Athlete of the Week

The best performance obtained by a Romanian athlete this week

Florin Orban, 18.05.2021, 13:45

According to Agerpres News Agency, at the European Race
Walking championships hosted by Podebrady in the Czech Republic, Romanian
athlete Marius Iulian Cocioran managed a 12th position in the 50 km race
and has thus booked plane tickets to Tokyo Olympics. The Romanian set a new
national record of 3 hours 55 minutes and 29 seconds. For his performance in
Podebrady, Radio Romania International has designated Cocioran Athlete of the
week

Pavel Remus Radoi was
the second best Romanian athlete to attend the aforementioned race where he
came in 27th in 4 hours, 13 minutes and 35 seconds setting a
personal record. Ionut Vasilica Plesu has also registered a personal record in
Podebrady after coming 30th in four hours, 26 minutes and 58
seconds. Another Romanian representative, Narcis Mihaila didn’t manage to end
the race.

Romania came in 6th in the teams’ contest. In the
women’s contest, Ana Veronica Rodean came in 13th setting a national
record of 2 hours, 59 minutes and 27 seconds. In the 20 kilometer race walking
Mihaela Acatrinei came in 39th while Maria Diana Lataretu abandoned
the 10 kilometer race.

Marius Cocioran was born in Reşiţa, central Romania on 10th
July 1983. He has already participated in two editions of the Olympic Games. He
came 36th in the 50 kilometer race walking in London in 2012 and
abandoned the race four years later in Rio. He is the sixth Romanian athlete to
have qualified for Tokyo after long jumpers Florentina Iuşco and Alina Rotaru, Claudia
Bobocea in the 1.500-meter dash, Daniela Stanciu, in the high jump event and
discus thrower Alin Firfirică. Romania now boasts 85 athletes qualified for the
Olympic Games this year.

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