European champions Ionela Cozmiuc and Gianina van Groningen were the last Romanians entering today’s rowing session. The lightweight double sculls raced a beautiful race and won the silver medal, after Ioana Vrînceanu and Roxana Anghel had also achieved 2nd place in the women’s double sculls, and Florin Arteni and Florin Lehaci had placed 4th an hour earlier .
Ionela Cozmiuc and Geanina van Groningen shot hard at the Olympic Games. COSR photo
The Romanian boat led the race for the first hundred meters, but was overtaken by the British just before the 500 meter mark. The two crews distanced themselves from the other opponents by 1,000 meters, it being clear that the battle for the gold will be between them.
A strong finish for Romania, but the British women resisted
At 1,500 meters they entered with a difference of 1.6 seconds, after which Gianina van Groningen and Ionela Cozmiuc forced, but the British women resisted brilliantly, so our girls won the silver medal, the second of the day for our delegation .
Gianina van Groningen (former Beleagă) and Ionela Cozmiuc are double world champions (2017, 2018), and at the Olympic Games in Tokyo they ranked 6th, after in 2016, in Rio, they took 8th place. This test is at its last appearance at the Olympic Games, not being part of the Olympic program for the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles.
With a record of two gold, three silver and one bronze medals, Romania climbed to 11th place in the ranking of nations at the Olympic Games, surpassing countries such as Germany, Croatia or Hungary.
