Moldova at the 2022 Winter Olympics

Moldova achieved independence after the break-up of Soviet Union in 1991 and its National Olympic Committee was formed on 29 January 1991. As the National Olympic Committee of the Republic of Moldova was only recognized by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in 1993, Moldovan athletes participated as a part of a unified team at the 1992 Summer Olympics at Barcelona. Moldavan athletes competed from 1952 to 1988 as a part of Soviet Union.{{cite web|url=https://www.olympedia.org/countries/MDA|title=Moldova at the Olympics|work=Olympedia|access-date=1 June 2024}} The 1994 Winter Olympics marked Moldova's first participation as an independent nation in the Olympic Games. After the nation made its debut in the Winter Olympics at the 1994 Games, this edition of the Games in 2022 marked the nation's eighth appearance at the Winter Games.

The 2022 Winter Olympics was held in Beijing held between 4 and 20 February 2022.{{cite web|url=https://www.olympics.com/en/olympic-games/beijing-2022|title=Beijing 2022|work=Olympics.com|access-date=3 February 2024}}{{cite web|url=https://www.olympedia.org/editions/62|title=2022 Winter Olympics|work=Olympedia|access-date=3 February 2024}} The Moldovan team consisted of five athletes including three women who competed across two sports.{{cite web|url=https://olympics.com/beijing-2022/olympic-games/en/results/all-sports/listed-nocs.htm|title=NOCs List Beijing 2022|work=Beijing 2022 Olympics|publisher=International Olympic Committee|access-date=26 January 2022|archive-date=27 January 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220127022631/https://olympics.com/beijing-2022/olympic-games/en/results/all-sports/listed-nocs.htm|url-status=dead}}{{cite news|date=4 February 2022|title=Which countries are competing in the Winter Olympics 2022? Full list|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/winter-olympics/countries-participating-winter-olympics-2022-b2005167.html|work=The Independent|location=London, United Kingdom|access-date=16 February 2022}}{{cite web|url=https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/countries/MDA/winter/2022/|title=Moldova at 2022 Winter Olympics|work=Sports Reference|access-date=1 June 2001|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200417092656/https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/countries/MDA/winter/2022/|archive-date=17 April 2020}} Luger Doina Descalui served as the country's flag-bearer during the opening ceremony.

{{cite web|url=https://olympic.md/doina-descalui-va-fi-portdrapelul-republicii-moldova-la-jocurile-olimpice-de-la-beijing/|title=Doina Descalui va fi portdrapelul Republicii Moldova la Jocurile Olimpice de la Beijing|trans-title=Doina Descalui will be the flag bearer of the Republic of Moldova at the Beijing Olympic Games|language=Romanian|date=26 January 2022|work=National Olympic Committee of the Republic of Moldova|access-date=26 January 2022}}{{cite web|url=https://olympics.com/en/news/beijing-2022-flagbearers-opening-ceremony|title=Beijing-2022 Opening Ceremony Flag-Bearers|date=4 February 2022|work=International Olympic Committee (IOC)|access-date=4 February 2022}} Biathlete Alina Stremous was the flag-bearer during the closing ceremony.{{cite web|url=https://www.olympedia.org/flagbearers?edition_id=62|title=Flag bearers at the 2022 Winter Olympics|work=Olympedia|access-date=3 February 2024}}{{cite web|url=https://stillmed.olympics.com/media/Documents/News/2022/02/Beijing-2022-Closing-Ceremony-Flag-Bearers.pdf|title=Beijing-2022 Closing Ceremony Flag-Bearers|date=20 February 2022|work=International Olympic Committee (IOC)|access-date=20 February 2022}} Moldova did not win any medal in the Games,{{cite web|url=https://www.olympedia.org/countries/MDA/editions/62|title=Moldova at the 2022 Winter Olympics|work=Olympedia|access-date=3 February 2024}} and has not won a Winter Olympics medal as of these Games.

Moldova sent five athletes including three women who competed in two sports at the Games.

File:Ghilenko_A._–_Biathlon_WCh_2024_Nove_Mesto_2170.jpg made her debut at the Winter Games]]

{{main article|Biathlon at the 2022 Winter Olympics – Qualification}}

The qualification criteria for the biathlon events was based on the points accumulated by the National Olympic Committees (NOC) for individual results achieved by the nation's participants in the 2020–21 and 2021–22 Biathlon World Cups. Based on the points table released on 16 January 2022 by the International Biathlon Union (IBU), the NOCs in the top 28 were granted specific number of places based on their ranking. Moldova was granted four places including two for women based on the IBC points for nations ranked outside the automatic placings.{{cite web |url=https://cdn.dosb.de/user_upload/Athletenservice/Peking_2022/internationale_Qualifikationskriterien/Beijing_2022_-_Qualification_System_-_Biathlon.pdf |title=Qualification system for Beijing 2022 |work=International Biathlon Union |access-date=4 December 2021}}

