Radio România Internațional

Tag: Olympic

  • 2024 Olympic Profiles

    2024 Olympic Profiles

     

    Before the Olympic Games in Paris, David Popovici was the athlete on whom the vast majority of Romanians’ hopes were pinned. And he did not disappoint. He became the new Olympic champion of the 200m freestyle event and won the bronze in the 100m freestyle race. In Paris, he was the first member of Team Romania to win a gold medal, on Monday, July 29th. His success in the 200m race was also the first Olympic title for Romania in men’s swimming. The girls had won Olympic gold medals in 2000, in Sydney, (Diana Mocanu in the 100m and 200m backstroke), and in 2004, in Athens (Camelia Potec in the 200m freestyle).

     

    In the 200m freestyle final in Paris, David was the most likely to win. He had the best performance of the season, and had achieved the best times in the Olympic qualifiers and semi-finals. But the final was unexpectedly balanced. Germany’s Lukas Maertens, the Olympic 400m champion, started very well, but by mid-race he slowed down. The American Luke Hobson and Britons Matthew Richards and Duncan Scott also seemed able to win, but eventually David Popovici triumphed.

     

    Aged only 19, David thus added to his track record the only medal he was missing, the Olympic one. He had won 2 world champion titles, in Budapest in 2022, and 5 European champion titles: on in Kazan, in 2021, in a short-course pool, and then 2 each in Rome, in 2022 and in Belgrade, this year, in Olympic-size pools.

     

    In the 100m freestyle event, David came out 3rd after a breathtaking final, in which China’s Pan Zhanle broke the world record by 0.40 sec. With 2 medals, gold and bronze, Popovici remains the Romanian athlete with the best individual performance at the Paris Olympics.

  • THE WEEK IN REVIEW

    THE WEEK IN REVIEW

    OG 2024 – Romanian performance

    By Friday, August 2, during the first week of the Olympic Games in Paris, Romanian athletes won 6 medals – 2 gold, 3 silver and 1 bronze. At the age of 19, swimmer David Popovici won the final of the 200-meter freestyle event, then won bronze in the 100-meter freestyle final. And rowing provided real moments of joy. Andrei Cornea and Marian Enache won the gold medals in men’s double rowing. Ancuța Bodnar and Simona Radiş also had a heroic race, ending with silver medals in women’s double rowing. Ioana Vrînceanu and Roxana Anghel won the silver in the women’s double sculls, and Gianina van Groningen and Ionela Cozmiuc – also the silver – in the women’s double sculls, light category. We remind you that Romania’s team at the Olympic Games in the French capital, which will end on August 11, consists of 106 athletes competing in 18 sports disciplines.

    New Romanian sites on the UNESCO Heritage List

    The Monumental Ensemble ‘Way of Heroes’, made by Constantin Brâncuşi in Târgu Jiu, a city from his native region in the southwest of Romania, as well as the Borders of the Roman Empire – Dacia, were included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. The decision was taken by the World Heritage Committee during its 46th session, held in India. The “Way of Heroes” is a sculptural ensemble erected between 1937 and 1938, consisting of the Endless Column, dedicated to the Romanian heroes who fell in the First World War in the region, the Kissing Gate, and the Table of Silence, surrounded by 12 round chairs, completed by 30 chairs with a square headboard, all placed directly on the ground, as a natural plinth. The ensemble represents a turning point in the history of modern art, especially monumental sculpture and public art. As for the Frontiers of the Roman Empire – Dacia, this represents the most complex nomination for the World Heritage List prepared by Romania so far. The case file lists 285 elements scattered along more than 1,000 kilometers, in 16 counties of Romania. Romania has 9 more objectives included on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

    Sex scandal in the Romanian university environment

    The Ministry of Education in Bucharest has asked for investigations to be made in universities regarding the cases of sexual harassment that have been in the headlines of the Romanian news for several days. The National Council of Rectors will make a Guide of good practices regarding behavior in the university environment . The measures were announced after several female students declared, in the public space, that they were sexually abused by their teachers, and that their behavior was known among the professional entourage of the respective teaching staff, but that no one took any action. Three names are heavily circulated – sociologists Alfred Bulai and Marius Pieleanu, both from the National School of Political and Administrative Studies (SNSPA), as well as professor Dorin Ştefan Adam from the University of Architecture in the Capital. Alfred Bulai denies the accusations, but submitted his request for retirement. SNSPA suspended him from the position of director of the Department of Sociology, he will no longer teach during the internal investigation by the Faculty’s Ethics Commission, and he has a criminal record for using his position for sexual purposes. Meanwhile, dozens of people sent emails to the Prosecutor’s Office about his behavior. Marius Pieleanu was accused of sexual harassment by Ana Birchall herself, former Minister of Justice, but the Public Prosecutor’s Office says that it has not received any notification in this case. In the end, Dorin Ştefan Adam asked to be suspended from teaching work at the School of Architecture, after female students claimed that he was sending them indecent messages and naked pictures of himself. On the other hand, the Control Corps of the Ministry of Culture will go to the National Art Museum of Romania, after receiving memos, including about actions that can be interpreted as sexual harassment. In Thursday’s Government meeting, Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu emphasized that such situations cannot be tolerated, regardless of the name of the aggressor. The Minister of Education, Ligia Deca, spoke about possible measures being considered – among them, one that provides that reports be sent directly to prosecutors, even if they are anonymous. And the Minister of the Family, Natalia Intotero, urged all those who feel that there is pressure on them or harassment to not wait, and to notify the authorities immediately.

