Athlete of the week

Florin Orban, 15.03.2022, 12:32

The city of Leiria in Portugal late last week played host to the Europa Cup in throwing events. The Cup is one of the most noted athletic events, early into the ongoing international season. Representing Romania were several top-flight athletes. Among them, four had proved their mettle in the 2020 edition of the Tokyo Olympics. They were hammer thrower Bianca Ghelber, javelin thrower Alexandru Novac, Alex Firfirica, competing in the discus throw and Rareș Toader, in the shot-put event. Of the Romanians, Bianca Ghelber, was the favorite to winning a top position, since in Tokyo she came in 6th, which was the Romanian delegation’s best result. However, it was Alexandru Novac’s turn to shine since this past Sunday he won gold, with a throw of 80 meters and 49 centimeters, Novac’s best performance of the season. Alexandru Novac’s noteworthy result in Leiria was reason enough for Radio Romania International to designate him the Athlete of the week.

In Leiria this past Saturday, discus thrower Alin Firfirică came in 6th, with a throw of 60 meters and 57 de centimeters. On Sunday, hammer thrower Bianca Ghelber came in 11th, with a throw of 67 de meters and 40 de centimeters, Bianca’s best result this season. In the shot-put event, Rareş Toader was 8th-placed, with a throw of 19 meters and 72 centimeters. In the women’s Under-23 version of the hammer throw event, Ana Adela Stanciu came in 6th, with a throw of 62 meters and 37 centimeters.

Alexandru Novac will soon turn 25. He was born in Adjud, Vrancea County, in the east, on March 24, 1997. His coach is former world and European hammer throw champion Mihaela Melinte. Novac’s first notable performance occurred at the Youth Olympic Games in Nanjing in 2014, when he won the silver medal. In 2018, Alexandru Novac set a new national record for Romania, in the competition hosted by the city of Nembro in Italy, with a throw of 86 meters and 37 centimeters. With such a result, Novac is sure to have stepped onto a step of the podium in the Tokyo Olympics. In the Olympic final in Tokyo, Novac came in 12th, with a throw of 79 meters and 29 centimeters. The result was reason enough for the Romanian Athletics Federation to designate Alexandru Novac the Athlete of the week in 2021, in men’s events.

(EN)

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