artistic gymnast
Artistic gymnastics is a discipline of gymnastics in which athletes perform short routines on different apparatuses. The sport is governed by the Fédération Internationale de Gymnastique (FIG), which designs the Code of Points and regulates ...
who competed in international events between 1988 and 1992.“Gymnastics Greats” Maria Neculiță Her best events were the floor and the beam. She won the team silver medal at the
1992 Olympics 1992 Olympics may refer to:
*1992 Summer Olympics, which were held in Barcelona, Spain
*1992 Winter Olympics
)
, nations = 64
, athletes = 1,801 (1313 men, 488 women)
, events = 57 in 6 sports (12 disciplines)
, opening = 8 ...
and team bronze at the 1991 World Championships. Individually, she won silver on beam and bronze on floor at the 1992 Worlds and a continental bronze on beam in 1990.
Career
Neculiță started gymnastics at the age of eight at Cetate Deva Gymnastics Club. In 1987 she was selected for the senior national team trained by coaches Octavian Belu.
Her international debut as senior was at the 1988 Moscow news where she medaled bronze on the floor exercise and placed sixth all around and on the uneven bars.“Gymn-Forum” Maria Neculiță
In 1990 she competed in her first major international competition, the 1990 European Championships in
Athens
Athens ( ; el, Αθήνα, Athína ; grc, Ἀθῆναι, Athênai (pl.) ) is both the capital and largest city of Greece. With a population close to four million, it is also the seventh largest city in the European Union. Athens dominates ...
. There she won bronze on the balance beam and she placed fifth on floor and sixth all-around.“Gymn-Forum” 1990 European Championships Women’s Events Finals
Neculiță won the bronze medal with the team at the 1991 World Championships. The team showed a good performance in the team optionals but, together with
Eugenia Popa
Eugenia Popa (born September 10, 1973 in Bucharest, Romania) is a retired Romanian artistic gymnast.Gymnastic ...
, Maria was heavily criticized by the press and by coach Belu for having let the crowd interfere with their performance during the team compulsories.“Gymnastics Greats” Whatever happened to Eugenia Popa? At this competition Maria did not qualify in any of the final events
However, one year later she had one of her best meets at the 1992 World Championships, tying for silver on beam with
Li Yifang
Li Yifang (born 1 February 1975) is a Chinese gymnast. She competed in six events at the 1992 Summer Olympics
The 1992 Summer Olympics ( es, Juegos Olímpicos de Verano de 1992, ca, Jocs Olímpics d'estiu de 1992), officially known as th ...
and for bronze on floor with
Tatiana Lysenko
Tatiana Felixivna Lysenko ( uk, Тетяна Фелiксiвна Лисенко; born June 23, 1975) is a Soviet and Ukrainian former gymnast, who had her senior competitive career from 1990 to 1994. Lysenko was a member of the Soviet Union team ...
.“Gymn-Forum” 1992 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships, Women’s Events Finals Her floor routine showed musicality, style and world class tumbling, establishing her as one of the medal contenders on floor for the 1992 Olympic Games.
In 1992 she also tied with
Gina Gogean
Gina Elena Gogean (born 9 September 1977) is a retired artistic gymnast from Romania who competed internationally in the late 1980s and throughout the 1990s. During her career she won an impressive number of 30 medals at Olympic Games, world cha ...
for the all around title and won the floor title at the 1992 International Championships of Romania.
Together with
Lavinia Miloșovici
Lavinia Corina Miloșovici (born 21 October 1976) is a retired Romanian artistic gymnast.Jane Perlez (13 July 1995"Romanian Coach Keeps Up the Fight" ''New York Times'' An exceptionally successful athlete on the international competition circuit ...
,
Gina Gogean
Gina Elena Gogean (born 9 September 1977) is a retired artistic gymnast from Romania who competed internationally in the late 1980s and throughout the 1990s. During her career she won an impressive number of 30 medals at Olympic Games, world cha ...
Vanda Hădărean
Vanda Maria Hădărean (born 3 May 1976 in Cluj-Napoca, Romania) is a retired Romanian artistic gymnast who competed in international events between 1990 and 1993. She is an Olympic silver medalistWikipedia Gymnastics at the 1992 Summer Olympic ...
, and
Cristina Bontaș
Cristina Bontaş (later Tăntaru, born December 5, 1973) is a Romanian former artistic gymnast, who competed in international events between 1987 and 1993.Romania at the 1992 Summer Olympics" at the 1992 Summer Olympics
Barcelona
Barcelona ( , , ) is a city on the coast of northeastern Spain. It is the capital and largest city of the autonomous community of Catalonia, as well as the second most populous municipality of Spain. With a population of 1.6 million within ci ...
,
Spain
, image_flag = Bandera de España.svg
, image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg
, national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond")
, national_anthem = (English: "Royal March")
, i ...
. Unfortunately, in the qualifications for the floor and beam finals she placed seventeenth and sixteenth, respectively. Therefore, she did not compete in the final events. Instead, her teammates Miloșovici and Bontaș won the gold and the bronze in the floor final, respectively.
Her last competition was the 1992 Balkan games where she won the all around (ahead of
Gina Gogean
Gina Elena Gogean (born 9 September 1977) is a retired artistic gymnast from Romania who competed internationally in the late 1980s and throughout the 1990s. During her career she won an impressive number of 30 medals at Olympic Games, world cha ...
), the floor and beam finals and finished second on bars.
Post retirement
Neculiță retired in 1992. In 1995 she went to Italy to coach at the Nuoro at the Centro Sportivo Osaka club.Maria Neculita
Romanian Olympic Committee
The Romanian Olympic and Sports Committee ( ro, Comitetul Olimpic și Sportiv Român, COSR) is responsible for Romania's participation in the Olympic Games.
History
The Romanian Olympic Committee ( ro, Comitetul Olimpic Român) was formed in 1 ...