Romanian fencer Vlad Covaliu of CS Dinamo Bucharest on Thursday won the gold medal in the individual junior men’s sabre event at the 2024 Junior and Cadet Fencing World Championships in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

In the first round, Covaliu defeated Bulgarian Radoslav Vodenov, 15-4, then Chinese Tianhao Wang 15-7, Evann Jean Abba Girault of Niger, 15-11, and then compatriot Radu Nitu 15-6. In the quarter-finals, he prevailed 15-12 over American Cody Walter Ji, in the semi-finals he defeated Spain’s Santiago Madrigal 15-6, and in the final he narrowly won against Russia’s Pavel Graudin, 15-14.

Radu Nitu ranked 11th, Mihnea Enache finished 31st and Casian Cidu 90th.

In the junior women’s sabre event, Romanian Amalia Stan finished 8th, being defeated in the quarter-finals by Chinese Qimiao Pan, who went on to win the event.

Amalia Covaliu finished 46th, Denisa Serban 53rd and Anastasia Fusea 118th.

Romania lined up 27 fencers – 15 for the women’s events and 12 for men’s – at the 2024 Junior and Cadet Fencing World Championships in Riyadh, April 12-20, aiming for a 5th-6th place in the final ranking.

Only cadet individual and junior individual and team events were held at the championships in Riyadh.

Bucharest District 3 Mayor Robert Negoita said on Thursday that he will accept to run for the office of the Bucharest general mayor on behalf of the Social Democratic Party – National Liberal Party (PSD-PNL) coalition if “the party asks him to if current pick Catalin Cirstoiu withdraws from contention.

Negoita was asked by Realitatea Plus private broadcaster if he is Catalin Cirstoiu’s replacement for Bucharest City Hall.

“I can’t confirm it; it’s just that it’s a very important moment. Bucharest is the capital of the country, but over the last four years Bucharest has suffered a lot from underdevelopment and I think we have to show a great responsibility and we have to fight with all our might for Bucharest. Therefore, yes; even if so far I have categorically refused, as long as the party asks and the decision is taken, I no longer refuse,” Negoita said.

He added that that there have been several discussions on this subject, including in the alliance.

“I’d stop at this news – I am not opposed. As long as I think I can be useful, I am here because Bucharest is too important to all of us. There have been discussions including in the alliance, but so far it is not a decision taken. I don’t know when the decision will be taken, there are no decisions for me to make, I just showed my availability.”

Negoita also said that “some polls were presented that did not look very favourable” on Catalin Cirstoiu, which is why “there were these countless and long, complicated meetings” to find the solution to “this problem”.