    Romanian firefighters on duty in Greece

    The requests from abroad addressed to Romanian firefighters are proof that the civil defense system works – declared the Minister of the Interior, Cătălin Predoiu, on the occasion of the departure of a contingent of rescue workers to Greece. They have proven their ability to save lives, to protect communities, in the country and abroad – the official recalled. The current mission of the Romanian firefighters is carried out within the framework of the European Mechanism for Civil Protection, with European funding. A first contingent of 40 firefighters, accompanied by 8 technical devices, went to Greece to help the Greek authorities manage the situations caused by the fires. They will be replaced, after a few weeks, by two other batches of rescuers. The Romanian firefighters are requested for the 4th time in a row to send contingents to Greece.

  • Romania at the Olympic Games – Los Angeles 1984

    Romania at the Olympic Games – Los Angeles 1984

     

    Romania was in the Olympics elites for many years. Between 1976 and 1988, more to the point in the Olympic Games in Montreal and Seoul, the Romanian delegation was among the top ten teams in the world in terms of medals. The best games in terms of medals, though, were those in Los Angeles in 1984, in which Romania came in second in terms of medals, namely 53, of which 20 gold, 16 silver, and 17 bronze, right behind the top team, the United States.

     

     

    The 1984 Olympic Games were boycotted by several countries from the Communist bloc. The Soviet Union announced its decision to opt out of the games on May 8, 1984, followed by Bulgaria and East Germany on May 10, then by almost all satellite states. Romania was the only country in the Soviet sphere of influence to refuse the boycott. As a result, the Romanian athletes gained a lot of sympathy among the sports fans attending the games.

     

     

    Without a doubt, the number one athlete in the Romanian delegation in Los Angeles was gymnast Ecaterina Szabo. She won four gold and one bronze medal. Since the Soviet athletes were not present, she was considered already a favorite in the competition. She missed winning the top Olympic title, though, because she took a fall in the beam event. She got her groove back at the finals winning three gold in the vault event, the floor event, and the beam event. In the last event, she tied with another Romanian gymnast, Simona Pauca. At the same time, her contribution was decisive to Romania’s victory.

     

     

    Another discipline where Romania shined was rowing. With 6 gold and two silver medals, the Romanian team dominated the competition. It was the edition in which Elisabeta Lipa, one of the world’s greatest rowers, won her first Olympic gold medal, next to Marioara Popescu. Lipa went on to win four more gold medals in future editions.

     

     

    Romanian athletics had its best results ever in Los Angeles. Thanks to the three gold medals won by Maricica Puica in the 3,000 m event, by Doina Melinte in the 800 m event, and by Anisoara Cusmir in the long jump event, Romania came in fourth in the world.

     

     

    Let us also take note of the fact that Los Angeles 1984 is the last edition attended by Ivan Patzaichin, the greatest Romanian canoeist in history. Next to Toma Simionov, he came in first in the double canoe, 1000 m event. Along his career, Patzaichin won 4 gold Olympic medals, in the 5 editions he took part in, between 1968 and 1984. (tr. C. Cotoiu)

     

  • May 8, 2024 UPDATE

    May 8, 2024 UPDATE

    VISIT The Romanian President, Klaus Iohannis, was on an official visit to the US on Tuesday and Wednesday. On Tuesday he was received at the White House by his American counterpart Joe Biden. The talks focused on the situation in Ukraine and the Black Sea area, as well as on strengthening security in the Euro-Atlantic area. Klaus Iohannis thanked for the substantial contribution of the United States to ensuring the security of Romania and the entire eastern flank of NATO, as well as for the recognition of the strategic role of the Black Sea in the context of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine. In turn, Joe Biden expressed his special appreciation for the consistent efforts that Romania has been making for the benefit of the allied space and, at the same time, for the continuous support it gives to Ukraine. The issue of Romania’s admission to the Visa Waiver program was also addressed.

     

    EUROPE DAY The National Parliament building in Bucharest is illuminated on Wednesday and Thursday, alongside many other landmarks in over 60 European cities, to mark 9 May, Europe Day, and the one-month countdown for the European Elections (6-9 June), the Romanian Chamber of Deputies announced. Every year, May 9 marks the anniversary of the historic ‘Schuman declaration’ that set out his idea for a new form of political cooperation in Europe. On May 9th, 1950, the French foreign minister Robert Schuman proposed the creation of a European Coal and Steel Community, whose members would pool coal and steel production, to prevent a new war between Europe’s nations. The declaration is regarded as the foundation of the European Union, which Romania joined in 2007.

