06/08/2026
MEDIA INFORMATION
CHEILE GRADISTEI / POIANA BRASOV, ROMANIA
18.03.26
Future Stars Shine in Romania as EYOF Test Event Delivers High-Level Racing and Strong International Field
The ISMF Series Event & Balkan Championships opened with four days of racing at the venues set to host the next European Youth Olympic Festival (EYOF).
Organised by the Romanian Federation of Mountaineering and Climbing, in partnership with the International Ski Mountaineering Federation, the Romanian National Sport Agency and the Romanian Olympic Committee, the event took place from 14 to 17 March and serves as a key test ahead of EYOF 2027.
Athletes from across Europe competed in Cheile Grădiștei in the Sprint and Mixed Relay, before the programme continued in Poiana Brașov with the Vertical and Individual races.
Below is an overview of the main results.
Sprint Race
The Sprint opened the programme with a short and technical course that quickly defined the field. Romanian athletes set the pace early in the U16 categories, while competition broadened across U18 and senior levels with stronger international presence.
Top 3 – Women U16 + W 18U
1. Petra Clipea (ROU) – 03:46.0
2. Ana Fodor (ROU) – 04:24.6
3. Timothea Nica (ROU) – 04:31.0
Top 3 – Men U16
1. Radu Ștefănescu (ROU) – 0:02:51,9
2. Teodor Petre (ROU) – 0:03:13,5
3. Rafael Boboc (ROU) – 0:03:31,4
Top 3 – Men U18
1. Alex Kulanga (SVK) – 0:02:45,4
2. Matei Petre (ROU) – 0:02:49,2
3. Darius Chirila (ROU) – 0:03:08,9
Top 3 – Senior Women + U20
1. Dimitra Theocharis (GRE) – 0:03:19,3
2. Beatrice Boboc (ROU) – 0:03:40,3
3. Carmen Galiteanu (ROU) – 0:03:55,5
Top 3 – Senior Men + U20
1. Constantin Surdu (ROU) – 0:02:34,1
2. George Jinga (ROU) – 0:02:40,1
3. Nikola Kalistrin (BUL) – 0:02:46,5
The results highlighted Romania’s strength in youth categories, alongside notable senior performances from Greece, Bulgaria and Slovakia.
Mixed Relay
The Mixed Relay featured close head-to-head racing, with frequent lead changes through technical sections and transitions. Romania secured victories in both Senior and Youth categories.
Top 3 – Seniors
1. Team Romania 1 (Beatrice Boboc / George Jinga) – 31:42.4
2. Team Greece (Dimitra Theocharis / Manolis Xintarakos) – 33:05.8
3. Team Romania 2 (Carmen Galiteanu / Silviu Manea) – 34:38.9
Top 3 – Youth
1. Team Romania 1 (Petra Clipea / Matei Petre) – 34:01.6
2. Team Romania 2 (Ana Fodor / Radu Ștefănescu) – 36:01.0
3. Team Slovakia (Katarína Horká / Alex Kulanga) – 39:05.9
Romania leads the standings after two victories and multiple podium finishes, with Greece and Slovakia also securing key results.
Vertical Race
The Vertical race emphasised sustained climbing performance on a longer ascent. Romanian athletes remained dominant in youth categories, while senior races saw strong international competition.
Top 3 – Women U16
1. Ana Fodor (ROU) – 0:27:38,0
2. Timothea Nica (ROU) – 0:30:00,7
3. Alexia Stavarachi-Baiu (ROU) – 0:32:44,3
Top – Women U18
1. Clipea Petra (ROU) – 0:28:12,6
Top 3 –Women Senior + U23
1. Dimitra Theocharis (GRE) – 0:22:46,4
2. Carmen Galiteanu (ROU) – 0:23:54,9
3. Beatrice Boboc (ROU) – 0:26:07,7
Top 3 – Men U16
1. Radu Ștefănescu (ROU) – 0:21:01,0
2. Teodor Petre (ROU) – 0:21:32,0
3. Rafael Boboc (ROU) – 0:23:44,4
Top 3 – Men U18
1. Matei Petre (ROU) – 0:20:29,4
2. Darius Chirila (ROU) – 0:21:28,0
3. Andreas Orban (ROU) – 0:22:29,7
Top – Men U20
1. Cristian Prodan (ROU) – 0:23:27,2
2. Tudor Dobre (ROU) – 0:24:03,3
Top 3 – Senior Men + U23
1. Nikola Kalistrin (BUL) – 0:18:45,0
2. George Jinga (ROU) – 0:19:09,7
3. Constantin Surdu (ROU) – 0:19:22,4
Romania dominated the youth podiums, while Greece and Bulgaria led the senior categories.
Individual Race
The Individual race concluded the programme with a longer and more demanding format, requiring endurance and race management. Romanian athletes again led the youth categories, while the senior fields showed broader international representation.
Top 3 – Women U16
1. Ana Fodor (ROU) – 48:05.8
2. Timothea Nica (ROU)– 55:25.4
3.Alexia Stavarachi‑Baiu (ROU) – 59:29.7
Top – Women U18
1. Petra Clipea (ROU) – 1:16:11.0
Top 3 –Women Senior
1. Beatrice Boboc (ROU) – 1:27:48.6
2. Carmen Galiteanu (ROU) – 1:31:08.9
3. Ivona Mihaylova (BUL) – 1:42:21.5
Top 3 – Men U16
1. Radu Ștefănescu (ROU) – 56:18.4
2. Teodor Petre (ROU) – 58:58.7
3. Raul Voicu (ROU) – 1:07:38.0
Top 3 – Men U18
1. Matei Petre (ROU) – 56:05.1
2. Darius Chirilă (ROU) – 57:03.4
3. Andreas Orban (ROU) – 1:00:27.9
Top – Men U20
1. Cristian Prodan (ROU) – 1:25:33.3
Top 3 – Men U23
1. George Jinga (ROU) – 1:26:28.6
2. Hadi Goro (BIH) – 1:36:48.7
3. Manolis Xintarakos (GRE) – 1:41:46.0
Top 3 – Senior Men
1. Nikola Kalistrin (BUL) – 1:28:25.9
2. Constantin Surdu (ROU) – 1:30:56.4
3. Silviu Manea (ROU) – 1:33:20.4
The Individual race confirmed the overall trend of the event: strong Romanian depth in youth categories, combined with competitive senior performances from Bulgaria, Greece and Bosnia and Herzegovina. The test event provided a solid benchmark ahead of EYOF 2027, with several athletes likely to return as key contenders
