Ramona Verman, named Bacău’s best athlete of 2025, is aiming to build on a breakthrough year as she targets new personal records and qualification for the 2026 European Athletics Championships for Seniors. The 21-year-old long jumper, coached by Aura Balaban at CSM Bacău, won the European U23 title in 2025 and steadily improved her personal best to 6.63 meters, a mark that also earned her a bronze medal at the Balkan Senior Championships.
After what she describes as a “perfect year,” marked by sporting success, good health, and academic balance, Verman is setting her sights on at least 6.65 meters in 2026 and hopes to secure a place at the Senior European Championships in Birmingham, either through the qualifying standard or via ranking points gained at strong international competitions.
Her rise began early in 2025, when she defeated world bronze medalist Alina Rotaru-Kottmann at the Romanian Indoor Championships and set a new personal best. The highlight of the season came in Bergen, Norway, where she won U23 European gold and heard the Romanian national anthem played in her honor for the first time—an emotional milestone she had long dreamed of. Shortly after, she confirmed her form by claiming Balkan senior bronze in Greece, again with a personal record.
Despite these achievements, Verman expressed disappointment over what she sees as a lack of recognition from local authorities in Bacău, noting that her European title was largely ignored at home, unlike the reception given to other athletes elsewhere. Still, she remains proud of her accomplishments and motivated to prove that her success was no coincidence, determined to “stay at the top” in 2026.
