Athlete of the Week

Canoeist Catalin Chirila

Florin Orban, 29.08.2023, 13:44

The kayak-canoe World Championships held last week in Duisburg, Germany, confirmed the fact that Romania has a serious candidate for next year’s Olympic podium in Paris. Cătălin Chirilă first won the gold medal in the single 500 meter canoe event. He then won silver in the 1000 meters, an Olympic event, also qualifying for the 2024 edition of the Games. Following these results, Radio Romania International designated Cătălin Chirilă Athlete of the Week. Even before the World Championships, Cătălin expected the 500 meters race to be more accessible, given that most of the rowers focused on the races leading to the Olympics. He was right. He recorded his best times in the regular stages and in the semi-finals, then won the final by 35 hundredths of a second from German Conrad Schreibner, who came in second. In the 1000 meter event, he started off better, led after the first quarter of the race, but could not maintain the pace. Halfway through the race he was fourth. However, he made a comeback in the race, and at 750 meters he was in 3rd place, crossing the finish line second, after Czech athlete Martin Fuksa.

Cătălin Chirilă was born in Tulcea, on May 11, 1998. He is registered with the Steaua Bucharest Sports Club. He achieved his first international success in double canoe alongside veteran Victor Mihalachi. The two won gold medals at the 2019 European Games in Minsk, Belarus, in the 1,000 meter event, then bronze medals, two years later, at the European Championships in Poznan, Poland, also in the 1,000. meter event. At the Olympic Games in Tokyo, the Chirilă / Mihalachi pair placed 5th. Starting last year, Cătălin Chirilă has been competing in the singles event. He had promising results at the World Cup stages in Račice and Poznan, then, at the Canadian World Championships in Halifax, he placed first in the 1000 meter Olympic trial, and second in the 500 meters. This year, in Duisburg, he reversed the medals: gold in the 500s and silver in the 1000 meters. Now, his main goal is to get an Olympic medal in Paris next year.