Olympic medalists receive promised apartments

Cristina Iovu and Anatol Caracu, the athletes that won bronze medals at the 2012 Summer Olympics, received their apartments today. The youth were awarded by Premier Vlad Filat, on August 17, along with all other Olympians and their technical staff, reports Info-Prim Neo. Athletes, trainers and athletes’ doctors were invited to the Government, where they received their prizes. Vlad Filat thanked everyone for their effort towards national sports and asked them to continue reaching for new achievements, and to motivate as many kids as possible to practice sports. “I thank you for your sacrifice. It is not easy at all to sacrifice your youth for reaching the Olympics and preforming well. I express special gratitude to the parents of these athletes. Your model makes us be optimistic about the future of sports; we have talented youth who need support”, the Premier pointed out. Vlad Filat highlighted the contribution of Tudor Casapu, president of the Weightlifting Federation, whom he considers to have played an important role in the winning of the two Olympic medals, both in weightlifting. Meanwhile the Premier said that he attended the opening ceremony of the Summer Olympics with pride, when Moldova’s flag was born by our team’s youngest member Dan Olaru. National Olympic Committee (CNO) President Nicolae Juravschi mentioned that today is a holiday when athletes can be called national heroes, but also that their victories are already history and it is time for them to start preparing for the next Summer Olympics, which will take place in 4 years in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. “Starting today we will come to you with other problems, need, and we ask you to listen to us, and support us”, said the CNO president. Our youngest athlete, Dan Olaru, the 15-year-old archer, who ranked 9th, said that it is hard to get to the Olympic Games, but to win is even harder, because the best athletes gather there. Cristina Iovu and Anatol Caracu thanked for the prizes and said that there are proud of taking Moldova’s flag to the podium. Weightlifters Cristina Iovu and Anatolie Caracu also received €80,000 each. Athlete Zalina Marghieva will receive €30,000 for ranking 8th, and €20,000 each will go to Dan Olaru for ranking 9th in archery, Sergiu Toma, for 9th place in Judo, and Vasile Belous, for ranking 9th in boxing. Athlete Ion Luchianov, who ranked 10th, and Svetlana Saenco, 10th in female wrestling, will each get €10,000, and Nicolae Ceban will receive €7,000 for his 11th place in wrestling.