Athlete of the Week: Weightlifter Monica Csengeri
Monica Csengeri won gold in the snatch style and overall in the 48-kilogram category, at the European Weightlifting Championships.
Florin Orban, 14.04.2016, 13:00
The European Weightlifting Championships got underway in Norways Forde last weekend. Actually, the competition kicked off on Sunday, when the Romanian delegation won its first medals. In the womens version of the championships, Monica Csengeri won gold in the snatch style and overall in the 48-kilogram category. In the mens version of the same competition, Ilie Constantin Ciotoiu won bronze overall.Monica Csengeris feat came as last weeks best Romanian performance in an individual event, reason enough for Radio Romania International to designate Monica the Athlete of the Week .
In Norway, Monica Csengeri grabbed gold in the snatch style, having lifted 83 kilograms. The Turkish weightlifter ranking as favorite in the 48-kilogram category Sibel Özkan succeeded in lifting only 82 kilograms, while another Turkish athlete, veteran Nurcan Taylan walked away with bronze, with 81 kilograms. In the clean and jerk event, Csengeri unassumingly ranked 6th, with 95 kilograms, having twice wasted the opportunity to lift 98 kilograms. In the same event, Sibel Özkan won gold, lifting 100 kilograms, while Italys Genny Pagliaro won silver, with 99 kilograms. Ukrainian weightlifter Yana Diachenko walked away with bronze, with 98 kilograms. Overall, Ozkan compelled recognition with 182 kilograms, Italys Pagliaro won silver, with 180 kilograms, while Csengeri walked home with bronze, with 178 kilograms.
Monica Csengeri was born in Bistrita, northwestern Romania, on March 21st, 1966. She comes from an underprivileged family. A local newspaper quoted coach Adrian Chivu as saying that for Monica, there were times when she had to go begging in the street when she was a girl. However, for Monica sports provided the standard of a genuine champion. When she was 15, Monica Csengeri was the holder of several national records. She also won the juniors world title in the snatch style, in Slovakias Kosice. In 2015 at the European Seniors Championships in Tbilisi, Monica Csengeri won bronze in the clean and jerk style.
The Romanian delegations excellent run in the ongoing European Championships continued this week as well, since on Monday in the 53-kilogram category, Cristina Iovu won two gold medals, as an overall result and in the clean and jerk style, and another bronze medal, in the snatch style.
