Bucharest - Iolanda Balas Soter, the former great athlete and president of the Romanian Federation of Athletics, is today 70. Born on December 12, 1936, at Timisoara, Iolanda Balas began to practice athletics at the age of 12. In 1951 she set a high jump national record (1.48 m.). Further to this success, she was included in the national athletics team.