Athlete of the week

Fencer Amalia Covaliu

Radio România Internațional, 04.03.2025, 13:45

Romanian fencers throughout the years scooped 17 medals. The first Romanian athlete to have stepped onto a step of the Olympic podium was Olga Orbán Szabó. In Melbourne, in 1956, Olga won silver in women’s individual foil event. In Tokyo, in 2021, Ana Maria Branza won also silver, this time in the epee event. The record includes 15 other medals, of which four gold.

The first gold medallist was Ionel Dramba in Ciudad de Mexico, in 1968, in the foil event. Then there was Laura Badea, in Atlanta, in 1996, also in the foil event. Then there were Mihai Covaliu, in Atlanta, in 2000, the sabre event and the women’s epee team in Rio, in 2016.

In recent years, the seniors’ record was rather lackluster. However, a new generation comes from behind. Recently, at the European Fencing Championships for juniors and cadets in Turkey’s Antalya, Romania has won five medals. In the juniors’ event, the Romanian saber team made of Rosemarie Benciu, Amalia Covaliu, Catinca Dumitru and Anastasia Fusea stepped onto the highest step of the podium.

In the men’s saber event, Vlad Covaliu won silver. Also silver went to Emma Sont, in the women’s epee event. In the cadets’ competition, Amalia Covaliu won silver in the sabre event, while Natalia Constantin walked away with bronze in the epee event.

Reason enough for Radio Romania International to designate Amalia Covaliu the Athlete of the week, since she was the Romanian lineup’s only fencer to have won two medals.

Amalia Covaliu is the daughter of Olympic champion Mihai Covaliu, the current president of the Romanian Olympic and Sports Committee. She was born on March 25th, 2008. As part of the first European cadets’ championship of her career, hosted by Estonia’s Tallinn, Amalia succeeded her first major performance, walking away with silver. In the final, Amalia Covaliu conceded defeat to Hungarian challenger Emese Domokos, 10-15. In Turkey, in 2025, Amalia again reached as far as the final, sustaining yet another defeat by Italy’s Francesca Lentini, 15-11.

In the juniors’ team final held in France, Amalia Covaliu was the first one to step on the plank where she was outclassed by Rita Robineaux, 5-3. Amalia’s colleagues Catinca Dumitru and Anastasia Fusea were also overpowered, so France had the upper hand, securing a 20-14 advantage. Amalia Covaliu returned and gave the signal for the team’s vigorous comeback.

After three more assaults, Romania had the advantage. Until the end, the Romanians won every assault. The last fencer on the plank was Amalia Covaliu, who also set the final score: 45 to 37 for Romania.