Romanian artistic gymnast Catalina Ponor will be Romania's flag bearer at the 2016 Rio Olympics opening ceremony, said Alin Petrache, the president of the Romanian Olympic and Sports Committee (COSR).

Five Romanian athletes were nominated to hold the flag at the Olympics, namely gymnast Marian Dragulescu, tennis player Simona Halep, handball player Cristina Neagu, shooter Alin Moldoveanu, and gymnast Catalina Ponor. However, Ponor got the highest number of votes from the Executive Committee, Petrache said, reports local Agerpres.

Catalina Ponor, who started gymnastics when she was 4, holds five Olympic medals: three gold medals won at the 2004 Olympics and two medals (silver and bronze) at the 2012 Olympics.

Romania’s artistic gymnastics teams failed to qualify for this year’s Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. This represents the end of the era for the women’s gymnastics team, which had won medals at every Olympics since 1976, the year when Nadia Comaneci got the perfect score of 10 at the Olympic Games in Montreal.

However, Ponor will represent Romanian gymnastics at the Olympic Games.

Romania’s whole canoe kayak national team have failed a drug test and may also miss the Rio Olympics.

Romania sets money prizes for 2016 Rio Olympics gold medalists

Romanian tennis star Simona Halep may pull out of Rio Olympics due to Zika concern

Irina Popescu, irina.popescu@romania-insider.com

(Photo source: Catalina Ponor on Facebook)