Gymnast Catalina Ponor will bear Romania’s flag at the opening ceremony of the summer Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, the president of the Romanian Olympic and Sports Committee (COSR), Alin Petrache, announced on Wednesday.
Romania has got only one seat at the 2016 Olympic Games for the gymnastics women competition, after the national team failed to qualify for Rio. The COSR decided to choose Catalina Ponor as the colour bearer to the detriment of Larisa Iordache.
Catalina Ponor, who is turning 29 on August 20, won three Olympic champion titles at the Olympic Games in Athens 12 years ago on on balance beam, floor, and as part of the Romanian team.
She also has a silver medal at the 2012 Olympic Games in London and a bronze one together with the team, as well as multiple World Championship and European Championship medals.
Ponor officially announced her comeback in March 2015. However she could not compete in the 2015 European Games in Baku as she was not eligible yet. It was only in September last year that Ponor made her return in competition by competing in a friendly meet between Romania and France where she helped the Romanian team place first.
In June 2016, Ponor won two bronze medals at the European Women’s Artistic Gymnastics Championships.
Five Romanian athletes have been nominated as potential colour bearers: gymnast Marian Dragulescu, tennis player Simona Halep, handball player Cristina Neagu, rifle sport shooter Alin Moldoveanu and gymnast Catalina Ponor, with the last one getting most of the votes. The Olympic Games in Rio are due on August 5-21.
Romania’s color bearer at the 2012 Olympic Games in London was tennis player Horia Tecau.