     

    DEFENCE The Romanian defence minister Angel Tîlvăr Wednesday received his Georgian counterpart Irakli Chikovani, who is on an official visit to Romania. During the talks, the two officials tackled regional security issues, in the context of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, the measures taken by Romania to ensure Black Sea traffic security, and the bilateral cooperation in the defence sector. The Romanian defence minister also assured his counterpart of Romania’s support for Georgia’s European accession efforts. In turn, Irakli Chikovani emphasised the importance of the EU’s monitoring mission (EUMM Georgia).

     

    ISRAEL Romania’s Senate and Chamber of Deputies will convene next Tuesday in a special meeting devoted to the Day of Solidarity and Friendship between Romania and the state of Israel. The decision was made on Wednesday by the joint standing bureaus of the two parliamentary chambers. A law has recently taken effect, proclaiming May 14th as the Day of Solidarity and Friendship between Romania and the state of Israel.

     

    CRIMINALITY The Romanian police reports a decrease in the number of crimes registered this year during the Labor Day and Orthodox Easter break. The number of robberies, serious traffic accidents, as well as the number of the victims of such incidents dropped, said the spokeswoman for the Ministry of the Interior, Monica Dajbog. She also announced that law enforcement agencies would continue to focus on ensuring the smooth running of public events on Europe Day and Romania’s Independence Day, on May 9, as well as during the election campaign for the parliamentary and local elections, which starts on May 10.

     

    OLYMPIC GAMES After several days of sea travel on board a boat from Greece, the Olympic flame Wednesday arrived in Marseille, in the south of France, where it was welcomed by approximately 150,000 people. The former Romanian fencer Ana-Maria Brânza, an Olympic champion in the team event and twice silver medalist in the individual event, is to carry the Olympic flame together with other athletes from the 27 EU countries. Lit on April 16 in the ancient Greek site of Olympia, the flame – a symbol of the Olympic Games – will cross all of France, passing through the Antilles and French Polynesia, to reach Paris on the day of the opening ceremony, July 26. The Summer Olympics will run until August 11.

     

    RED CROSS Every year, around the world, World Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement Day is marked on May 8 with local and international events and activities. They recognise the significant contribution of the movement to the provision of humanitarian aid, medical assistance and protection for those in need around the world. The International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement was founded at the initiative of Henry Dunant (1828-1910), a Swiss businessman, after one of the bloodiest battles of the century, that of Solferino (Italy), where the Austrian and French armies clashed causing 40,000 victims. He understood the urgent need to organise medical services to provide neutral humanitarian assistance during wars. As such, the Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement aims to protect life and health, to prevent and alleviate human suffering without any discrimination based on nationality, race, religion, social class or political opinion. Currently, it provides vital assistance in armed conflicts, natural disasters and epidemics.

     

    UKRAINE Russia Wednesday launched a new large-scale air attack against energy infrastructure in several parts of Ukraine, military and energy officials from Kyiv have announced. The Ukrainian army said that its air defence systems were involved in countering the attacks and intercepted the missiles launched towards Kyiv. Blasts were reported in the cities of Lviv and Zaporizhzhia. In another move, preparations are being made for the Global Peace Summit aimed at finding a solution to the war that has been going on for more than two years. The summit, to which Russia was not invited, will take place in Switzerland on June 15-16, and Ukraine hopes to garner broad support to persuade Moscow to agree to terms that Kyiv deems acceptable.

     

    GAZA The Israeli army strengthened its air attacks on Gaza Strip, after taking control of the strategic crossing point to Egypt, Rafah. Meanwhile, mediators from Egypt, Qatar and the United States convened in Cairo, in the presence of Israeli officials, to discuss a ceasefire agreement in exchange for the release of the hostages captured by Hamas. An official for the Palestinian group told France Presse that it could be the last chance for Israel to recover the captives alive. Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that the recent proposals by Hamas to agree on a ceasefire do not come close to meeting Israeli demands, but Israel is participating in the negotiations. Tuesday marked seven months since Hamas attacked Israel. 1,200 Israelis died then and 250 were taken hostage, of which about 100 were released later. In response, Israel launched a large-scale offensive that practically destroyed Gaza and killed around 35,000 Palestinians. (AMP)

  • July 30, 2023

    July 30, 2023

    GOVERNMENT The government
    prepares to pass a set of fiscal measures in the coming days, designed to bring
    more money into the state budget and to keep the deficit close to this year’s
    target of 4.4% of GDP. As of this autumn, employees in agriculture,
    constructions and IT may have to contribute 10% of their incomes to the public
    healthcare fund. The government also intends to keep only 2 VAT rates, 9% for
    foodstuffs, pharmaceuticals and hospitality services, and 19% for all other
    sectors. Governmental sources say the ruling coalition are also discussing a
    reorganization of the public sector, by scrapping 200,000 posts which are
    currently vacant. At the same time, the Cabinet is working on measures to support
    citizens cope with the rising inflation. The government is considering an
    increase in minimum wages in 2 stages: to roughly 670 euro in September and to
    750 euro as of January next year. But the plan is opposed by private
    entrepreneurs, who say they cannot afford to raise minimum wages for employees.
    According to a recent poll, should this measure be introduced, more than half
    of the private entrepreneurs in the country said they would raise prices for
    their products and services or downsize their staff.


