The Țiriac Foundation organized a festive ceremony dedicated to Romanian Olympic medalists, an occasion of gratitude and joy for the remarkable performances achieved by the athletes at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.

The event took place in a celebratory atmosphere of friendship and joy, bringing together medal-winning athletes from the Paris Olympic Games, coaches, officials, outstanding sports personalities, and supporters of high-performance sports in Romania.

David Popovici, rowers Andrei Cornea and Marian Enache, the women’s 8+1 rowing crew consisting of Adriana Adam, Roxana Anghel, Amalia Bereș, Ancuța Nicoleta Bodnar, Maria Lehaci, Maria-Magdalena Rusu, Simona Radiș, Ioana Vrînceanu, Victoria Petreanu, the double sculls rowing crews made up of Ancuța Nicoleta Bodnar and Simona Radiș, respectively Roxana Anghel and Ioana Vrînceanu, the lightweight double sculls crew consisting of Ionela Cozmiuc and Gianina van Groningen, weightlifting bronze medalist Mihaela Valentina Cambei, bronze medalist in the 100 m swimming event David Popovici, and gymnast Ana Maria Bărbosu, bronze medalist, were the athletes honored by the Țiriac Foundation during the event celebrating their extraordinary performances at the Olympic Games held in Paris.

At the same time, one of the initiatives of the Țiriac Foundation on this occasion was to recognize the merits of gymnast Sabrina Voinea for her outstanding performance at the Paris Olympics, where the Romanian athlete was unfairly penalized, thus losing her chance to win the bronze medal.

As a symbol of appreciation for the result obtained at the Olympic Games and for the efforts made to support her cause, Sabrina received from the Țiriac Foundation the same car model awarded to all bronze medalists.

A moment of gratitude for the Olympic medalists

Ion Țiriac, founder of the Foundation and one of the greatest supporters of our athletes, thanked the Romanian medalists for the exceptional results achieved at the Olympic Games, as well as for their continuous efforts along the path of performance.

“Today, we pay tribute and offer our reward to these people who, in Paris, finally gave us a ray of sunshine. They showed us that, little by little, we are regaining what we have always had — namely, the athlete’s gene. I thank you once again. I hope we will have a bright future with your help. Today, we are not at an official event, but at a gathering of athletes and family, in which I include you as well,” declared Mr. Ion Țiriac during the award ceremony for the Olympic medalists.

“I am probably the tallest person in this room today. I am over two meters tall, yet suddenly I felt so small in this moment. I want to thank you once again, not for the 30 seconds, the 2 meters, or the one centimeter you surpassed in Paris, but for the years behind them — of suffering, tears, blood, injuries, and all the hardships you endured in the name of the Romanian people. In that same name, I come, my family comes, the Foundation comes today, and another 19 million people come to offer you a small gesture of appreciation that does not even amount to a fingernail compared to what you have done,” said Mr. Ion Alexandru Țiriac during the Olympic awards ceremony.

The event was also marked by other emotional speeches.

Nadia Comăneci wished to send a heartfelt message to the Olympic athletes who proudly represented Romania at the Paris Games: “I greet all the medalists at the Paris Olympics. I regret that I could not attend the event during which the cars were awarded at the Țiriac Collection. I supported you with great joy. Congratulations to you, to your coaches, thanks to Mr. Ion Țiriac and the Țiriac Foundation. Go, Romania!” was the message sent by the great gymnast.

“First of all, thank you. The weight of these medals is symbolic. They represent all the training sessions we have done, all the years that have passed, all the hundredths of a second we managed to shave off, all the kilograms we managed to lift. They are symbolic. I would now like to congratulate the Țiriac Foundation for the initiative and everyone involved. Of course, I think it is a very good idea for as many Romanian businesspeople as possible to get involved in supporting Romanian sports, because we need that as well,” said David Popovici, gold and bronze medalist at the Paris Olympic Games, during the event.

“Thank you to Mr. Țiriac and the Țiriac Foundation because thanks to you we are here today and can celebrate these results in such a beautiful way. I brought the medals with me and I want to tell you that they are heavy — not because they weigh a lot, but because many years of work stand behind them, leading to these beautiful results. They are heavy because I did not fight alone for them and I had behind me an army of people who are not seen but exist, and I thank them all. Thank you for this extraordinary gesture,” declared rower Simona Radiș.

“Thank you all for this wonderful welcome, thank you to Mr. Țiriac and the Țiriac Foundation for the surprise, and I am extremely happy that I have brought gymnastics back into the world elite,” said gymnast Ana Maria Bărbosu during the event.

“I want to thank Mr. Țiriac, the Țiriac family, and the entire team for this award. I am honored. I congratulate all my colleagues, all the athletes who participated in the Olympic Games, and together we managed to make an entire Romania proud of our achievements. I am very proud to know that I am among the best athletes present here today,” said Mihaela Cambei, bronze medalist in weightlifting.

“Thank you for your hospitality and for these wonderful surprises. It means a great deal to us that you appreciate our work, efforts, and dedication. Thank you to Mr. Țiriac and the Țiriac Foundation for this magnificent surprise,” said Marian Enache, gold medalist in the double sculls event at Paris.

These were just some of the statements made by the medal-winning athletes during the event.

Gifts worthy of Olympic performances

The ceremony took place under the sign of gratitude and appreciation, each Olympic medal won in Paris being rewarded with a gift car — a Hyundai — both as a token of appreciation and as a way of supporting the athletes in their continued journey toward new achievements.

Each prize was accompanied by a special keychain — a replica of the Olympic medal — to constantly remind the athletes of their Olympic triumphs.

The Hyundai Ioniq 5, 325 HP LUXURY, with its cutting-edge technology and innovative design, together with the Kona and Bayon models, will provide the medalists with the comfort and safety they need on the road to training and competitions.

The event took place in the elegant setting of the Țiriac Collection gallery, an emblematic place of performance and success. The athletes signed a Hyundai Ioniq 5, similar to those awarded to gold medalists, which, as part of the celebration of the outstanding Olympic results, was included in the Țiriac Collection gallery. This car will remain on display at the Țiriac Collection, offering visitors — enthusiasts of both cars and sports — the opportunity to admire it alongside other exceptional vehicles in the collection.

Thus, the Țiriac Foundation reaffirms its commitment to supporting and promoting the values of Romanian sport, ensuring that these extraordinary athletes receive the recognition they deserve. Honoring the Olympic medalists is part of the Foundation’s mission to support sporting excellence and inspire young Romanian athletes to aim for the highest peaks of success.