RRI Sports Club

Gymnast Marian Drăgulescu talks about training for the Olympics in isolation.

Florin Orban, 27.05.2020, 13:50

Romanian athletes preparing for the
Olympic Games have resumed centralised training, which takes place in special
conditions and in compliance with the measures imposed by the authorities to prevent
infection with the novel coronavirus. After being tested, the athletes were
placed in training facilities with very strict rules. Most of them are at a sports
facility in Izvorani, 40 km away from Bucharest. Gymnast Marian Drăgulescu,
many-time European and world champion, who is also training here, shared his
experience of training in isolation in an interview to Radio Romania:

I’ve been missing gymnastics, the training
hall and all the equipment. It’s very difficult and now that some restrictions
have been lifted, after two months of isolating at home, we’ve come here to the
sports camp in Izvorani and we’re quarantined here, we’re not allowed to leave
the camp. There are many restrictions, for example we have to have our meals in
our rooms. After the self-isolation, this is the last thing I needed. But it’ll
pass. I’ve maintained my fitness and muscle mass and psychologically I’m in
good shape, too, I’m motivated, I want to exercise every day. I’m sometimes
frustrated with all these restrictions, because I thought that coming here I would
be free to walk around the camp, but that’s not allowed, either.

Athletes from other sports are also training
for the Olympic Games in Izvorani, says gymnast Marian Drăgulescu:

There are athletes from the gymnastics,
judo, wrestling, swimming and rowing teams. I was expecting to see more
athletes here, in fact all of us who qualified for the Olympic Games. The idea
was for us to get to know each other and exchange experiences. There should
have been 130 of us here, as well as athletes who still have a chance to
qualify for the Olympics. (CM)