Romanian Athlete Death in Bulgaria Surrounded by Controversy
Crime | January 22, 2007, MondayThe death of a Romanian track runner in a car crash in Bulgaria sparked controversy, Romanian media reported on Monday.
Bulgarian paramedics said Romanian track runner Maria Cioncan died instantly, but her coach Stefan Beregszaszy claimed she was still breathing after the accident and blamed the slow arrival of a Bulgarian ambulance for the athlete's death, according to Romanian daily Evenimentul Zilei.
Romanian track runner Maria Cioncan, who won third place at the 1500 m event at the Athens Olympics in 2004, died after she crashed her car into a tree near the Bulgarian town of Pleven on Sunday, returning from a training camp in Greece.
Beregszaszy initially claimed Bulgarian policemen asked for a bribe to call the ambulance, but later retracted his statement, while a police spokesman in Pleven said no formal complaint to that end has been lodged, Romanian NewsIn agency noted.
Cioncan's death, seen as Romania's brightest athletics hope after the retirement of Gabriela Szabo, came as a shock to officials and former stars.
"Her death is a tragedy to us all, for the entire Romanian sport. I cannot stop crying and still cannot believe it happened," said Szabo.
Octavian Belu, who heads Romania's government agency for sports, told Romanian sports daily ProSport he would launch a probe into the accident. Its most likely outcome will be a ban on Romanian athletes travelling on their own.
Cioncan was returning from a training camp in Greece, having changed her training schedule without notifying officials from the athletics federation, who believed she was training in Morocco.
Maria Cioncan was born in 1977 in Maieru, Bistrita-Nasaud county in northwestern Bulgaria. She shot to fame after winning the bronze in the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, when she also set personal bests in both 800 and 1500 m events. Although she had not competed since the 2005 season, she was due to take part in the European Indoor Championships in Birmingham in March.
Bulgarian paramedics said Romanian track runner Maria Cioncan died instantly, but her coach Stefan Beregszaszy claimed she was still breathing after the accident and blamed the slow arrival of a Bulgarian ambulance for the athlete's death, according to Romanian daily Evenimentul Zilei.
Romanian track runner Maria Cioncan, who won third place at the 1500 m event at the Athens Olympics in 2004, died after she crashed her car into a tree near the Bulgarian town of Pleven on Sunday, returning from a training camp in Greece.
Beregszaszy initially claimed Bulgarian policemen asked for a bribe to call the ambulance, but later retracted his statement, while a police spokesman in Pleven said no formal complaint to that end has been lodged, Romanian NewsIn agency noted.
Cioncan's death, seen as Romania's brightest athletics hope after the retirement of Gabriela Szabo, came as a shock to officials and former stars.
"Her death is a tragedy to us all, for the entire Romanian sport. I cannot stop crying and still cannot believe it happened," said Szabo.
Octavian Belu, who heads Romania's government agency for sports, told Romanian sports daily ProSport he would launch a probe into the accident. Its most likely outcome will be a ban on Romanian athletes travelling on their own.
Cioncan was returning from a training camp in Greece, having changed her training schedule without notifying officials from the athletics federation, who believed she was training in Morocco.
Maria Cioncan was born in 1977 in Maieru, Bistrita-Nasaud county in northwestern Bulgaria. She shot to fame after winning the bronze in the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, when she also set personal bests in both 800 and 1500 m events. Although she had not competed since the 2005 season, she was due to take part in the European Indoor Championships in Birmingham in March.
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