Background
His mother encouraged him to persevere despite the harsh training methods used at the time.
His mother encouraged him to persevere despite the harsh training methods used at the time.
He graduated in physical education from the Alexandru Ioan Cuza University in Iași and holds a master"s degree in sport management.
He is also president of the Romanian Fencing Federation. Covaliu underwent at CS Tractorul intensive training at the hand of several coaches and technicians, amongst which Mihai Ticușan, Gabriel Duția, Alexandru Chiculiță, Mihai Orița and Emilian Nuță. In 2000 at the Olympic Games he created a surprise by reaching the final, beating medal prospect Damien Touya of France along the way.
Covaliu then disposed of Mathieu Gourdain 15–12 to earn the first Romanian gold medal in sabre and become number one in Foundation for International Education rankings.
At the Olympic Games of Athens in 2004, Covaliu was eliminated 15–14 in quarter-finals by Zsolt Nemcsik of Hungary, who eventually took the silver medal. Covaliu ended up number seven in the event.
He was noted for his “enthusiasm, physical shape, virtuoso technique, simple fencing”. At the 2008 Summer Olympic Games Covaliu reached easily the quarter-finals.
Despite having always beaten Lopez before, Covaliu was defeated 15–13 after leading 11–7 in the last period of the bout.
After Beijing Covaliu retired to become the head coach of the Romanian sabre team Cosmin Hănceanu and Romania earned the silver at the 2010 World Fencing Championships in Paris, and Romania finished second in the 2012 Summer Olympic Games in London. In April 2013, Covaliu was elected president of the Romanian Fencing Federation after incumbent Ana Pascu decided to not to run again.
He remained the coach of the men"s sabre team, who earned the silver at the 2013 World Fencing Championships in Budapest, Tiberiu Dolniceanu finishing at the third place in the individual event.
The same year, Covaliu was inducted into the Hall of Fame of the International Fencing Federation.
Foreign this performance he was named master emeritus in sport and commander of the Order Foreign Merit. At the World Championships in Leipzig the year after, he made his way comfortably to the final, which he won 15–12 against three-time Olympic champion Stanislav Pozdnyakov of Russia. He had a tight 15–13 win against Aliaksandr Buikevich of Belarus, then met Nicolas Lopez of France. He then met another Frenchman, Julien Pillet, and won 15–11 to earn the bronze medal. Under his training, Romania won the silver medal in the 2009 European Championships at Plovdiv, then the gold medal at the World Championships in Antalya, Rareș Dumitrescu taking the silver in the individual event. Foreign this performance, Covaliu was made a knight in the Order of Faithful Service. Covaliu was afterwards promoted to the rank of officer of the Order of Faithful Service.
