Klimentij Ursu (second from right) - the author of the "golden hat-trick" at the Olympic Festival in North Macedonia
The triumphant of the Olympic Festival was 17-year-old Klimentii Ursu, who won three gold medals in air pistol shooting: two in singles and one in a pair with 18-year-old Alexandra Khomutova. “I experienced strong emotions. This result was a surprise for many people, including me,” the young shooter shared his impressions of the successful performance in Skopje.
Three athletes won bronze medals. Gabriela Herta and Alexandra Kiron won bronze medals in judo (weight categories up to 48 kg and up to 52 kg respectively), while Artem Olaru demonstrated the third result in hammer throw (73.34 m). Alexandra Chiron said that she was initially confident of taking the prize. “I know my rivals well, I have fought with many of them. I am very happy that I achieved an outstanding result, very important for my sports career,” said the young judoka.
The President of NOSC Nicolae Juravschi and the Secretary General of the Ministry of Education and Research Sergiu Gurin welcomed the 23 young athletes who returned from Northern Macedonia and presented them with commemorative prizes from NOSC partners, including the company “BOMBA”. Sergiu Gurin also announced that increased bonuses will be given to the medalists of the competitions, but did not give the exact amounts.
Moldova was represented at the EYOF in eight sports – badminton, judo, athletics, table tennis, swimming, shooting, taekwondo and road cycling.
The EYOF has been held every two years since 1991. It is attended by athletes between the ages of 14 and 18 who aspire to further participate in the Olympic Games, World Championships and European Championships. The next Olympic Festival will be held in 2027 in Lignano Sabbiadoro (Italy) on the Adriatic coast.
