The Romanian Ski Biathlon Federation has selected at least 16 athletes to compete across all five disciplines at the Milano-Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics, marking a historic first for the organization. President Puiu Gaspar highlighted the achievement as confirmation of winter sports growth in Romania. The team includes competitors in biathlon, snowboarding, cross-country skiing, ski jumping, and alpine skiing.
President of the Romanian Ski Biathlon Federation (FRSB), Puiu Gaspar, announced that Romania will send at least 16 athletes to the Milano-Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics, competing in all five disciplines overseen by the federation: alpine skiing, biathlon, snowboarding, cross-country skiing, and ski jumping. This represents the first time in the federation's history that athletes have qualified across every category.
The selection was approved at a recent Executive Committee meeting, confirming quota places allocated by the International Olympic Committee. In biathlon, the team features four men—Marian Coltea, George Buta, Dmitrii Shamaev, and Raul Flore—and one woman, Anastasia Tolmacheva. Snowboarding includes two women: Kata Mandel and Henrietta Bartalis. For cross-country skiing, there are two men, Paul Constantin Pepene and Gabriel Cojocaru, and one woman, Delia Reit. Ski jumping has two women, Daniela Toth and Delia Folea, and two men, Daniel Cacina and Mihnea Spulber. Alpine skiing quotas went to Andrei Tudor Stefanescu (men) and Sofia Moldovan (women), selected via internal trials.
Gaspar noted a potential additional spot in women's biathlon for Andreea Mezdrea if another nation withdraws, with confirmation expected on January 22. 'We are waiting in the hope that this might also happen,' he told AGERPRES.
The federation's objectives are ambitious: one top-10 finish and two top-15 results. 'I believe this objective can be achieved because the athletes have shown on many occasions that they can reach the top 10,' Gaspar said. He emphasized that success would affirm the recent growth of winter sports in Romania.
The 14th Winter Olympics run from February 6 to 22, 2026, in Milan and Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy, with over 3,500 athletes from 93 countries vying for 195 medals across 16 disciplines.
