At least two Romanian women weightlifters have secured their participation in the Olympic Games in Paris this coming summer. According to the Romanian Weightlifting Federation, Mihaela Cambei and Loredana Toma have already booked their place for the Olympics, considering the positions they have, according to the rankings of the categories they compete in. As of late, both Toma and Cambei have participated in the pre-Olympic tournament in Thailand’s Phuket. The event is mandatory for the Olympic qualifiers.
Mihaela Cambei walked away with two silver medals and a bronze medal in the 55-kilogram category. A many-time European champion, Mihaela won the silver medal with a combined deadlift of 201 kilograms. Cambei was second only to North-Korea’s Hyon Gyong Kang, who succeeded a combined deadlift of 234 kg. In the snatch style, Mihaela Cambei came in second, with 91 kilograms. In the clean-and-jerk style, Mihaela Cambei came in third, with 110 kilograms.
In the 71-kilogram category, Loredana Toma was unassumingly 12th-placed, with a combined deadlift of 235 kilograms. Loredana had medical problems in Thailand so she was not at her best during the competition. However, Loredana Toma has maintained her position among the 71-kilogram category’s top weightlifters, given her combined deadlift result of 256 kilograms in Bogota, Colombia, in 2022. We recall that back then Loredana walked home with two gold medals, setting a new world record in the snatch style.
For the first time ever in their career, Loredana Toma and Mihaela Cambei will take part in an Olympic competition, the one in Paris. We recall that in 2021 Loredana Toma should have competed in the Tokyo Olympics. However, ahead of the Tokyo-hosted Olympic Games, the International Weightlifting Federation ruled a one-year ban for the Romanian Weightlifting Federation because of violation of the anti-doping rule on a number of occasions.
We recall that back then Loredana Toma was the favourite to winning a gold medal in the 69-kilogram category. 29-year-old Loredana Toma is an experienced weightlifter, while Mihaela Cambei is a representative of the younger generation. She will be 22 in November 2024. Her record includes two European titles already. We recall Cambei walked away with gold in Yerevan, in 2023, and in Sofia, in 2024, in the snatch and clean-and-jerk style, as well as combined