach would stay in isolation, in keeping with the Games Organizing
Committee’s system of regulations. All participants in the Winter Olympics are being
tested daily.

The Romanian Sports Minister Eduard Novak has stated the
Gymnastics and Athletics federations have climbed 9 and 10 notches down, respectively,
following a classification compiled according to a state-budget form of financing earmarked for the two federations. The causes of that are the poor results Romanian gymnasts and athletes have had
in recent years. The parameters that were taken into account for the
classification were the 2021 results in international competitions, that is
world, European cups, world and European championships, seniors’, Under-21 versions
of competitions, as well as the number of medals. Minister Novak spoke highly
of the rowers, with their 34 medals, and of judokas, with 14 medals. Eduard Novak also mentioned the table tennis players, with their 9 medals. The
Romanian sports minister went on to say, QUOTE, I want us to invest, since 48
of the clubs belong to the Ministry and a mere 12 or 15 gymnastics departments,
which is quite unassuming. I intend to open, in two, maybe three years’ time, 15
or 20 other gymnastics sections. Because gymnastics, just like the winter
sports, is being practiced in certain areas alone. And if we want our
gymnastics to grow on firm grounds, we need to have gymnastics practiced countrywide,
it’s the key to all that, UNQUOTE.

There are a couple of stadiums in Bucharest that have been recently refurbished
to host the teams that will be preparing, in Romania, for EURO 2020. As of late, these stadiums have timidly entered
the competition circuit. On Saturday, the Triumphal Arch Stadium will be
hosting the rugby match pitting the Romanian national team against Russia.
However, the Arena will soon be opened for football competitions as well, yet pending
legal matters are still to be sorted out.

Romanian vice-champions, FCSB, have already made public their intention
to play on the new stadium, which has a seating capacity of 80,000 seats. Rapid
head-coach Mihai Iosif told a press conference that the Giulesti Stadium, on
February 26, could host the Bucharest derby pitting Rapid against Dinamo.
Construction works for the new Giulesti Stadium were completed in late 2021. On
January 4, 2022, Rapid Sports Club officially took over the administration of
the new stadium. The club immediately initiated the procedures to obtain all
official permits for the stadium.

(EN)

3 February 2022
29.02.2020 (mise à jour)

COVID-19 – 3 cas d’infection au virus COVID – 19 ont été confirmés jusqu’ici en Roumanie ont fait savoir les autorités sanitaires, qui ont précisé que l’état de santé des personnes en question était bon. A présent, au niveau national, 52 personnes sont en quarantaine et 8796 sont en isolement à domicile. Les autorités sanitaires des départements de Timis, dans l’ouest et de Maramures, dans le nord-ouest, déroulent des enquêtes épidémiologiques pour identifier précisément les personnes ayant entré en contact avec les deux patients dépistés vendredi positifs au nouveau coronavirus. Tant la femme que l’homme en question ont voyagé récemment en Italie. Le premier patient infecté au coronavirus en Roumanie, un homme âgé de 25 ans du département de Gorj dans le sud-ouest est en bon état de santé et le résultat des tests faits ce vendredi s’est avéré négatif, affirment les médecins. Si le résultat du prochain test s’avère toujours négatif, le jeune homme sera jugé guéri et il pourra quitter l’hôpital. L’Italie demeure le pays européen le plus touché par le virus. Sur toile de fond de propagation du coronavirus dans le monde, les bourses ont enregistré cette semaine des pertes totalisant plus de 5 trillions de dollars. Selon la BBC, les marchés financiers américains n’ont été tellement touchés depuis la crise financière de 2008. Les investisseurs craignent que le nombre à la hausse des cas d’infection au coronavirus à l’extérieur de la Chine puisse produire une véritable pandémie.

Afghanistan – La Roumanie salue la signature samedi d’un accord entre les Etats Unis et les talibans en vue de la normalisation de la situation en Afghanistan, ainsi qu’une déclaration commune de paix entre les Etats Unis et le gouvernement de Kaboul, fait savoir un communiqué du ministère des Affaires Etrangères de Bucarest. La Roumanie exprime sa confiance que la mise en œuvre totale des accords créera les conditions nécessaires à l’instauration d’un climat de stabilité en Afghanistan. Selon le ministère des AE, Bucarest continuera à soutenir les démarches d’assurer la paix et la sécurité en Afghanistan, en coopération complète avec ses alliés de l’OTAN. Les Etats Unis et les talibans ont signé dimanche à Doha, au Qatar, un accord historique qui ouvre la voie au retrait total des soldats américains d’Afghanistan durant les 14 prochains mois et à des négociations de paix inter-afghanes après 18 ans de guerre.

Eurovision – La Finale nationale de l’Eurovision de la chanson est prévue pour ce dimanche à Buzau, dans le sud-est de la Roumanie. Le public et un jury spécialisé choisiront la chanson que la représentante de la Roumanie à l’Eurovision, Roxen, devra présenter au concours officiel qui se tiendra à Rotterdam aux Pays-Bas. Plusieurs chansons ont été composées pour l’artiste roumaine et les cinq meilleures ont été incluses dans une sélection nationale. Roxen est connue surtout depuis l’été dernier lorsque la chanson « You don’t love me » a cartonné à travers le monde. A l’Eurovision, Roxen participera dans la première demi-finale le 12 mai. La finale du concours est prévue pour le 16 mai. Une quarantaine de pays participent aux côtés de la Roumanie à l’édition de cette année du concours.

