A Celebration of Achievement

This announcement celebrates Romania’s impressive performance at the Olympics, where the country secured nine medals across various sports. The rowing team excelled, contributing five of those medals to the tally. Athletes such as David Popovici, who won both gold and bronze in swimming, and several rowers, including Andrei Cornea and Marian Enache, are among those who will receive the new vehicles.

Tiriac’s decision to extend the offer to all medalists reflects his commitment to recognizing Romanian athletes’ hard work and dedication. “We will continue to honour and applaud our Olympic medalists on the streets of Romania,” Tiriac stated, emphasizing the importance of celebrating their achievements.

Images shared on social media by entrepreneur Cristina Bâtlan showcased the fleet of Hyundai Ioniq 5 cars prepared for the athletes. These vehicles are a token of appreciation and symbolize the support and encouragement for future generations of athletes in Romania. The cars are inscribed with messages indicating the specific medals won, personalizing the gift for each recipient. One notable case is Ana Bărbosu, who initially lost her bronze medal due to a contested decision and had her medal reinstated by the Court of Arbitration for Sport. She will also receive a Hyundai Ioniq 5, underscoring Tiriac’s commitment to fairness and recognition.

The other gymnast involved in a controversial event, Sabrina Voinea, received a Hyundai Ioniq 5 from Ion Tiriac despite finishing fourth in her event at the 2024 Paris Olympics. Although she did not win a medal, Tiriac awarded her a car as part of his initiative to support and recognize Romanian athletes. He also offered her a small reward after the world saw her heel never touching the mat during her exercise. This gesture highlights Tiriac’s commitment to honouring all athletes’ efforts, not just those who medaled. Voinea received a special medal of 14k gold and life insurance from one of Tiriac’s companies along with the car.

Ion Tiriac’s initiative has sparked excitement and gratitude among Romanian athletes and the broader sports community. By rewarding all medalists, he acknowledges their achievements and fosters a culture of support for sports in Romania. As the athletes prepare to receive their new cars, they are reminded that their hard work and dedication have not gone unnoticed, setting a positive precedent for the future of Romanian sports.

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The TAS Sports Tribunal’s decision for Ana Maria Barbosu

The request registered by Ana Maria Bărbosu is partially admitted. ⁠⁠⁠Jordan Chiles’s appeal was filed beyond the one-minute deadline provided by Art. 8.5 of the International Federation of Gymnastics’ Technical Regulations is determined to have no effect. ⁠⁠The original score of 13.666 awarded to athlete Jordan Chiles in the final is reinstated. The International Gymnastics Federation will determine the ranking of the final and award the medals following the decision above

The TAS Sports Tribunal decision for Sabrina Voinea

The application registered by FRG and Sabrina Maneca Voinea is rejected.

This decision resulted in Ana Maria Bărbosu receiving the bronze medal, while Sabrina Maneca Voinea finished the competition in fourth place.

The case of the two Romanian gymnasts captured the world’s attention, and official protests and complaints were made. Nadia Comaneci herself showed Sabrina never touched out with her heel, while the Romanian Gymnastics Federation filed official cases at TAS.

Also, following the visible injustice towards the Romanian athletes, Romanian Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu decided to boycott the closing ceremony of the Olympic Games.

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A bronze medal ripped off Sabrina, like her colleague, Ana Barbosu, who broke down in tears after an inquiry led to her losing the individual bronze in the women’s floor exercise final at the 2024 Paris Olympics on Monday. The medal was instead taken by American Jordan Chiles, who had demanded an inquiry into her score.

Nadia Comaneci also mentioned that the FIG president received the same video but that the referees only saw images from above and couldn’t tell if Sabrina’s step was a walkout.

This is the first time a review of an exercise has been requested after the Olympics in gymnastics are over, I think. Everything has to happen at the venue, not after. Luckily, I got some video from NBC, which clearly shows that the walkout was not a walkout. From what I understand, the line judges have an overhead camera. From above, you cannot see the details of touching or not touching. That was a bit of a question mark. Everyone who received these videos, including the FIG president, is trying to see this ground review. I don’t know what will happen, but waves have been made; the world is curious and needs answers and the technicality that was used to make this one-tenth deduction, with which, of course, she climbed to 3rd place.

Nadia Comaneci on the unjustice towards the Romaian gymnast Sabrina Voinea

Sabina’s mother’s disappointment after this unjust decision was even higher, and she announced that her daughter had left Gymanstic for good.

Sabrina didn’t go off the mat on any acrobatic lines; they’re all here. He deserves a medal! We have interrupted gymnastics today, and no one is fighting for our rights! We love all of you endlessly who have supported us. That’s all I could take!

Camelia Voinea on her daughter being sanctioned at Paris Olympics

The Romanian Gymnastics Federation contested the referee’s decision and complained at TAS – The Court of Arbitration for Sport.