    FIRE A Romanian fire fighter unit specialising in
    wildfires is leaving for France today, as part of a redeployment programme
    organised by the Directorate General for European Civil Protection and
    Humanitarian Aid Operations (DG ECHO). As many as 40 Romanian fire fighters
    with fire engines, water tanks and other equipment will be stationed in
    Marseilles, on the Mediterranean Coast.


    TRIBUTE The Bucharest National
    Opera orchestra performs tonight for the first time at the Musikverein hall in
    Vienna, in a tribute concert to the Romanian composer Ciprian Porumbescu. The
    year 2023 was declared the year of Ciprian Porumbescu, to mark 170 years since
    the birth and 140 years since the death of the famous composer. The concert
    will consist exclusively of works by Ciprian Porumbescu: New Moon, the first
    Romanian operetta, the Ballad, the Romanian Rhapsody. The soloists, choir
    and orchestra of the National Opera House in Bucharest are conducted by Daniel
    Jinga, with special guests including maestro Gheorghe Zamfir and the soloist
    Maria Coman.


    UKRAINE A Ukrainian drone
    attack on Moscow hit 2 office buildings last night, the mayor of Russia’s
    capital city Sergei Sobyanin said, according to France Presse. According to the
    Russian defence ministry, a drone was shot down and 2 others were neutralized but
    crashed into a building compound. This was the latest in a string of attacks
    that Moscow blames on Kyiv, while also claiming the US and their NATO allies
    have provided assistance to Ukraine. Meanwhile, the Ukrainian authorities say
    at least 2 were killed and 1 wounded in a Russian missile attack on the city of
    Zaporizhzhia.


    SPORTS Romania finished 4th
    at the European Youth Summer Olympic Festival in Maribor (Slovenia), with 9
    gold, 6 silver and 5 bronze medals. This is the best performance for Romania in
    this competition, after the ones in 1995 (Bath) and 2003 (Paris), when it came
    out 3rd. On Saturday, the last day of the event, Romania won 2 gold medals,
    thanks to Alin Şavlovschi, in the men’s 2,000 m hurdles race and Bianca Maria
    Tiţa, Ştefania Balint, Maria Denisa Capotă and Alexandra Ştefania Uţă, who won
    the women’s relay race with a new competition record (2’06”13). Romania’s
    women’s handball team won the silver after losing the final to France, 32-27. Three other
    medals were won in the tennis competition, by Giulia Safina Popa in the women’s
    singles, Giulia Popa and Alexia Tatu in women’s doubles and Yannick Theodor
    Nicolas Alexandrescou/Alejandro Mateo Berge Vega Nourescu in the men’s doubles.
    In the gymnastics competition, Alexia Gabriela Vânoagă won the silver in the
    beam final. Romania participated in the Festival with a team of 92 athletes. (AMP)

  • Farewell to two stars

    Farewell to two stars

    Romanians are grieving as of Sunday, when two valuable personalities passed away: several times canoeing Olympic champion Ivan Patzaichin and actor Ion Caramitru, the director of the Bucharest National Theatre and the head of the Romanian Theatre Union (UNITER).



    “A legend … a champion human being has turned into a star. Ivan Patzaichin has left us. His is a success story, but also a story of decency and strength of character. It is the story of a son of the Danube Delta who gave back tenfold and inspired people to live beautifully, the Romanian Olympic and Sports Committee announced on Sunday morning. The athlete was 71.



    The winner of seven Olympic medals, four gold and three silver, Ivan Patzaichin also won 22 world championships. As a coach, he carried on his stellar track record, as his students won as many as 150 Olympic, world and European competitions.



    Had this been a regular early autumn day, Ivan Patzaichin would have now given us details about a new edition of the international rowing festival “Rowmania Fest, organised for over 10 years now by the “Ivan Patzaichin – Mila 23 Association and scheduled to take place these very days. Over the years, the event has included the first European childrens triathlon, competitions on the Danube between various Delta communities, roundtables on biodiversity, concerts, fairs and outdoor exhibitions.



    A modest, generous and selfless man, Ivan Patzaichin repeatedly turned down political and administrative posts, and went through the suffering of the recent period with the same smile he had given the world on so many occasions, including a race with a broken paddle that left the world speechless.



    He was the vice-president of the Romanian Kayaking and Canoeing Federation and vice-president of the Romanian Olympic Committee (elected in 1990) and he is the only Romanian athlete to hold the Platinum Wreath Olympic Order.



