Sports Flash

The latest from cycling and water polo ahead of the 2024 edition of the Olympic Games in Paris

Radio România Internațional, 11.07.2024, 13:45

The German cyclist Florian Lipowitz has won the 2024 edition of Sibiu Cycling Tour, The cyclist of the Red Bull – Bora – Hansgrohe team was followed suit by Uno-X Mobility’s Norwegian cyclist, Andreas Leknessund, who finished the race 20 seconds later, and New Zealander George Bennett of Israel – Premier Tech who finished the race 38 seconds later than the winner. The 2023 winner, the British cyclist Mark Donovan, came in tenth in 2024. The best-placed Romanian was the national team’s Andrei Cărbunărea, who came in 38th, 15 minutes and 23 seconds later than the winner.

The famous British cyclist Chris Froome, of Israel – Premier Tech, a four-time winner of the French Tour over 2013 and 2017, came in 103rd. Lotto Dstny won the teams’ race, followed by Israel – Premier Tech and Red Bull – Bora – Hansgrohe, while the Romanian national team came in 13th.

We’re less than two weeks away from the kick-start of the Olympic games in Paris. On schedule are contests in 46 sports disciplines. As for the athletes themselves, they will compete in 329 sports disciplines. No less than 10,500 competitors are expected in Paris, of whom at least 107 represent Romania,

Water polo is the only team sports discipline where the Romanians will prove their mettle. AGERPRES news agency quoted the president of the Romanian Polo Federation, Alexandru Matei, as saying that in 2024 they have a bold aim, that of securing a place among the Olympics’ top eight teams. We recall the Romanian national water polo team’s career best was the 4th place in the 1974 edition of the Olympic Games in Montreal.

As for the team’s rather recent track record, it includes position 11 in Atlanta, in 1996, and the 10th place in the London Olympics in 2012. Also part of Romania’s group are defending champions Croatia, vice world champions Italy and vice-Olympic champions Greece…Montenegro and the US are also in the same group and Romania can really be a hard nut for them.

As for the other sports disciplines Romania will compete in, in Paris, according to the President of the Romanian Polo Federation, Alexandru Matei, the Romanian delegation’s position according to the final rankings at the Olympics will be better than the 46th place they succeeded in Tokyo, in 2020.