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Romania has six gold medals, three silver medals, and one bronze medal. Gold was won by swimmer David Popovici in the 200-meter freestyle and rowers Andrei Cornea and Marian Enache in the men’s double sculls; Ancuța Bodnar and Simona Radiş obtained silver in the women’s double sculls, Ioana Vrînceanu and Roxana Anghel in the women’s double sculls, Gianina van Groningen and Ionela Cozmiuc in the women’s double sculls – David Popovici won bronze in the 100 meters freestyle.

China is the leader in the ranking, with 30 medals: 13 gold, eight silver, and nine bronze. China is followed by France (11-12-13) and Australia (11-6-5). France took second place, with 36 medals, 11 gold, 12 silver, and 13 bronze. Australia is in third place, with 22 medals (11 gold, six silver, five bronze), followed by the USA, with 43 medals, of which nine are gold, 18 are silver, and 16 are bronze.

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On the same day, Romanian rowers Ancuta Bodnar and Simona Radis on Thursday won silver in the women’s double sculls event at the Paris Olympic Games. The defending Olympic champions led at 1,000 metres but finished in second place in 6:50.69, being surpassed in the end by New Zealand (Brooke Francis, Lucy Spoors) in 6:50.45

Following these results, Romania climbs to 13 in the medal ranking at the Paris 2024 Olympics.

David Popovici won the previous medals for Romania in 200 and 100 m freestyle events.

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The race was very tight, with three competitors arriving at 0,01 seconds, one from another.

The Chinese Pan Zhanle won with 46.40, Kyle Chalmers got silver with 47.48, and David Popovici came third with 47.49. The fourth competitor, N. Nemeth from Hungary, arrived a hundredth second after Popovici, with 47.50.

Pan Zhanle broke the world record for a 100-meter freestyle event.

David Popovici, 19, won two medals for Romania during the Paris 2024 Olympics, and Romania climbed in the medal ranking. These two are the only medals Romania has won during this edition, but more will definitely come.

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The ceremony, a blend of French culture and historical highlights, took place across several Parisian landmarks, including a temporary stadium at the Jardins du Trocadéro and various sites along the Seine River. One act overshadowed the intended message and sparked a significant backlash in what was meant to celebrate diversity and artistic expression​.

Controversial Depiction of Da Vinci’s Last Supper

The controversial segment featured a group of drag performers reenacting “The Last Supper.” This portrayal, seen by many as a direct affront to Christian values, was considered by critics to be a blatant disrespect towards one of the most revered scenes in Christian art. The use of da Vinci’s masterpiece, which depicts Jesus Christ’s final meal with his apostles, was reimagined in a manner many found irreverent and provocative​.

Adding to the contentious atmosphere, a Parisian drag queen was given the honour of carrying the Olympic torch. While some celebrated this decision as a step towards inclusivity, others viewed it as further evidence of the ceremony’s disregard for traditional values.

Public and Political Reactions

Religious leaders and conservative commentators were quick to condemn the performance. Many argued that using such a sacred image in this context was inappropriate and offensive. “This is not art; this is a mockery of our faith” was the most common comment.

Political figures also commented on the matter. Several conservative politicians accused the organizers of using the Olympics’ global stage to push a controversial agenda.

The incident has fueled a broader debate about the role of art and expression in public events. Supporters of the performance argue that it represents the freedom of artistic expression and the importance of visibility for marginalized communities. They contend that the Olympics, as a global event, should reflect the diversity and complexity of modern society.

Opponents, however, see it as a symptom of a more significant cultural shift that increasingly marginalizes traditional values and beliefs. They argue that such performances alienate large population segments and show a lack of respect for different viewpoints.

Woke Movement Penetrates Olympic Games

The Paris 2024 Olympics opening ceremony will likely be remembered not only for its artistic spectacle and innovative use of Parisian landmarks but also for the controversy it ignited. As the Games proceed, the debate over this provocative performance underscores the ongoing tension between modern artistic expression and traditional values.

Whether intended or not, the portrayal of “The Last Supper” has sparked a conversation that extends far beyond sports, touching on issues of faith, respect, and the ever-evolving landscape of cultural expression.

With all due respect for all the athletes competing in this edition, it seems that Woke Movement has deeply penetrated the Games. And it feels like it did it in the wrong hole.

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Before the competition, the booking houses estimated that Romania will get 5-6 medals at the Olympics. Besides, the authorities added 1 medal to this prediction and came up with 6-7 medals. There were voices who mentioned 7-8 medals, but these were more than optimistic.

What medals won Romania at the Olympic Games in Tokyo 2020?

Romania won 4 medals at the Olympics in Tokyo: 1 Gold and 3 Silvers.

• Gold medal: Ancuta Bodnar and Simona Radis, Women’s double sculls
• Silver medal: Ana-Maria Popescu, Women’s épée fencing
• Silver medal: Mihaita Tiganescu, Mugurel Semciuc, Stefan Berariu and Cosmin Pascari, Rowing, Men’s coxless four
• Silver medal: Marius Cozmiuc and Ciprian Tudosa, Rowing, Men’s two-frame event

Why is the Romanian Olympic performance in free fall?

