Athlete of the Week

Weightlifter Valentin Iancu

Florin Orban, 25.10.2022, 13:45

Romania ended the Junior and Youth European Weightlifting Championships in the Albanian city of Durres with a total of 33 medals — 9 gold, 14 silver and 10 bronze. In the junior competition, Mihaela Cambei, in the 49-kilogram category, won gold in both jerk and snatch styles, and also overall. In the 45-kilogram category, junior weightlifter Cosmin Isofache won gold, in total, after coming in third in the snatch and second in the jerk. Valentin Iancu, in the youth category, under 23, won gold last Monday in the the jerk and snatch styles, and overall. A week later, Alexandra Alexe in the 87-kg category won another two gold medals in the jerk category and in total. She won silver in the snatch category. Given these results, the number of medals and the age category, Radio Romania International declares Valentin Iancu the Athlete of the Week.

Valentin Inacu won first place in Durres in the 106-kg category with 135 kg in the snatch and 241 in total. In the same category, another Romanian athlete, Marian Cristian Luca got three silver medals, with 105 kg in the snatch, 120 kg in the clean and jerk and 225 kg in total. The two were the only athletes taking part in the 55-kg youth category and apparently they did not put in a great effort, judging by the final results which are comparable with those of the juniors.

Romanian weightlifter Valentin Iancu is an athlete of the Olimpia Club in Bucharest. He was born on January 16, 2000. He had remarkable results in the junior and youth competitions and in 2021 he confirmed his value in the senior competitions, In the European Championships in Moscow last April he won two silver medals in the 55 kg category, in the jerk and in total. He is a great hope for the Romanian weightlifting at the Olympic Games in Paris in 2024. (EE)