A gold, a silver and two bronzes in one evening for Romanian female fighters at the European Championships in Tirana
Article by Roxana Fleşeru – Published on Thursday, 23 April 2026, 22:21 / Updated on Thursday, 23 April 2026 22:28
Andreea Ana (25 years old) won her fourth European title in the 55 kg category, Alexandra Anghel (28 years old) won silver at 76 kg, and Alina Vuc Grigore (32 years old) and Kateryna Zelenykh (25 years old) climbed the third step of the podium at 55 kg and 68 kg, respectively, at the continental competition in Tirana (Albania).
The Romanian delegation at the European Championships in Tirana had many emotions on Thursday evening, when four fighters from Romania were in the finals for medals. They all managed to get on the podium.
The most brilliant distinction was won by Andreea Ana, who won the 55 kg category after defeating the Ukrainian Lilia Malanciuk in the final by technical superiority, 10-0!
The fighter from Romania won her fourth continental title, after those in 2022, 2023 and 2024. Last year, she won silver, and in 2019 and 2021 she won bronze medals.
Andreea Ana in action on the mat PHOTO Imago Images
Andreea Ana passed the German Anastasia Blayvas in the quarterfinals, and in the semifinals she had the Moldavian Mihaela Samoil.
Alexandra Anghel, again on the second step of the podium
Alexandra Anghel was second in the 76 kg category, being defeated in the final for gold by Ukrainian Anastasia Alpieeva, the main favorite, 6-2.
Alexandra Anghel, upset at the end of Thursday night's confrontation PHOTO Imago Images
She beat the French Kendra Augustine Jocelyne Dacher and the Italian Enrica Rinaldi in Tirana.
Alexandra Anghel also has a European title in her record, obtained in 2023, as well as a silver medal (2024) and two bronze medals (2018, 2025).
Alina Vuc and Kateryna Zelenykh, bonz girls
Alina Vuc won the bronze medal in the 50 kg category after defeating the Polish Agata Marta Goluchowska Walerzak 11-8 in the decisive match. On Wednesday, Vuc defeated the Italian Emanuela Liuzzi in the quarterfinals, but lost to the Turkish Evin Demirhan in the semifinals.
Alina Vuc returned to the European podium after a four-year break, during which she struggled with numerous injuries, when she also won a bronze. His record includes two silver medals at the European Championships (2016, 2018) and three bronze medals (2017, 2022, 2026).
Alina Vuc showed a lot of ambition PHOTO Imago Images
Kateryna Zelenykh also climbed onto the European podium in the 68 kilogram category, after beating Noemi Szabados (Hungary) with a score of 5-4. Until the fight in the bronze final, she defeated Manola Skobelska (Ukraine) and lost in the semifinals to Alina Shauchuk.
It is the second European medal won by the naturalized athlete, after the one from the 2024 edition, when she got the silver.
Kateryna Zelenykh on the mat in the bronze final PHOTO Imago Images
At the 2025 edition, the Romanian delegation won three medals, all for women: two silver and one bronze. 14 athletes are participating in the Tirana edition (April 20-26): seven in women's, four in freestyle wrestling and three in Greco-Roman.
