Famous Romanian sports commentator Cristian Topescu died on Tuesday, May 15, at age 81. He was admitted to the Elias Hospital in Bucharest last week with severe health problems. He was suffering from several chronic illnesses, including diabetes.

Cristian Topescu worked for 40 years, between 1964 and 2004, as a sports commentator for the national television TVR. During this period, he presented some of Romania’s most important sports performances, including, among others, the perfect 10 obtained by Romanian gymnast Nadia Comaneci at the Montreal Olympics, in 1976, and Romania’s national football team’s matches at the World Cup in 1994.

Topescu graduated from the Sports Institute in Bucharest and was a member of Romania’s equestrian team in the 1960s, following in the footsteps of his father, who competed at the Olympics.

After his TV career, he went into politics and served one term as a senator for the National Liberal Party (PNL), between 2008 and 2012. He received many decorations, including “the Star of Romania”, which he received from president Klaus Iohannis in 2017.

editor@romania-insider.com

(Photo source: TVR)