Moldova sent a team of four athletes who competed in six individual events. Despite the eligibility, the Moldovan team did not enter the mixed relay competition.{{cite web|date=19 January 2022|title=Patru biatloniști moldoveni vor concura la JO de la Beijing|url=https://olympic.md/patru-biatlonisti-moldoveni-vor-concura-la-jo-de-la-beijing/|language=Romanian|trans-title=Four Moldovan biathletes will compete at the Beijing Olympics|work=National Olympic Committee of the Republic of Moldova|access-date=1 June 2022}} In the men's category, this was the first Winter Games for the 33-year old Pavel Magazeev and 26-year old Maksim Makarov.{{cite web|url=https://www.olympics.com/en/athletes/pavel-magazeev|title=Pavel Magazeev|work=Olympics.com|access-date=1 June 2024}}{{cite web|url=https://www.olympics.com/en/athletes/maksim-makarov|title= Maksim Makarov|work=Olympics.com|access-date=1 June 2024}} In the women's category, Alla Ghilenko and Alina Stremous also made their debuts at the Games. Ghilenko was born in Ukraine, while Stremous was born in Russia.{{cite web|url=https://www.olympics.com/en/athletes/ghilenko|title=Alla Ghilenko|work=Olympics.com|access-date=1 June 2024}}{{cite web|url=https://www.olympics.com/en/athletes/alina-stremous|title=Alina Stremous|work=Olympics.com|access-date=1 June 2024}}

File:Stremous_A._–_Biathlon_2023_Nove_Mesto_8443.jpg participated in four individual events]]

{{main article|Biathlon at the 2022 Winter Olympics}}

Biathlon competitions were held from 6 to 20 February in the Zhangjiakou Nordic and Biathlon Centre in Zhangjiakou, Hebei Province.{{cite web|url=https://www.olympedia.org/editions/62/sports/BTH|title=Biathlon|work=Olympedia|access-date=1 June 2024}} The biathlon events consisted of a skiing a specific course multiple times depending on the length of the competition, with intermediate shooting at various positions. For every shot missed, a penalty of one minute is applied in individual events, and the participant is required to ski through a penalty loop in sprint events.{{cite web|url=https://www.olympedia.org/results/19019630|title=Biathlon, men's sprint|work=Olympedia|access-date=1 June 2024}}{{cite web|url=https://www.olympedia.org/results/19019633|title=Biathlon, men's individual|work=Olympedia|access-date=1 June 2024}}

In the men's individual event, Magazeev finished 26th amongst the 92 competitors with a time of over 52 minutes and 41 seconds. In the sprint event, Magazeev finished 79th while Makarov crossed the finish line further back in 93rd place more than two minutes behind his compatriot. Ghilenko participated in two women's events where she was ranked 72nd and 86th in the individual and sprint events respectively. Stremous participated in all four women's individual events. She recorded the best finish of all Moldovan competitors including a top ten finish in the sprint event, where she did not miss a single shooting target.{{cite web|url=https://www.olympedia.org/results/19019635|title=Biathlon, women's sprint|work=Olympedia|access-date=1 June 2024}}

{{main article|Luge at the 2022 Winter Olympics – Qualification}}

As per the qualification criteria laid down by the International Luge Federation, a total of 106 spots were available for the Games. The qualification was based on the cumulative world ranking points from 1 July 2021 to 10 January 2022. The NOCs of the top ranked 50 athletes received an entry into the respective men or women's event. The remaining spots were distributed to the NOCs additionally based on their rankings.{{cite web|url=https://www.fil-luge.org/cdn/uploads/beijing-2022-qualification-system-luge-v3-0-1.pdf|title=Qualification Systems for XXIV Olympic Winter Games, Beijing 2022|work=International Luge Federation|date=16 December 2021|accessdate=18 December 2021|archive-date=18 December 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211218141711/https://www.fil-luge.org/cdn/uploads/beijing-2022-qualification-system-luge-v3-0-1.pdf|url-status=dead}} Moldova received one spot in the women's event based on the results from the 2021–22 Luge World Cup season.{{cite web |url=https://olympic.md/doina-descalui-s-a-calificat-la-jocurile-olimpice-de-la-beijing/|title=Doina Descalui s-a calificat la Jocurile Olimpice de la Beijing|language=Romanian|trans-title=Doina Descalui qualified for the Beijing Olympics|work=National Olympic Committee of the Republic of Moldova|date=11 January 2022|access-date=12 January 2022}} Flag-bearer Doina Descalui made her debut at the Games.{{cite web|url=https://www.olympics.com/en/athletes/doina-descalui|title=Doina Descalui|work=Olympics.com|access-date=1 June 2024}}

{{main article|Luge at the 2022 Winter Olympics}}

The event was held on 7 and 8 February 202 at the Yanqing National Sliding Centre in West Dazhuangke, Yanqing district.{{cite web|url=https://www.olympedia.org/results/19020310|title=Luge at the 2022 Winter Olympics - Women's Singles|work=Olympedia|access-date=1 June 2024}} In her first run, Descalui clocked a time of 1:01.928, finishing more than three seconds behind the leader Natalie Geisenberger. In the second run, she clocked 1:02.129 to be ranked 31st amongst the 35 participants. In the third run, she completed the circuit with a time of 1:02.174 to be ranked 32nd. As only the top 20 finishers advanced to the fourth run, she was classified in the 32nd position in the overall table.

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