Olărașu Maria

About

Maria Olărașu is a Moldovan canoeist born on May 28, 2000, in the village of Mingir, Hîncești district. She began her sports career in 2012 as a paddler, later switching to canoe in 2013. Since 2016, she has formed a consistent tandem with Daniela Cociu in the women's canoe double 500 meters event, becoming one of Moldova's most successful athletes in this discipline. With a height of 158 cm and a weight of 58 kg, Maria Olărașu stands out for her dedication and consistent performance under the coaching of Viktor Reneiski. Maria Olărașu's achievements include numerous prestigious international medals. At the junior level, she won silver at the European Championships in 2018 in the 200 and 500 meters events, plus bronze at the Junior World Championships in the same year. In the U23 category, she and her partner Cociu dominated European competitions, winning gold at the European Championships in 2021, 2022, and 2023. On the world stage, the pair achieved 9th place at the World Championships in 2021 and 7th place at the 2022 and 2023 editions. At the World Cup, they won silver in 2020 and 2024, and bronze in 2022, respectively. Maria Olărașu has participated in two Olympic Games, finishing in 7th place at both Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024, representing the Republic of Moldova on the world's biggest sporting stage. Maria Olărașu's achievements are part of the progress of Moldovan sport at an international level, contributing significantly to the visibility of canoe-kayaking in the Republic of Moldova. The tandem formed by her and Daniela Cociu has become emblematic of Moldovan success in this sport, and their repeated participation in the Olympic Games and consistent performances at world championships demonstrate the high level of training and professionalism of these athletes. Maria's personal and family life remains private, as she focuses on her sports career and on honorably representing her country on the international stage.