Athlete of the week

The ICF 2022 Canoe Sprint World Championships were held in Halifax, Canada, last week. The competition lived up to everyone's expectations in every respect; nautical sports lovers had the chance the watch, live or via video transmissions, the best of the best in terms of rowing. In Canada, a 6-strong Romanian delegation proved its mettle in the competition, with three athletes competing in the kayak and three others in the canoe races. The gender balance also worked, as two women and one man competed in the kayak races, while two men and one woman took the start in the canoe events. The differences lay in the clubs rowers are signed up by: three of them compete for CSA Steaua, two for CS Dinamo, while one woman rower is signed up by Olimpia Bucharest. The Romanian Kayak-Canoe Federation's set target was the earning of a position among places 4 to 6, and another position, among places 6 to 9, so the eventual aim was the qualification to two separate finals. The set target was met from the very first days of competition, when Catalin Chirila advanced to the 500 and 1000m men's canoe final. Chirila succeeded a straight qualification, each time winning the heat he competed in. In the final, Catalin Chirila provided a stunning surprise: he became world champion in the 1000m Olympic race and won silver in the 500m race. Reason enough for Radio Romania International to designate Catalin Chirila the Athlete of the week.

Cătălin Chirilă was born in Tulcea, on 11 May 11, 1998. He is signed up by the Steaua Bucharest Army Sports Club. His coaches are Petre Kondrat, who works for the army club and Florin Popescu, of the national team. Catalin Chirila's first international performance occurred in the men's canoe double, when, jointly with veteran rower Victor Mihalachi, Chirila won gold in 2019, in the European Games in Minsk, Belarus, in the 1000m race. Then in 2021, in the European Championships in Poland's Poznan, Chirila won bronze in the 1000m race. In the Tokyo Olympics', the Chirila/Mihalachi pair came in 5th. As of 2022, Catalin Chirila competes in men's singles events. At the World Cup stages in Racice and Poznan, Catalin Chirila's results were promising. The Romanian confirmed his excellent performance so far in his most recent notable run in Halifax.(EN)