At the European Rowing Championships in Varese, Romania’s Simona Radiș and Adriana Adam clinched the first medal for their country, earning gold in the women’s double sculls after a commanding performance from start to finish. They were followed by Florin Lehaci and Ștefan Berariu, who also won gold in the men’s category.
UPDATE 12:45 PM: Men’s Double Sculls Finish Fourth
The third final featuring Romanian athletes saw Andrei Lungu and Marian Enache compete in the men’s double sculls for the first time together. They launched from lane 5 after finishing second in their semifinal. Initially positioned fourth, they climbed to third place as they aimed for a bronze medal. However, the Croatian siblings Martin and Valent Sinkovic surged ahead, crossing the finish line in third, leaving the Romanians just shy of the podium at fourth, 2.21 seconds behind the leaders. Enache is a seasoned competitor, having previously won a European title in 2024 alongside Andrei Cornea, while Lungu is participating in his second senior European Championships.
UPDATE 12:10 PM: Gold in Men’s Double Sculls for Lehaci and Berariu
The men’s double sculls brought another gold for Romania, with a strong start from Ştefan Berariu and Florin Lehaci, who quickly distanced themselves from their rivals. Dominating the race, they crossed the finish line with a comfortable lead of 2.67 seconds ahead of Lithuanian competitors, who battled the Italians for silver. This marks Berariu’s second continental gold, having won his first title last year in Plovdiv, while it also represents Berariu’s second title, first earned in Glasgow in 2018.
Gold for Radiș and Adam in Women’s Double Sculls
The first final of the day with Romanian participation resulted in a magnificent gold medal for Adriana Adam and Simona Radiș. Competing together for the first time in the women’s double sculls, they displayed remarkable authority throughout the race, having previously excelled in the heats. They quickly left their competitors far behind, finishing with an impressive lead of 7.07 seconds. This win marks Radiș’s second European title in this event, following her victory last year with Magdalena Rusu, while Adam also adds to her accolades, having won gold in 2020 in Poznan.
Mihai Chiruță Impresses in Single Sculls Final
Earlier, Mihai Chiruță had a standout qualification for the final of the single sculls. Competing in the second series, he initially positioned fourth but surged ahead in the final 500 meters to win the race, finishing 1.35 seconds ahead of the second place Swiss competitor, Kai Schaetzle. Greek athlete Stefanos Ntsoukos, who led for most of the race, secured third place. Other notable advancements from the second semifinal included Oliver Zeidler from Germany and Yauheni Zalaty from Belarus.
In the opening race of the day, Bianca Ifteni finished fifth in her semifinal of the single sculls and will compete in the B final. The promising young athlete, who recently became a world champion at the youth level, is making her senior debut.