Handball – Le club de handball champion de Roumanie, CSM Râmnicu Vâlcea, dans le sud a vaincu ce samedi à domicile le club suédois de Savehof sur le score de 28 à 20, dans le deuxième groupe principal de la Ligue des Champions. Dans le premier groupe principal de la même compétition, les vice-championnes du CSM Bucarest affrontent dimanche le Metz, en France. Côté messieurs, les champions du Dinamo Bucarest affrontent à domicile le Sporting de Lisbonne.

Luge – La sportive roumaine Raluca Strămăturaru a remporté l’édition 2019 – 2020 de la Coupe des nations à la luge, après avoir termine en 12e position vendredi lors de la dernière étape déroulée à Koenigssee en Allemagne. Strămăturaru, qui a participe à toutes les 9 étapes de la Coupe des nations de cette saison a terminé en première position du classement général, étant suivie par deux américaines. Elle est 16e dans la hiérarchie générale de la Coupe du monde de luge, une étape avant la fin de la compétition.

Météo – Températures à la hausse en Roumanie avec un ciel variable et quelques nuages sur l’ouest et le nord, où des pluies légères sont attendues. Des précipitations mixtes pluie -neige sont prévue en montagne, en fonction des altitudes. Les températures iront de 8 à 15 degrés.

29 February 2020
RRI Sports club

A new edition of the Winter Youth
Olympic Games is underway in Lausanne. Until January 22nd, almost
1,900 athletes from 35 countries, Romania included, will compete in 81 events
as part of eight winter sports disciplines. There are two venues for the
competition, located at a distance of around 360 kilometers. Here are the
disciplines held in Lausanne: curling, biathlon, ice hockey, artistic skating,
short-track, ski jumping, alpine skiing, ski mountaineering, cross-country
skiing and snowboarding. In Saint Moritz, the mono-bobsled and skeleton events
are held, but also the luge and the speed skating events.

At the opening ceremony, skier
Constantin Surdu was Romanian delegation’s flag bearer in Lausanne, while
bobsled athlete Georgeta Popescu was the flag bearer during the similar
festivity in Saint Moritz.

It is the third edition of the
Winter Youth Olympic Games. In 2012, when the inaugural edition was held in the
Austrian city of Innsbruck, best-placed was Romania’s Cosmin Marius Chioibasu,
who came in 4th in the men’s individual skeleton event. In the
two-woman bobsled event, best-placed were Ana Andreea Constantin and Andreea
Grecu, who came in 6th.

In 2016 in Lillehammer, Norway,
members of the Romanian delegation succeeded to win their first medals. Eduard
Căşăneanu walked away with gold in the ice hockey skills challenge event, while
Mihaela Hogas won silver in the mixed international teams sprint skating event.
Hogas teamed up with Italy’s Chiara Cristelli, Germany’s Ole Jeske and Allan
Dahl Johansson of Norway.

A mix of mountain escalade and
alpine skiing, the ski mountaineering event has brought the best result for
Romania so far, in Lausanne. Larisa Daniela Coşofreţ, George Petruţ Cotinghiu,
Anca Alexandra Olaru and Constantin Surdu teamed up and came in 11th
in the mixed relay event.

15 January 2020
RRI Sports club

A new edition of the Winter Youth
Olympic Games is underway in Lausanne. Until January 22nd, almost
1,900 athletes from 35 countries, Romania included, will compete in 81 events
as part of eight winter sports disciplines. There are two venues for the
competition, located at a distance of around 360 kilometers. Here are the
disciplines held in Lausanne: curling, biathlon, ice hockey, artistic skating,
short-track, ski jumping, alpine skiing, ski mountaineering, cross-country
skiing and snowboarding. In Saint Moritz, the mono-bobsled and skeleton events
are held, but also the luge and the speed skating events.

At the opening ceremony, skier
Constantin Surdu was Romanian delegation’s flag bearer in Lausanne, while
bobsled athlete Georgeta Popescu was the flag bearer during the similar
festivity in Saint Moritz.

It is the third edition of the
Winter Youth Olympic Games. In 2012, when the inaugural edition was held in the
Austrian city of Innsbruck, best-placed was Romania’s Cosmin Marius Chioibasu,
who came in 4th in the men’s individual skeleton event. In the
two-woman bobsled event, best-placed were Ana Andreea Constantin and Andreea
Grecu, who came in 6th.

In 2016 in Lillehammer, Norway,
members of the Romanian delegation succeeded to win their first medals. Eduard
Căşăneanu walked away with gold in the ice hockey skills challenge event, while
Mihaela Hogas won silver in the mixed international teams sprint skating event.
Hogas teamed up with Italy’s Chiara Cristelli, Germany’s Ole Jeske and Allan
Dahl Johansson of Norway.

A mix of mountain escalade and
alpine skiing, the ski mountaineering event has brought the best result for
Romania so far, in Lausanne. Larisa Daniela Coşofreţ, George Petruţ Cotinghiu,
Anca Alexandra Olaru and Constantin Surdu teamed up and came in 11th
in the mixed relay event.

15 January 2020