    Also on Sunday, the great actor Ion Caramitru died, aged 79. He was the director of the National Theatre in Bucharest, played hundreds of parts on stage, in radio drama and on screen. He was a stage director, a professor, a culture minister, the president of UNITER, and a participant in the 1989 anti-communist revolution in Romania.



    During his long and outstanding acting career, Ion Caramitru won countless awards and distinctions, and was made an honorary knight of the British Empire by Queen Elizabeth II in 1995. He was also awarded as Knight of the Order of Arts and Letters in France.



    Ion Caramitru was declared one of the best 10 actors in the role of Hamlet in a ranking put together by the former artistic director of the Royal Shakespeare Company, Michael Boyd. As he himself confessed, Caramitrus life was very much shaped by poetry, which he saw as a miracle of language. (tr. A.M. Popescu)

  • ROMANIA AT THE OLYMPIC GAMES

    ROMANIA AT THE OLYMPIC GAMES


    Romania was in the Olympics elites for many years. Between 1976 and 1988, more to the point in the Olympic Games in Montreal and Seoul, the Romanian delegation was among the top ten teams in the world in terms of medals. The best games in terms of medals, though, were those in Los Angeles in 1984, in which Romania came in second in terms of medals, namely 53, of which 20 gold, 16 silver, and 17 bronze, right behind the top team, the United States.



    The 1984 Olympic Games were boycotted by several countries from the Communist bloc. The Soviet Union announced its decision to opt out of the games on May 8, 1984, followed by Bulgaria and East Germany on May 10, then by almost all satellite states. Romania was the only country in the Soviet sphere of influence to refuse the boycott. As a result, the Romanian athletes gained a lot of sympathy among the sports fans attending the games.



    Without a doubt, the number one athlete in the Romanian delegation in Los Angeles was gymnast Ecaterina Szabo. She won four gold and one bronze medal. Since the Soviet athletes were not present, she was considered already a favorite in the competition. She missed winning the top Olympic title, though, because she took a fall in the beam event. She got her groove back at the finals winning three gold in the vault event, the floor event, and the beam event. In the last event, she tied with another Romanian gymnast, Simona Pauca. At the same time, her contribution was decisive to Romania’s victory.



    Another discipline where Romania shined was rowing. With 6 gold and two silver medals, the Romanian team dominated the competition. It was the edition in which Elisabeta Lipa, one of the world’s greatest rowers, won her first Olympic gold medal, next to Marioara Popescu. Lipa went on to win four more gold medals in future editions.



    Romanian athletics had its best results ever in Los Angeles. Thanks to the three gold medals won by Maricica Puica in the 3,000 m event, by Doina Melinte in the 800 m event, and by Anisoara Cusmir in the long jump event, Romania came in fourth in the world.



    Let us also take note of the fact that Los Angeles 1984 is the last edition attended by Ivan Patzaichin, the greatest Romanian canoeist in history. Next to Toma Simionov, he came in first in the double canoe, 1000 m event. Along his career, Patzaichin won 4 gold Olympic medals, in the 5 editions he took part in, between 1968 and 1984. (tr. C. Cotoiu)

  • Romania at the Olympic games

    Romania at the Olympic games


    Romania
    was one of the countries where gymnastics has had a long-standing history. In
    the United Principalities capital city, in 1867, a couple of Saxon merchants
    hailing from Sibiu and Brasov initiated the Bukarester Turnverein Society, the
    Gymnastics Association of Bucharest. The Romanian Central Arms, Gymnastics and
    Target Shooting Society was founded in 1876 by Professors Gheorghe Moceanu and Constantin
    Constantiniu. The latter body played a key role in the promotion of physical
    education and sports. Periodically, the Society organized contests at local and
    national level. In the school curricula, gymnastics was included as a
    discipline also beginning the 19th century. Gymnastics was a compulsory subject
    in quite a few educational institutions countrywide. At competitional level,
    Romanian gymnastics had its representatives for the first time at the 1936
    edition of the Olympic games in Berlin. Ever since, Romanian gymnasts have been
    a regular presence at the Olympics, save for the 1948 edition of the games,
    held in London.


    As an
    absolute first, Romanian gymnasts walked home with medals in 1956, at the
    Olympic games in Melbourne. Back then Elena Leustean won the bronze medal in
    the floor event; also bronze went to the Romanian women’s team, in the nations
    competition. Romanian gymnastics’ blazing trail actually began two decades
    later, with Nadia Comaneci. For the first time ever in the history of artistic
    gymnastics, on July 18, 1976, at the Olympic games in Montreal, Nadia Comaneci
    got a 10, with an uneven parallel bars exercise. Back in the day her
    performance was impressive thanks to its minuteness and force; the exercise is
    still a model for today’s gymnasts. At that time it was the best exercise ever
    to have been performed, reason enough for the referees to admit its perfection.
    It was one of the memorable moments in the history of artistic gymnastics.
    After the Montreal edition of the Olympics, gymnastics enjoyed the widest
    audience for each of the following editions of the Olympic games. According to
    the collective mindset, Nadia is still the greatest gymnast of all time. Nadia
    Comaneci was the role model for hundreds of thousands of little girls all over
    the world, who took up gymnastics at a professional level.


