Romanian Paralympic cyclist Eduard Novak said on Sunday in Bucharest, on his return from the 2020 Paralympic Games in Tokyo, Japan, that he dedicates his silver medal to Ivan Patzaichin, multiple Olympic canoeing medallist dead at 71 on Sunday.
"I really wanted to get home and celebrate, but I am very sad because today one of my idols, who motivated me as a child and showed me that you can do it in Romania as well, Ivan Patzaichin, is no longer with us. Once again, he was an idol to me ... we weren't friends talking every day, but every time we saw each other he would say, 'I appreciate you so much.' And each time I would be very proud as the champion of my childhood would tell me that he appreciated me; it was an extraordinary thing. He competed in five editions of the summer Olympic Games and won four titles ... Today I am returning from the fifth edition of the Games and Ivan has left us. That's why I want to dedicate this medal to Ivan Patzaichin. It's not gold, but I know that white gold never goes out of style," said Novak.
"Thank you, Ivan, thank you for showing me the way and for showing me that I cand do it. I hope that in 20-30 years' time another athlete will say that I was the one to show the way. And I think that's the natural thing to do, we all have to think like that. I didn't talk to Ivan weekly or daily, but when we saw each other after a while I would immediately feel that vibration ... My feet would start shaking because he was a god to me. I would be so proud when he would tell me he was watching me and appreciating me. I called him before I went to the Games and he was in hospital. I remember he was very happy to hear my voice ... And I felt then that it was a goodbye call," added Novak.
Novak held a moment of silence, also mentioning the death of rally driver Adrian Raspopa during the Iasi Rally. "And to make this moment even harder, pilot Adrian Raspopa also left us. He was an athlete and a friend ... These tragedies came in succession, but such is life," Novak said.
Romania's multiple Olympic canoeing medallist Ivan Patzaichin died on Sunday at the age of 71.
Born on November 26, 1949, at Mila 23 in the Danube Delta, Patzaichin won four gold medals at the Olympic Games, in the C1-1,000 m race, in 1972 (Munich) and in C2-1,000 m race in 1968 (Ciudad de Mexico), 1980 (Moscow) and 1984 (Los Angeles), as well as three silver medals, in the C-2 500 m race in 1980 (Moscow) and 1984 (Los Angeles) and in C2-1,000 m race in 1972 (Munich) , agerpres.ro confirms.
He also won 22 medals, including nine gold medals, at world championships.
Cyclist Eduard Novak, Romania's incumbent minister of youth and sports, won the silver medal in track cycling, men's C4 4000m individual pursuit race on August 27, on the Izu Velodrome, at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games.
On his return from Tokyo on Sunday, Novak was greeted at the Official Lounge of the Henri Coanda Airport, by former Minister of Youth and Sports Ionut Stroe; Secretary General of the Romanian Olympic Committe (COSR) Gheorghe Boroi, Chairman of the Romanian Rugby Federation Alin Petrache, friends and family.
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