European gold for Romanian athletics
After a 20-year break, a Romanian athlete climbs the highest step of the podium at the European Indoor Athletics Championships
Florin Orban, 10.03.2025, 13:50
Every two years in early spring, European athletics begins its competition season with the continental indoor championships. This is where we get a first glimpse at the new talents emerging internationally and the prospects for the forthcoming season.
And the results of the recently concluded European Indoor Championships in Apeldoorn, in the Netherlands, were surprisingly pleasurable for Romanian athletics fans. Romania finished the competition with 2 medals: gold for Andrei Rareş Toader in the men’s shot put competition, and silver for Diana Ion in the women’s triple jump.
It was the best Romanian record in a continental indoor athletics competition in recent years. After 8 years without medals, since the 2015 edition, the Romanians only reached the podium again in 2023 in Istanbul, where Claudia Bobocea won silver in the 1500 meters, and Gabriel Bitan won the bronze in the long jump.
But Romania had not won a European title at an indoor championship for 20 years, more precisely since the one won by Elena Buhăianu in the women’s 1500 meters, in 2005 in Madrid.
Before the start of this year’s competition, Romanian coaches had been moderately hopeful. The target set by the athletics federation in Bucharest was a 4th to 6th place and two qualifications in the finals. In an interview with Agerpres news agency, the coach of the national team Oana Pantelimon highlighted the chances of Andrei Rareş Toader, who had had an excellent start of the season. On Sunday, he met all expectations.
He qualified for the shot put finals in 4th place, with a 20.59m throw. In the final, however, he managed 21.27 m, a whole 23 centimetres better than the contender Wictor Petersson (Sweden). Moreover, this was a new national record for Romania.
The first medal of the Romanian team in Apeldoorn, the silver in the triple jump, had been won on Friday by Diana Ana Maria Ion. With 14.31 m, she achieved the most important performance of her career so far. The gold went to the Spanish athlete Ana Peleteiro-Compaore, who jumped six centimetres higher than Diana. The bronze medal went to the Finnish Senni Salminen, with 13.99 m.
Next up is the World Indoor Championships in Nanjing, China, which will take place from March 21 to 23. The competition was originally scheduled to take place in 2020, but due to the pandemic, it was postponed for three years in a row and it has been rescheduled for this year. (AMP)
