Victoria Rotaru with coach Dumitru Prodan // Photo: facebook.com
Rotaru performed in the competition among athletes under 18 years old in the weight category up to 41 kg. She realized all three approaches, lifting a total weight of 92 kg in the lying position. Uzbekistan’s Sultonposhsha Bardieva, who won the silver medal in this exercise, lifted 13 kg more (105 kg) than the 15-year-old Moldovan para-athlete. World champion Snezhana Boyko of Kazakhstan lifted 146 kg. The athletes, who took the top two steps of the podium, tried to lift heavier weights in the third attempt, but failed to do so.
Victoria Rotaru’s achievement was historic – never before had athletes from Moldova won prizes at the world championships in para-powerlifting.
The Moldovan team was also represented at the World Championships by Mihail Blanaru, who took the fifth place among young men in the weight category up to 49 kg.
The youth competitions were held within the framework of the World Para-powerlifting Championship. More than 120 athletes from 72 countries came to the capital of Egypt.