    45
    years on, Romanian gymnastics has been experiencing a large-scale crisis. We recall
    that ahead of the 2016 edition of the Olympic Games in Rio, no Romanian
    gymnastics team qualified for the women’s or the men’s version of the games.
    Romanian gymnastics’ dismal run is the
    same ahead of the Tokyo Olympics. Only three Romanian gymnasts will compete in
    Japan. Marian Dragulescu will prove his mettle in the men’s vault event.
    Joining him will be Larisa Iordache and Maria Holbura, in the women’s
    all-around event. One of the veterans in the Olympics, 40 year-old Dragulescu is
    most likely to walk away with a medal. Dragulescu’s record is outstanding. In
    the Athens Olympics in 2004, Marian Dragulescu won one silver and two bronze medals. In the World Championships, Dragulescu won eight gold and two silver
    medals. Dragulescu won eighteen medals in European Championships, of which ten
    were gold, six silver and two bronze medals. The only medal that is missing is
    an Olympic gold medal. Marian Dragulescu was designated the best athlete of the
    year in 2005 and 2009. In the vault event, an exercise bears Dragulescu’s name.


    (Translated by Eugen Nasta)



  • Romania at the Olympic games

    Romania at the Olympic games


    Romania
    was one of the countries where gymnastics has had a long-standing history. In
    the United Principalities capital city, in 1867, a couple of Saxon merchants
    hailing from Sibiu and Brasov initiated the Bukarester Turnverein Society, the
    Gymnastics Association of Bucharest. The Romanian Central Arms, Gymnastics and
    Target Shooting Society was founded in 1876 by Professors Gheorghe Moceanu and Constantin
    Constantiniu. The latter body played a key role in the promotion of physical
    education and sports. Periodically, the Society organized contests at local and
    national level. In the school curricula, gymnastics was included as a
    discipline also beginning the 19th century. Gymnastics was a compulsory subject
    in quite a few educational institutions countrywide. At competitional level,
    Romanian gymnastics had its representatives for the first time at the 1936
    edition of the Olympic games in Berlin. Ever since, Romanian gymnasts have been
    a regular presence at the Olympics, save for the 1948 edition of the games,
    held in London.


    As an
    absolute first, Romanian gymnasts walked home with medals in 1956, at the
    Olympic games in Melbourne. Back then Elena Leustean won the bronze medal in
    the floor event; also bronze went to the Romanian women’s team, in the nations
    competition. Romanian gymnastics’ blazing trail actually began two decades
    later, with Nadia Comaneci. For the first time ever in the history of artistic
    gymnastics, on July 18, 1976, at the Olympic games in Montreal, Nadia Comaneci
    got a 10, with an uneven parallel bars exercise. Back in the day her
    performance was impressive thanks to its minuteness and force; the exercise is
    still a model for today’s gymnasts. At that time it was the best exercise ever
    to have been performed, reason enough for the referees to admit its perfection.
    It was one of the memorable moments in the history of artistic gymnastics.
    After the Montreal edition of the Olympics, gymnastics enjoyed the widest
    audience for each of the following editions of the Olympic games. According to
    the collective mindset, Nadia is still the greatest gymnast of all time. Nadia
    Comaneci was the role model for hundreds of thousands of little girls all over
    the world, who took up gymnastics at a professional level.


    45
    years on, Romanian gymnastics has been experiencing a large-scale crisis. We recall
    that ahead of the 2016 edition of the Olympic Games in Rio, no Romanian
    gymnastics team qualified for the women’s or the men’s version of the games.
    Romanian gymnastics’ dismal run is the
    same ahead of the Tokyo Olympics. Only three Romanian gymnasts will compete in
    Japan. Marian Dragulescu will prove his mettle in the men’s vault event.
    Joining him will be Larisa Iordache and Maria Holbura, in the women’s
    all-around event. One of the veterans in the Olympics, 40 year-old Dragulescu is
    most likely to walk away with a medal. Dragulescu’s record is outstanding. In
    the Athens Olympics in 2004, Marian Dragulescu won one silver and two bronze medals. In the World Championships, Dragulescu won eight gold and two silver
    medals. Dragulescu won eighteen medals in European Championships, of which ten
    were gold, six silver and two bronze medals. The only medal that is missing is
    an Olympic gold medal. Marian Dragulescu was designated the best athlete of the
    year in 2005 and 2009. In the vault event, an exercise bears Dragulescu’s name.


