What a difference a week makes! Within a few days, Romania went from the level of a country without qualified teams to the Olympic Games in Paris to the level of a delegation with 76 athletes. Among which two teams!
The women's table tennis team celebrated qualifying for the 2024 Olympic Games. PHOTO: FRTM
First, there was the big news for the national polo team, with the boys taking advantage of South Africa's withdrawal to get to Paris. And now came the spectacular qualification of the women's table tennis team. Even if this sport is not among the team sports – this category includes volleyball, beach volleyball, football, field hockey, handball, water polo, basketball, 3×3 basketball, and rugby sevens – the success of the girls is remarkable! Especially since he came after a formidable course at the World Cup in Busan (South Korea).
Here, the Romanian women have paraded so far! There were four group wins: 3-0 against Sweden, 3-0 against Canada, 3-1 against Singapore and 3-1 against Serbia. Winning the series they were part of, the Romanians advanced directly to the eighth, being exempted from a double in the 16th. With the Egyptian national team, tickets for the Paris Olympic Games were played on the table! Once again, the Romanian women “swept” their opponents:
*First game: Bernadette Szőcs – Hana Goda 3-1 (11-2, 6-11, 11-8, 11-6)
*Second match: Eliza Samara – Dina Meshref 3-2 (11-13, 8-11, 11-5, 11-7, 11-9)
*Third match: Adina Diaconu – Yousra Helmy 3-0 (11-8, 11-7, 11-5)
Thanks to this success with the Egyptian national team, score 3-0, Romania advanced to the quarterfinals. Where will Japan play, today, after 1:00 p.m. Romanian time. And the presence among the first eight teams at this World Cup brought us the tickets for the 2024 Olympic Games!
The women's team consists of Bernadette Szőcs, Elizabeta Samara, Andreea Dragoman, Adina Diaconu, Elena Zaharia, trainers Viorel Filimon, Mihaela Şteff and physiotherapist Petruţ Ghiţă.
The women's team, moved to the World Cup in Busan. PHOTO: FRTM
The women's team at the last editions of the Olympic Games
Edition Phase Reached The Last Opponent
2020 (Tokyo) Hong Kong Quarters
2016 (Rio de Janeiro) Tour I South Korea
2008 (Beijing) USA 3rd Place Play-off
*In 2012, in London, the national team missed qualifying for the team tournament.
