“I'm not going to lie to you, it was very hard”

In the 2024 season, the multiple double sculls champions Simona Radis and Ancuta Bodnar they won the silver medal at the Olympic Games and the bronze medal at the European Championships. For them, 2025 meant a break in the productive partnership, but not in the success achieved with their new double-frame and 4-frame boats.

This year they reunited, and in the first competition, the World Cup stage in Seville, they returned in double rowing. And they won, going from heat to semi-final to final.

“I'm not going to lie to you, it was very difficult, every single race was very difficult, but we're happy with the way it went and we're happy that even though we had a very long break, we're still in the elite“, declared Simona at Snagov, shortly after the morning training, at the event where a new partnership of FR Canotaj, with Super Foundation, was announced.

“We still have a say and certainly as time goes on we will improve and you will see it when we compete,” she assured.

It was their desire to get back together on the boat, because otherwise things hadn't changed, from being roommates to their friendship remaining intact.

Simona Radiș: “This is the opportunity to try again”

“Things worked out this way. Initially, I was supposed to compete alongside Magda, some medical problems intervened and then I said I think this is the opportunity to try the doubles boat again”, detailed Radiș, mentioning the operation suffered by Magdalena Rusu, her colleague from 2025.

I think things came naturally. We are glad that we were given the chance and then we let things flow naturally – Simona Radis

But how did he relive the emotions of the first competition after several months without competition, how is this sensation of restart every time? “There are emotions, because we don't know at what level the opponent is, but at the same time there is curiosity to find out how we stand against them. It was an expected, desired contest. We are glad it ended well for us. I learned important things from him and at the European Championship, for sure, it will be very good”, elaborated Simona.

She believes that it was a surprise for their opponents to see them in the same boat again, but also that “it was a huge mental boost for them”.

Simona Radiș: “Certainly, the psyche is on our side”

Simona Radiș and Ancuța Bodnar after the victory in the World Cup stage in Seville Photo: FR Canotaj

He detailed that he spoke with Ancuța and “am said that although we are not in the best form and in our best moment, for sure the psyche is on our side, because whoever you are as an opponent, when you see a team coming together, a team with many results, even if you don't want it, you are affected. And then, for sure, we had this effect, which was beneficial to us”.

They had never competed before Sevillaat the base of La Cartuja, on the river Guadalquivirwhere World and European Championships have been held over time. The city, however, was no stranger to Simona.

“A very beautiful place, a very beautiful city. I had the chance to visit it with the girls in the 8 boat when I was there at the World Rowing gala where we were awarded,” she recalled of the event at the end of the 2024 season.

7gold medals at the Olympic Games, World and European Championships were won by Radiș and Bodnar in the double rowing event

“It was a few very nice days then, we already knew the city, now we had to fight a little with the heat, because there were some very high temperatures, but we adapted and were open to this new experience“, she added.

What do they want for this year? “Our goal is to improve, speed up the boat and reach the highest level. We don't have a medal in mind, we are definitely aiming as high as possible and we want to bring home beautiful colors“, listed Simona Radiș.