    (Translated by Eugen Nasta)



  • Vaccination and the Olympic Games

    Vaccination and the Olympic Games

    The head of the Romanian Olympic
    Committee, Mihai Covaliu, on Monday said that anti-Covid vaccination is not
    compulsory for athletes attending the Olympic Games hosted by Japan this year.
    As we all know vaccination is in full swing now but this condition is not mandatory
    for those who participate in the Olympic Games and things are extremely clear
    from this point of view – the Romanian official said.




    According to him, there are 59
    Romanian athletes qualified for the competition but Covaliu expects this number
    to double. We are waiting for the results obtained by our women handballers, and
    other athletes from fencing, wrestling, judo, tennis and gymnastics…there are
    sports federations which can still have athletes to qualify, Covaliu went on
    to say. The Romanian official hopes for our delegation to walk away with 6-8
    medals from the competition in Japan unlike the national Olympic federations,
    which estimated 13-14 medals. Covaliu explained that the vaccination process is
    done in keeping with the competitions schedules and is carried out in a planned
    and controlled manner.




    Athletes in the national teams have
    been included in the second vaccination stage after the Romanian Olympic and
    Sports Committee struck a deal with the Cantacuzino Institute in Bucharest. In
    another development, athletes who are to attend the Olympics in Tokyo and who
    aren’t vaccinated will have to face ‘extremely difficult conditions’, officials
    from France’s National Olympic and Sports Committee cautioned in January.




    In turn, representatives of the organisation committee of the
    Tokyo Olympics, have shown moderated optimism concerning the anti-Covid
    vaccination at world level, which could lead to the good functioning of the
    world’s most prestigious sporting event. A recent survey carried out by a local
    company shows that 80% of the Japanese would like the Games to be postponed
    again or cancelled. Committee officials have voiced hope the situation will
    improve following all the measures implemented. They reiterated that Japanese
    organizers and officials aren’t considering any delay or cancellation. The
    Olympic Games organisation committee has constantly underlined that athletes’
    safety comes first and have come up with a series of measures aimed at
    achieving this goal, such as social distancing in the Olympic campus and
    rigorous testing.




    The about 15 thousand participants in the event will not have to
    stay quarantined for two weeks as it happened with athletes participating in
    the Australian Open. We recall the Covid-19 pandemic has caused the
    postponement of the Olympic Games for the period between 23rd July -
    8th August 2021. They were initially scheduled for July and August
    last year.


    (bill)



  • Sports roundup

    Sports roundup


    The International Football Federation
    (FIFA) has
    decided that players born in 1997
    be eligible for the Olympic
    Games in Tokyo. On
    March 27th,
    Romanian Football Federation
    notified FIFA on the situation of our eligible players asking for
    confirmation in the case of those
    born in 1997, although next
    year these will no longer be part of the under-23 age bracket as the
    competition had to be postponed.


    FIFA
    responded in a communique quote: ‘Any
    player born on or after January 1, 1997 will be able to play, plus
    the three allocated over-aged players.’ unquote.
    We
    recall that the summer Olympics in Tokyo, which were supposed to
    unfold between July 24th
    and August 9th
    this year have been postponed due to the COVID pandemic and are to
    take place over July 23rd
    and august 8th
    2021.

    The
    game of Romania’s under-21 squad against Denmark in the
    preliminaries of the European Under 21 Football Championship, which
    was supposed to be played on March 31st
    has been rescheduled for November. Under these circumstances, that
    will be their last qualifying match for the European Championship.

    The
    other matches pitching our squad against Finland away, on September
    4th,
    and four days later also away against Malta will be taking place as
    scheduled. On October 9th,
    our young footballers will be up against Ukraine and take on Malta in
    a home game on October 13th.
    The match when Romania is supposed to take on Denmark has not been
    scheduled yet.

    Romania
    is presently ranking second in Group 8th, five points less
    than the team on the first place, Denmark. Starting EURO 2021, 16
    football sides with players under 21 will be playing in the
    competition’s final tournament.

    Besides
    the two host countries, Hungary and Slovenia, 9 group winners and the
    best runner-up will qualify for the final tournament. The other 8
    squads on the second position will be playing tie matches for the
    other 4 available places.

    The
    BRD Bucharest Open women’s tennis tournament due to take place
    between July 13th and 19th has been rescheduled
    also due to the pandemic, the vice-president of the Romanian Tennis
    Federation, George Cosac has told AGERPRESS news agency. BRD
    Bucharest Open is the only WTA tournament hosted by Romania.


    (translated
    by bill)

  • Sports roundup

    Sports roundup


    The International Football Federation
    (FIFA) has
    decided that players born in 1997
    be eligible for the Olympic
    Games in Tokyo. On
    March 27th,
    Romanian Football Federation
    notified FIFA on the situation of our eligible players asking for
    confirmation in the case of those
    born in 1997, although next
    year these will no longer be part of the under-23 age bracket as the
    competition had to be postponed.


