SportsMin Novak: Results at OG2022 match training conditions and strategy

The Minister of Sports, Eduard Novak, says that results obtained by Romanian athletes in the 2022 Olympic Games in Beijing matched the training conditions and the strategy applied until now.

"The Olympic Games in Beijing have ended. I do not know if I was the first Minister of Sports who ever took part in the winter Olympic Games, but I considered my presence there to be important. Before anything else, I would like to congratulate the athletes that competed and represented our country with honor. The results matched the training conditions that they received, but also the strategy until now," the Minister wrote on his Facebook page.

Present at the supreme competition in China, Novak considers that a part of the countries that won medals focused only on certain sports disciplines.

"I have drawn a few important conclusions: 1. The countries that managed to win medals had a strategy for those sports, regarding infrastructure but also developing the sport; 2. Some countries aimed only at sports where they could win a lot of medals: speed skating, bobsleigh and sled, cross-country skiing, biathlon; 3. Level of professionalism of the athletes' staff was at their highest level; 4. Numbers speak. The most relevant example is China, who became a force in the winter sports as well," Novak also wrote.

The Minister of Sports considers that Romanian athletes will have the opportunity to win medals in the Winter Olympic Games in 10-20 years, but only if important investments will be made in infrastructure and coaches in the next four years: "As a conclusion, I returned frustrated by the fact that our athletes and our children do not have the same chances, but they could have the same results. If we will invest in infrastructure and coaches in the next four years, we will definitely have significant results in the next 10-20 years."

The 9th place in the ranking of the sled relay event (Raluca Stramaturaru, Valentin Cretu, Marian Gitlan / Darius Serban) represents the best ranking for Romanian athletes at the Winter Olympic Games in Beijing.

Apart from the sled relay event, notable results were achieved by Andreea Grecu - 12th place in the monobob, the 4 man bob team (Mihai Tentea, Raul Dobre, Ciprian Daroczi, Cristian Radu) - 13th place, as well as the men in the double sled event, Marian Gitlan, Darius Serban, who ranked 14. (AGERPRES)