Page 204 - Romania 100

Iosif Sîrbu, the first Olympic gold
1952 is a reference year for the Romanian Olympic sport. After 50 years of competitions in the Olympic arena, rewarded only with silver and bronze medals, in Helsinki, Iosif Sârbu managed to get the gold at the low caliber free gun, 40 shots down. In a dispute worthy of an Olympic arena, the Romanian who had achieved a score of 400, just
as another athlete, had to wait until the jury counted the bullets sent nearest to the center of the target. This is how the first Olympic gold was born in the history of Romanian sports!
Iolanda Balaș, the golden athlete of Romania
September 8, 1960, the Olympic Stadium in Rome, the Olympic finals of the high jump test. The bar is raised to 1.73 m. One athlete manages to pass it,
premiere in athletic competitions.
Romania reinventing handball
On March 12, 1961, Romania’s handball men’s national team began the fantastic journey
on the handball field, winning the World Championship for the first time, after a final with the Czechoslovak team (9-8 after overtime). Until 1974, they won the World Championship for three more times: in 1964, against Sweden (25-22 in
the final), in 1970 the final tournament in France, against East Germany (13-12 after overtime, in a dramatic final), and in 1974, once again against East Germany, the host country (with a score of 14-12). Among the heroes of the last event: Cristian Gaţu, Cornel Penu, Ştefan Birtalan, Gheorghe Gruia, Ghiţă Licu, Valentin Samungi.
Patzaichin, the first Romanian athlete to receive the Platinum Collar Olympic Order
The adventure of the person who was going to leave his mark on the kayaking-canoeing competitions began in 1968, when, at the age of 18, Ivan Patzaichin won, in the doubles with Serghei Covaliov, the first Olympic gold in Mexico City.
One particular moment became legendary: in the qualifications for the singles, for a good part of the race, Ivan Patzaichin had to paddle with a broken oar.
He was disqualified, but after protests he was included to the repechage. He won the Olympic championship final in a great champion’s style, at leisure, against Tamas Wichmann (Hungary) and Detlef Lowe (West Germany).
In addition to the seven Olympic medals (four gold and three silver medals), Patzaichin won another 22 medals at the World Kayaking Championships (nine gold, four silver and nine bronze medals).
In 1990, he became the only Romanian sportsman to be awarded the highest distinction of the International Olympic Committee.
Elisabeta Lipă, the queen of world canoe racing
In 1984, a young woman who was only 19 years and was participating in the Olympic Games for the first time, won the gold medal in the doubles, with Marioara Popescu.
In Barcelona, Elisabeth Lipă was considered a great favourite at the gold medal in a test in which she had won the gold medal at the World Championships in 1989 and the silver medal at the World Championships in 1991. Our rower was victorious, defeating
in the final Annelies Bredael
from the first try. Iolanda Balaş, accompanied by the enthusiasm of the crowd, continued, on
her own, the majestic journey
to 1.85 m. Four years later, in Tokyo, she jumped 1.91 m. The other competitors stopped at 1.81 m. For nine years, between 1957 and 1966, he triumphed in 154 consecutive competitions, a
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PHOTO: AGERPRES
PHOTO: AGERPRES
PHOTO: AGERPRES