The Athlete of the Week

Canoeist Ionela Cozmiuc

Florin Orban, 27.08.2024, 13:45

Romania took first place in the medal ranking of the World Rowing Championships that ended on Sunday in Canada, in St. Catharines. The Romanian athletes won seven medals, all gold, of which four were for juniors, two for youth and one for seniors. In the under 19 competitions, the Romanians won medals in the women’s single sculls, in the men’s and women’s pair and in the women’s coxless four. In the under 23 competitions, the Romanian women rowers won gold medals in the quadruple and double sculls events. Finally, the gold medal in the seniors’ competition was won by Ionela Cozmiuc, in the lightweight women’s single sculls, which is why Radio Romania International designated her the Athlete of the Week.

In St. Catharines, in the seniors’ category there were only competitions in non-Olympic events, such as the lightweight single sculls. Ionela Cozmiuc dominated the competition starting with the heats phase, scheduled last Tuesday, in which she managed to qualify to the semifinals. On Friday, she won the semifinal in which she competed, after crossing the finish line almost nine seconds earlier than the next ranked athlete. In the final held on Saturday, she finished in 7 minutes, 29 seconds and 92 hundredths, a second and a half ahead of the Greek Zoi Fitsiou, who ranked second. The Irish Siobhan Mccrohan came in third, more than three seconds behind the winner.

After the contest in Canada, Ionela Cozmiuc and her husband, Marius Cozmiuc, announced their retirement from competitions. Known at the beginning of her career as Ionela Lehaci, the valuable Romanian athlete was born on January 3, 1995 in Câmpulung Moldovenesc (north). At the recently concluded Olympic Games in Paris, she won the silver medal in the lightweight women’s double sculls alongside Gianina van Groningen. Apart from this year’s success, in St. Catharines, her medal record also includes three gold medals at the World Championships, of which one in the lightweight women’s single sculls, and two in the lightweight women’s double sculls also together with Gianina. In the European Championships, she won gold twice in the single sculls and once in the double sculls, this very year, in Szeged, Hungary, also together with Gianina van Groningen, formerly Beleagă. (LS)