Romania finally gets a gold medal at the Summer Olympic Games in Rio
In the finals, Romania had to face off with China, the current title holder, and the score was 44 to 38.
Articol de Radio România Internaţional, 13 August 2016, 13:33
The women's epee fencing team, made up of Ana Maria Popescu, Simona Pop, Simona Gherman and Loredana Dinu, accomplished athletes, world and European champions, brought the Romanian fencing team the first Olympic title in the team event.
The hardest competition for the Romanian team in Rio was that with the US in the quarter finals.
The Romanian fencers won by the skin of their teeth, 24 to 23, thanks to a winning move by Ana Maria Popescu.
Then followed the semifinals with Russia, which the Romanians dominated, 45 to 31.
At the end, in the finals, Romania had to face off with China, the current title holder, and the score was 44 to 38.
The bronze medals were fought over by Russia and Estonia, with Russia winning 37 to 31.
This is Romania's fourth major fencing victory. The first was the gold medal in the foil event by Ionel Dramba in the singles foil event in Ciudad de Mexico in 1968. In the same event, in 1996, Laura Badea won gold in Atlanta. Then followed Mihai Covaliu in the individual saber event, in 2000 in Sydney, Australia.
Of the present team, the closest to come to the gold was Ana Maria Popescu in 2008. While competing in Beijing, when she was still named Ana Maria Branza, she made it to the final individual epee event, but was defeated by German fencer Britta Heidemann.
The Romanian performance is an even bigger accomplishment in light of the fact that it comes towards the end of most members' careers. Aside from Simona Pop, born in 1988, all other components are over 30, and have won numerous medals.
