The sportsmen from the Military Sports Club "Bucegi" from Predeal, from the Romanian Land Forces, participated between February 1 and 6, in the 61st edition of the Alpine Troops Ski Championship in San Candido, Sesto and Dobbiaco, Italy.

More then 250 military sportsmen from Austria, Argentine, Croatia, Chile, Germany, Macedonia, Poland, Romania, Slovenia, Spain, USA and Italy participated in this Championship.

The competition consisted in men and woman alpine ski, long distance ski race (individual and relay race), biathlon (patrol). The Romanian military sportsmen obtained very good results during the sportive competition.

In the first day, Senior Sergeant Mihaela Purdea placed on the third place for the 10 km individual long distance race leaving behind the favourite sportswomen from the host country.

The second day was dedicated to the relay race and slalom events. Romania gained the second place on women relay race due to Senior Sergeant Mihaela Purdea and Senior Sergeant Simona Craciun and NCO Sneaga Vasile and NCO Zsolt Antal gained the fourth place on men relay race. The sportswoman Kinga Bojthe gained the second place for the slalom women competition.

In the last day, Senior Sergeants Simona Craciun, Simona Cojenelu, Andreea Cioaca and Diana Robu placed on the first place for the women patrol test (17.5 km) and the sportsmen came first for the 25 km race due to NCOs Vasile Sneaga, Cristian Mosoiu, Zsolt Antal and Alexandru Tisca.

During the prize award ceremony and the end of the championship, the Chief of Staff of the Italian Army, Army Corps General Fabrizio Castagnetti read the classification on nations and according to the results, Romania placed on the second place, after the host country, Italy, and prior to the United States, Germany and Spain.

"This performance honors us because it is the best result the Romanian Army gained in the 13 years of participation in this competition, having in view the special rivals we had" stated Major Cristian Grecu, chief of the Romanian Land Forces' delegation.

MoND Press Office