Romanian athletes gather medals at 2023 European Games in Krakow

Romanian athletes kept gathering medals at the 2023 European Games, currently taking place in Poland.

Cătălin Chirilă won the silver medal on Saturday, June 24, at the competition in Krakow, in the C1 500m event.

"Cătălin's extraordinary performance fills our hearts with admiration and delight. His effort, sacrifice, and dedication have been rewarded with this silver medal, confirming his exceptional talent and value in the world. Let us convey all our congratulations and appreciation to Cătălin for this remarkable achievement! We are proud of you and your boundless efforts to reach top performances," reads the message posted on Facebook by the Romanian Canoe Kayak Federation.

Chirilă was timed at 1:46.340. Czech athlete Martin Fuksa took first place, with a time of 1:45.462, while Moldovan Serghei Tarnovschi claimed the third spot on the podium, with a time of 1:46.460, according to G4Media.

On Sunday, June 25, Romanian cyclist Vlad Dascălu achieved the most important performance of his career and won the gold medal in the cross-country event at the European Games in Krakow. He broke away in the final lap of the race and won gold, finishing the competition in one hour, 19 minutes, and 41 seconds.

In the rankings, Vlad Dascălu was followed by Swiss cyclist Lars Josef Forster, who finished 14 seconds behind, and Italian cyclist Luca Braidot, who finished 19 seconds behind.

A former youth world champion, Dascălu is in the running for qualification for the Paris Olympic Games in 2024.

Earlier last week, Romanian fencer Mălina Călugăreanu climbed onto the podium at the European Fencing Championships and became a bronze medalist in Krakow. Claudia Bobocea won gold in the 1500m race, while Daniela Stanciu claimed silver in the high jump. Last but not least, Bianca Ghelber won silver in the hammer throw, and Andrea Miklos got bronze in the 400m race.

(Photo source: Comitetul Olimpic si Sportiv on Facebook)