Sport

Nicolae Juravschi

Canoist

One of the greatest athletes Moldova has produced. He won two Olympic titles at Seoul 1988 in the double canoe events, and at Atlanta 1996 he brought the independent Republic of Moldova its first Olympic medal — silver. He was named the best Moldovan athlete of the 20th century.

Nicolae Juravschi (b. 8 August 1964, Chircăiești, Căușeni district) is one of the greatest athletes in the history of the Republic of Moldova, a double Olympic champion in canoeing and, later, a public figure. Nicknamed „leul canoei” (the lion of the canoe), he brought Moldova and the former Soviet space some of the most brilliant results in water sports.

Sporting career

At his first Olympic appearance, at the 1988 Games in Seoul, Nicolae Juravschi won, alongside his partner Victor Reneischi, two gold medals, in the C-2 500 m and C-2 1000 m double canoe events. Together they also won eight world titles between 1989 and 1991, as well as several silver and bronze medals at the World Championships. In 1992, not selected by the Unified Team, Juravschi competed for Romania at the Games in Barcelona, reaching the finals.

In 1995 he persuaded his former partner to return and to represent the Republic of Moldova together with him. The comeback was crowned with success: they took silver at the 1995 World Championships and, above all, the silver medal at the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta, the first Olympic medal in the history of the independent Republic of Moldova.

After his sporting career

After retiring in 1996, Nicolae Juravschi dedicated himself to the development of sport, becoming president of the Canoe-Kayak Federation of Moldova. He also entered political life, being elected a deputy in the Parliament of the Republic of Moldova in 2011. Through his exceptional record and his work in training new generations of athletes, Nicolae Juravschi remains a symbol of Moldovan sporting excellence.

A sporting legend

Nicolae Juravschi is one of the few athletes to have won Olympic medals under more than one flag — that of the Soviet Union and that of the Republic of Moldova. His record, with two Olympic titles and numerous world titles, places him among the greatest canoeists of all time. After retiring he dedicated himself to the leadership of Moldovan sport, serving for years as president of the National Olympic and Sports Committee of the Republic of Moldova and contributing to the development of the national Olympic movement and to the training of new generations of athletes.