The Athlete of the Week

Judoka Andreea Chitu and her record in world and European-level events.

Florin Orban, 24.11.2020, 13:45

The Czech capital city
Prague last week played host to the European Judo Championships. No less than
13 Romanian judoka travelled to Prague, of which eight took part in men’s
version of the contest and five in the women’s version of the championships.
Vladut Simionescu and Corina Stefan tested positive for COVID-19, so as a
last-ditch solution they were denied the participation in the competition.
Under the circumstances, all hopes were pinned on former European champion and
world vice-champion Andreea Chitu as a prospective medal winner. Andreea met
everybody’s expectations in Prague. She won the silver medal, in fact the only
medal won by the Romanian delegation that competed in Prague. Reason enough for
Radio Romania International to designate Andrrea Chitu the Athlete of the week.

In the championship’s round of 16, Andreea Chitu
defeated Belgium’s Amber Ryheul. In the quarter final, Chitu outclassed Russian
challenger Natalya Kuzyutina, while in the semifinals the Romanian overpowered
Spain’s Ana Perez. However, in the final, Italy’s Odette Giufrida defeated
Andreea Chitu. The bronze medals went to Charline van Snick of Belgium and Estrella
Lopez Sheriff of Spain.

Andreea Chiţu was born on May 7, 1988, in Bolintin-Vale,
a locality in the vicinity of Bucharest. Andreea is signed up by the Army
Steaua Sports club. Andrea won two silver medals, one in the 2012 edition of
the world championship in Chelyabinsk, Russia, and the other one in Astana
Kazakhstan, in 2015. In Paris in 2011, Andreea Chitu stepped onto the third
step of the podium in a world championship. Andrea also won five medals in
European Championships. She walked away with gold in Chelyabinsk, Russia, in
2012 and in Baku, Azerbaijan, in 2015. Then in Budapest in 2013, Andreea Chitu
won silver, while in Montpellier, France, in 2014, she won the bronze medal.
Andreea also won bronze in Russia’s Kazan in 2016. Andreea Chitu twice got
through to the Olympic Games, in London, in 2012 and in Rio, in 2016, where she
came in 7th according to the final rankings.

(Translation by Eugen Nasta)