Romania Wins 8th Medal at 2024 Olympics: Mihaela Cambei Takes Silver in Weightlifting

Romanian weightlifter Mihaela Valentina Cambei won the silver medal in the 49 kg category, on Wednesday evening, at the Olympic Games in Paris. Cambei totaled 205 kg, being overtaken at the last attempt in the competition by the reigning Olympic champion, the Chinese Zhihui Hou, with 206 kg.

Cambei had a perfect contest, lifting the barbell at 89, 91 and 93 kg, and then throwing it at 106, 110 and 112 kg. She slightly injured her left hand during the second throw attempt.

The Romanian led the competition until the last attempt of the Chinese. Hou, who holds several world records, set an Olympic record in the deadlift with 117 kg.

The bronze medal went to Thailand’s Surodchana Khambao, with 200 kg.

Romania’s last Olympic medal in weightlifting was brought by Nicu Vlad in 1996, bronze in Atlanta. At the 2016 Olympic Games, Gabriel Sîncrăian won a bronze medal, but was later disqualified for doping.

Romania now has eight medals at the 2024 Olympics, three gold, four silver and one bronze. Gold was won by swimmer David Popovici in the 200 meter freestyle, rowers Andrei Cornea and Marian Enache in the men’s double sculls and the women’s crew of eight plus one (Maria Magdalena Rusu, Roxana Anghel, Ancuța Bodnar, Maria Lehaci, Adriana Adam, Amalia Bereş, Ioana Vrînceanu , Simona Radiş, Victoria Ştefania Petreanu), the silver was obtained by Ancuța Bodnar and Simona Radiş in women’s double rowing, Ioana Vrînceanu and Roxana Anghel in women’s double sculls, Gianina van Groningen and Ionela Cozmiuc in women’s double rowing – light category, as well as by weightlifter Mihaela Cambei at cat. 49 kg, and the bronze was won by David Popovici in the 100 meter freestyle.