For many years in a row, Romania has been in a free fall when it comes to the Olympic Games. Actually, the performance of Team Romania in Tokyo is, by the number of the medals gathered, equal to the performance in Rio. But the evolution of this number over the years shows the disaster of the Romanian sport:

• 1924 – 1 medal
• 1936 – 1
• 1952 – 4
• 1956 – 13
• 1960 – 10
• 1964 – 12
• 1968 – 15
• 1972 – 16
• 1976 – 27
• 1980 – 25
• 1984 – 53
• 1988 – 24
• 1992 – 18
• 1996 – 20
• 2000 – 26
• 2004 – 19
• 2008 – 9
• 2012 – 7
• 2016 – 4
• 2020 – 4

In 1984, in Los Angeles, Romania was at its peak. Yes, it was the only communist country to take part in the Olympic Games that year, but still, the performance of Team Romania exceeded those of countries like China, the United Kingdom or France. Romania ranked second in 1984, after the United States.

Now, with 4 medals in each of the last two competitions, Romania tries to find out the causes of this decline. It is beyond understanding for most sports lovers worldwide.

Still, they have to understand that sport isn’t a priority in Romania any longer. The investments in sport declined and so the results went down. The attraction of the younger generations to sport declined as the attraction for e-games and social media platforms increased.

The fact is Romania gradually lost its role models in sports for the younger generations. Once, Hagi inspired thousands of kids to start a football career, such as Nadia Comaneci inspired hundreds of little girls to become the next big star of Romanian gymnastics. Now, the Youtube and Instagram influencers are the role models for them.

Not only that Romania lost its sports leaders, but the politics is often caught with its sleazy fingers in the Romanian sports pie, in a country more and more accused of corruption at all levels.

Why Romania gets no more than 4 medals per competition during the Olympics? Why Romania hasn’t managed to qualify for a Football World Cup or for the final European tournament for years? Why is the Romanian sport at the lowest level ever?

All these are questions to be answered by the whole political class who’s been running the country since the so-called Romanian Revolution. Speaking of the political class, it is worth mentioning that the Romanian Minister of Sports didn’t even wait the gold medal winners at the airport, as usually. He was competing at that moment, as he is registered as a cyclist. More probably, he was afraid of another confrontation with the athletes as days before the silver medal winner Ana-Maria Popescu refused to handshake him at the airport.

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At just 16 years old, Popovici made a formidable race in the final of the 200m at the Olympics Games in Tokyo. He started the race very well, and after the first turn of the pool, he was in third place. Meanwhile, in the last 30 meters, there was a real race between the Brazilian Fernando Schaeffer and David Popovici. It really seemed that the Romanian would get the bronze medal, but unfortunately for him, this didn’t happen.

He came in 4th place, just two-hundredths of the Brazilian Fernando Scheffer with a time of 1:44:66, who won the bronze medal. Popovici had 1:44:68.

David Popovici doesn’t even show that he is affected by this race, and he even made a joke about the event: “Have I had my nail a little longer, maybe I would’ve taken the third place and win the bronze medal!”.

David Popovici said after the event:

“I came here set to do as well as I could, and I succeeded. And I couldn’t be more satisfied. I’m waiting for my coach to scold me, I can only be happy and he will be happy too, I’m sure. My initial goal was not to take a medal, it was to gain as much experience as possible, to be able to show everyone what level I can bring the crawl to. I don’t consider that I lost the medal, I consider that I won the 4th place “

David Popovici after his 200 m swimming event at the Olympics

However, with this time, David set a new junior world record and, of course, a new national record in the 200 meters. He is the Romanian sportsman of the day, so to speak.

Also this month, David Popovici won 3 gold medals at the European Junior Swimming Championships in Rome, Italy. Also, a silver one. He got gold at 50 m, 100 m, and 200 m free events. He actually broke the junior’s world records for 100 and 200 m, thus making him the star of the Championships.

Photo source: David Popovici Facebook account

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The South Korean broadcaster considered it better to offer its viewers something different. Something unusual. Something which turned out to be, as they admitted, an ‘inexcusable mistake‘.

Namely, each country was described on-screen by captions or images. A few examples for you to understand the dimension of it all:

• Team Romania entrance was accompanied on South Korean TV by an image of Dracula.
• Team Italy entrance was accompanied by an image of a pizza
• Team Ukraine offered the South Korean broadcaster the opportunity of displaying images from the Chernobyl disaster
• Team El Salvador entrance was acompanies by an image of Bitcoin, as the cryptocurrency is legal in this country
• For Team Norway a salmon fillet was shown

And the examples go on…

The captions used by the broadcaster were even more intriguing:

• When Team Haiti entered the arena, the South Korean viewers could read on their TV screens: ‘The political situation is fogged by the assassination of the president.’
• Marshall Islands were described for the South Korean viewers as ‘a former nuclear site for the US’
• Syria was described by the words: ‘Rich underground resources; a civil war that has been going on for 10 years.’

Yes, the local broadcaster apologized for this ‘inexcusable mistake’, but the stereotypes about the nations will certainly live longer than these Olympic games. And the Italians indeed make the best pizza out there and the Norway fishermen catch the tastiest salmon, but this is not something to define a nation, especially during the Olympics.

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