After Nicolae Ceban, Natalia Budu and Andrei Perpeliţta also won bronzes at the European Freestyle and Greco-Roman Wrestling Championship held in Finland.

All the three athletes lost to representatives of Russia in the semifinals. Natalia Budu won bronze in the 53kg class after beating Burcu Kebic of Turkey, while Andrei Perpelita scored a decisive victory against Poland’s Krzysztof Bienkowski.

“I could not even dream of such results. We are very satisfied. At the previous European Championship, we won no medal,” president of the Moldovan Freestyle Wrestling Federation Victor Peicov has told IPN.

The European Freestyle and Greco-Roman Wrestling Championship is taking place in Vantaa on March 29 – April 7. Moldova is represented by 16 athletes. The national squad is led by coach Ruslan Bodisteanu.