Athlete of the week

Swimmer Daria Silisteanu

Florin Orban, 11.07.2023, 13:45

In the speed races, athletics or swimming,
records, more often than not, cannot be broken for dozens of years. In 2022,
Romanian swimmer David Popovici provided a stunning surprise breaking the 100m
freestyle world record set in 2009. However, there are national records that
lasted even longer, all the more so as, back in the day, they were set by top-flight
champions.

The most accomplished
Romanian swimmer, Diana Mocanu, in Pitesti, in 2002, set the national 50m
backstroke record. Diana clocked 28 seconds and 73 hundredths of a second. We recall
Diana Mocanu was a two-time Olympic champion in Sydney, in 2000, in the 100m
and 200m backstroke events. 21 years on, that is in last week’s European Juniors’
Swimming Championships in Belgrade, 14-year-old Daria Silisteanu won the first
50m backstroke semifinal, clocking 28 seconds and 59 hundredths of a second. Daria thus improved Romania’s national seniors’
record with 14 hundredths of a second. Then in the 50m backstroke final, Daria
Silisteanu broke her recently-set record, clocking 28 seconds and 46 hundredths
of a second and winning the bronze medal. Daria’s trail in the 100m backstroke event
was, again, way above par, since Daria walked home with the silver medal.

Reason
enough for Radio Romania
International to designate Daria Silisteanu the Athlete of the Week.

Daria Silişteanu was born in Fălticeni, eastern Romania. She is signed
up by Dinamo Bucharest Sports club. Daria’s coaches are Luis Lăcătuș and Adrian
Pinticanu. She compelled recognition in April 2023, when she won as many as 12
medals, at the National Swimming Championships in Otopeni. Among other things,
Daria won three national titles in the seniors, U-21 and Juniors’ categories,
in the 50m backstroke, 50m butterfly and 100m backstroke events.