Vlad Filat hands national colors to Olympic squad

Moldovan Prime Minister Vlad Filat handed the national colors on Monday, July 23, to the Olympic squad that will represent Moldova at the Summer Olympics in London. The Prime Minister bid success to the athletes and hopes they will achieve great results, Info-Prim Neo reports. “Let’s hope that the anthem of Moldova will be heard often. Let us enjoy not only our qualification to the Olympics, but the victories we’ll obtain as well. I want to thank the coaches, the doctors and the sponsors who did their best for the national squad to represent us in London!”, declared Vlad Filat. He will attend the opening ceremony on July 27 and the closing festivity on August 12. Some of the Moldovan athletes are already in London, while the others will travel in July 25. Moldova will be represented by 21 athletes at the final competition. [Full squad:] ATHLETISM: Ion Luchianov (running, 3000 meters steeplechase), Iaroslav Musinschi, Roman Prodius and Natalia Cerches (marathon), Zalina Marghieva, Marina Marghieva and Serghei Marghiev (hammer throwing), Natalia Artic (discus throwing), Elena Popescu (running, 800 meters), Olesea Cojuhari (running, 400 meters hurdling). BOXING: Vasile Belous CYCLISM: Oleg Berdos SWIMMING: Danila Artiomov WEIGHTLIFTING: Anatolii Ciricu and Cristina Iovu JUDO: Sergiu Toma and Ivan Remarenco FREE WRESTLING: Nicolae Ceban WOMEN’S WRESTLING: Svetlana Saenko SHOOTING: Marina Zgurscaia ARCHERY: Dan Olaru The Moldovan athletes promise to give their all in order to return with medals. “We must go there with confidence, especially in our training. We have some colors to defend honorably”, said wrestler Nicolae Ceban. At the 2008 Olympics in China, Moldovan obtained a golden medal thanks to Veaceslav Gojan.