    FIFA
    responded in a communique quote: ‘Any
    player born on or after January 1, 1997 will be able to play, plus
    the three allocated over-aged players.’ unquote.
    We
    recall that the summer Olympics in Tokyo, which were supposed to
    unfold between July 24th
    and August 9th
    this year have been postponed due to the COVID pandemic and are to
    take place over July 23rd
    and august 8th
    2021.

    The
    game of Romania’s under-21 squad against Denmark in the
    preliminaries of the European Under 21 Football Championship, which
    was supposed to be played on March 31st
    has been rescheduled for November. Under these circumstances, that
    will be their last qualifying match for the European Championship.

    The
    other matches pitching our squad against Finland away, on September
    4th,
    and four days later also away against Malta will be taking place as
    scheduled. On October 9th,
    our young footballers will be up against Ukraine and take on Malta in
    a home game on October 13th.
    The match when Romania is supposed to take on Denmark has not been
    scheduled yet.

    Romania
    is presently ranking second in Group 8th, five points less
    than the team on the first place, Denmark. Starting EURO 2021, 16
    football sides with players under 21 will be playing in the
    competition’s final tournament.

    Besides
    the two host countries, Hungary and Slovenia, 9 group winners and the
    best runner-up will qualify for the final tournament. The other 8
    squads on the second position will be playing tie matches for the
    other 4 available places.

    The
    BRD Bucharest Open women’s tennis tournament due to take place
    between July 13th and 19th has been rescheduled
    also due to the pandemic, the vice-president of the Romanian Tennis
    Federation, George Cosac has told AGERPRESS news agency. BRD
    Bucharest Open is the only WTA tournament hosted by Romania.


    (translated
    by bill)

  • July 20, 2019

    July 20, 2019

    PROSECUTOR The president of France, Emmanuel Macron, told president Klaus Iohannis over the telephone on Friday that France would withdraw Jean-François Bohnerts candidacy and would back the Romanian Laura Codruța Kövesi instead for the post of head of the European Public Prosecutors Office, the Romanian Presidency announced. Previously, the European Parliament reaffirmed its support for the former head of Romanias Anti-Corruption Directorate becoming the chief EU prosecutor. This spring the European Parliament decided to back Kovesis candidacy, whereas the EU Council preferred the French Jean-Francois Bohnert. Several rounds of negotiations between the 2 institutions yielded no results. Under the rules of organisation of the new EPPO, the Parliament and Council must jointly appoint the EU chief prosecutor, for a non-renewable 7-year term in office.




    INVESTMENTS A delegation from the Romanian Ministry for the Business Environment, Trade and Entrepreneurship is in Japan until July 26th, to attract Japanese investors in Romania. According to the Ministry, the agenda of the visit includes meetings and talks in Osaka, Kobe, Kyoto and Tokyo, with Japanese governmental officials and representatives of the local business and banking community, concerning the new business opportunities entailed by the Economic Partnership Agreement between the EU and Japan. Meetings will also be held with representatives of major Japanese corporations. The talks are aimed at identifying trade and investment projects of mutual interest. Last year, the bilateral trade amounted to 710 million US dollars. The main Romanian products exported to Japan included tobacco, wood, honey, vehicle components and accessories, clothes, pharmaceuticals and electrical appliances, whereas Romanias imports from Japan consisted in automobiles, tools and equipment, metal and chemical products, optical and photographic equipment and devices.




    FESTIVAL The 11th Film and Histories Festival continues in Rasnov, central Romania. Until July 28th, a special new venue in the centre of the town will be hosting film screenings, theatre performances, Baroque and rock music concerts. Conferences and roundtable talks will also be organised, on topics such as the 1989 Romanian Revolution, economic freedom, the music of freedom, freedom won and lost, cinema and freedom. Other topics approached include the Romanian migration, Europes post-Brexit future, the digital society and minorities. The 50th anniversary of the first Moon landing and the 70th anniversary of the founding of NATO will also be marked. The 2019 edition of the Festival will also host a Summer School for 72 university students and 23 high school students from Romania and the neighbouring Republic of Moldova.




    HOLIDAY Orthodox and Catholic Christians in Romania celebrate today Prophet Elijahs feast day. According to the Bible, the prophet lived nearly 2,800 years ago and brought back faith in the Hebrew God among the people of Israel. Elijah did not die like a human, but was taken to heavens in a chariot of fire. Due to this biographic detail, St. Elijah is the patron saint of the Romanian Air Forces, which celebrate July 20th with military and religious ceremonies. Nearly 130,000 Romanians celebrate their name day on Prophet Elijahs Feast Day.




    YOUTH Romania will be represented by 103 athletes in the 15th Summer European Youth Olympic Festival, held between July 21st and 27th in Baku (Azerbaijan). The Romanian Olympic and Sports Committee announced the participants are athletes aged between 14 and 18, who will take part in the athletics, cycling, artistic gymnastics, handball, swimming, judo, wrestling, tennis and volleyball events. The Committee also says the Romanian delegations objective is to come home with 8 to 10 medals from Baku.


    (translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)