BUCHAREST, May 5 -- The national rowing team must intensify training to compete in European events in the autumn, stressed the President of the Romanian Rowing Federation Elisabeta Lipa on Tuesday.
She added that she was pleased that professional athletes would resume formal training starting May 15, soon after the end of the state of emergency in the country.
"We have before us three European Championships in different categories, scheduled for the autumn of this year," she said, convinced that "they will take place as scheduled," given that the virus now appears to be under control in many European countries.
"So we have big goals this year as well, even if we don't have the Olympics anymore," added Lipa, 55, the most decorated rower in the history of the Olympics, winning five gold, two silver and one bronze medals.
"That's why it's crucial to start training again. You can't train at home like you do when you are part of a team. You need a strict schedule, teammates around you and a goal to fight for!" she stressed.
The members of the national rowing team have been training at home for the last two months, but under strict supervision of the coaches. After May 15, they will resume their training at the Snagov National Sports Complex, some 40 kms north of the capital city of Bucharest.
Rowing was the most successful discipline in 2019 for Romania in international competitions, with over 30 medals won: 13 gold, nine silver and eight bronze. Meanwhile, seven crews have already qualified for the Olympic Games in Tokyo.
None of Romania's national and Olympic teams have made centralized preparations since mid-March when the Ministry of Youth and Sports ordered to stop all sports training and competitions amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Romania entered on March 16 a one-month state of emergency, which was subsequently extended by one more month to May 14.
The eastern European country reported 325 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 on Tuesday, bring the total number of confirmed cases to 13,837, with 841 fatalities.