Article by Roxana Fleşeru, Maria Olteanu – Published Sunday, April 19, 2026, 7:10 p.m. / Updated Sunday, April 19, 2026, 7:10 p.m.
Mihaela Cambei (23 years old), the European champion of the last three editions of the continental competition in the 49 kg category, is now competing in the 53 kg category, on the first day of the European Championships in Batumi (April 19-26). The tricolor delegation includes 15 athletes.
UPDATE at 18:50 » Mihaela Cambei won gold in the sweepstakes
Mihaela Cambei had a successful first attempt at the deadlift, at 90 kilograms, then at 93 kilograms she missed, finally succeeding at 95 kilograms. The Romanian won the gold medal and also set a new European record.
Romanian Alexia Diana Şipoș finished with 81 kilograms in the deadlift.
The original news
Romania participates with 15 weightlifters in the European Championships in Batumi » Mihaela Cambei enters the competition on Sunday
Mihaela Cambei, Olympic and world vice-champion, debuts on Sunday, from 18:00, at the European Championships in Batumi (Georgia). The Romanian climbed the podium of the European competition in the last three years, she managed to win the gold in the overall, snatch and throw in the 49 kg category.
Ahead of the Los Angeles Olympics, she switched categories starting at last year's World Championships, moving from 49kg to 53kg. “The preparation is very good as every year, well thought out by the coaches and there is little chance of making a mistake. I want a better result than last year, if we can break other records.”, said Mihaela Cambei for TVR, referring to the weights she wants to lift.
Last year, she set two European records at the World Championships in Norway, managing 94 kg in the deadlift and 208 in the total. At the competition in Norway, she won gold in the snatch, silver in the throw and the all-around.
Romania, objective five medals at the European Championships
Romania participates with 15 athletes at the European Championships in Batumi. In the women's category, Ioana Mădălina Miron (cat. 48 kg), Mihaela Cambei (cat. 53 kg), Alexia Șipoș (cat. 53 kg), Dana Berchi (cat. 58 kg), Andreea Cotruța (cat. 63 kg), Anca Grosu (cat. 63 kg) and Daniela Gherman (cat. 69 kg) will compete. In the men's category, Marian Luca (cat. 60 kg), Narcis Papolți (cat. 60 kg), Ion Dorobete (cat. 65 kg), Cosmin Isofache (cat. 65 kg), Tiberiu Donose (cat. 79 kg), Mihăiță Tănăsoiu (cat. 88 kg), Darius Tătaru (cat. 94 kg) and Luis Lauret Rodriguez (cat. 110 kg) will compete.
“We are happy to have a balanced team, both for women and men. From the point of view of the objectives, we aim for somewhere around five medals. But we hope that the work of our athletes in recent months will bring us other pleasant surprises. A tough competition is ahead, with an important participation of more than 350 athletes from 45 countries, among which there will also be athletes with neutral status from Russia and Belarus”, said Alexandru Pădure, president of the Romanian Weightlifting Federation, for Agerpres.
The athletes from whom these medals are expected are Mihaela Cambei and Andreea Cotruța, for women, and Tiberiu Donose and Luis Lauret Rodriguez, for men.
Also on Sunday, Ioana Miron (48 kg) and Alexia Şipoș (53 kg) will compete in Batumi.
At the previous edition of the European Championships, held last year in Chisinau, where the Romanian delegation also had 15 athletes, it won 11 medals, including four gold, three silver and four bronze.
