Andreea Mădălina Răducan (; born 30September 1983) is a Romanian sports announcer, journalist, and retired
gymnast.
Răducan began competing in gymnastics at a young age and was training at the Romanian junior national facility by the age of 12. As one of the outstanding gymnasts of the Romanian team in the late 1990s, Răducan was known both for her difficult repertoire of skills and her dance and presentation. Over her four-year senior career, she won Olympic or World Championships medals on every event except the
uneven bars and earned three individual World Championships titles, on the
floor exercise in 1999 and 2001 and the
balance beam in 2001.
Răducan competed at the
2000 Sydney Olympics, where she contributed strongly to the Romanian team's gold medal and won an individual silver medal on the
vault. She was also the original winner of the all-around title, but was disqualified and
stripped of her gold medal shortly after the competition concluded, when it was revealed that she had failed doping controls, testing positive for
pseudoephedrine, a banned substance. She and her coaches maintained that she had been given the substance in two cold medicine pills by a Romanian
team physician, and that they had not affected her performance in any way.
The case generated a significant amount of media attention, and Răducan was supported by members of the gymnastics community and the Romanian public. Her case was brought to the Court of Arbitration for Sport in autumn 2000. Răducan herself was exonerated of any personal wrongdoing by the CAS, the Romanian Olympic Committee and the International Gymnastics Federation, and was not subject to any disciplinary measures. However, her medal was not reinstated, and the team doctor who administered the medicine was banned for two Olympic cycles.
Răducan returned the year after the Olympics to win five additional World Championships medals, but retired from gymnastics in 2002. As an adult, she has worked as a sports announcer and media personality, and has pursued university level studies in journalism.
Early career
Răducan was one of the "new-generation gymnasts" groomed to take over the torch of Romanian gymnastics excellence after the retirements of the Olympic medalists
Lavinia Miloșovici and
Gina Gogean. She began gymnastics at the age of four and a half
[Official FIG profile](_blank)
in her hometown of Bârlad. In 1996, after winning over twenty medals in local and regional competitions, she was invited to train at the Romanian junior team facility in
Onești. Two years later, she was promoted to the national training center in
Deva
Deva may refer to:
Arts and entertainment Fictional characters
* Deva, List of Advanced Dungeons & Dragons 2nd edition monsters, an ''Advanced Dungeons & Dragons'' 2nd edition monster
* Deva, in the 2023 Indian film ''Salaar: Part 1 – Ceasefir ...
.
Răducan's first major international event was the 1998 Junior European Championships, where she won a silver medal on the
balance beam, tied for bronze on the
floor exercise and took fourth place in the all-around. The next year, she rose to the senior ranks and made an impact at the World Championships in
Tianjin
Tianjin is a direct-administered municipality in North China, northern China on the shore of the Bohai Sea. It is one of the National Central City, nine national central cities, with a total population of 13,866,009 inhabitants at the time of the ...
, China, winning the floor exercise final and placing fifth in the all-around.
While Răducan's work on the
uneven bars was considered weak, her skills on beam, vault and floor exercise were applauded. She was also admired because, unlike other members of the Romanian team, she showed a great deal of expression in her choreography and a wide variety of complex skills in her routines.
Sydney Olympics
Răducan competed well at the
2000 Olympic Games
The 2000 Summer Olympics, officially the Games of the XXVII Olympiad, officially branded as Sydney 2000, and also known as the Games of the New Millennium, were an international multi-sport event held from 15 September to 1 October ...
in Sydney, helping the Romanian women to win their first Olympic team gold medal since 1984. She qualified for the floor and vault event finals, and, along with her teammates
Simona Amânar and
Maria Olaru, the all-around final. In the preliminary round of competition she had the second highest all-around score of all competitors in the competition, trailing Russia's
Svetlana Khorkina by 0.288.
The
all-around final was mired in controversy. The vault was set 5 centimeters too low, creating a dangerous situation that completely altered the gymnasts' pre- and post-flights. As a result of the incorrectly set vault, many gymnasts suffered serious crashes and injuries during both the warm-ups and the competition, including
Svetlana Khorkina. Even those who escaped injury found themselves shaken by their experiences on the vault. When the error was discovered in the third rotation,
International Federation of Gymnastics
The International Gymnastics Federation (French language, French: ''Fédération Internationale de Gymnastique'', abbr. FIG) is the body governing competition in all disciplines of gymnastics. Its headquarters is in Lausanne, Switzerland. It wa ...
officials reset the vault height and allowed the competition to continue. They did permit the gymnasts who had vaulted in the first two rotations to take another turn on vault and to be rescored; not every athlete accepted this offer.
[Selena Jones]
"Romania Sweeps as Controversy Swirls"
''New York Times'', 22 September 2000
Răducan was one of the gymnasts who had vaulted on the incorrectly set apparatus but did not suffer a fall on the event and performed without serious error. She continued through the competition, turning in strong performances on balance beam and floor exercise, and ended up winning the all-around gold medal. On the podium with her were her Romanian teammates: Amânar with silver and Olaru with bronze. Răducan was the first Romanian gymnast to win the Olympic all-around title since
Nadia Comăneci in 1976; it was also the first time since 1960 that gymnasts from a single country swept the women's all-around podium at the Olympics.
["Raducan tests positive for stimulant"](_blank)
Associated Press, 26 September 2000 It was also the last time it was possible for three gymnasts from the same country to sweep the all-around, as the "two per country rule" was introduced in the next Olympic cycle. Răducan went on to win the silver medal in the vault final, behind
Elena Zamolodchikova of Russia and ahead of
Ekaterina Lobazniouk of Russia. Speculations around the all around gold arose and Răducan was informed that there was a possibility that she could be stripped of her gold medal. This affected her mentally and she went to the floor final fazed by the situation. She fell on her third tumbling pass, and received a score of 9.275. Without that error, she would have scored a 9.775, which would have been enough for the bronze medal.
Doping charge
Several days after the competition concluded, the
International Olympic Committee
The International Olympic Committee (IOC; , CIO) is the international, non-governmental, sports governing body of the modern Olympic Games. Founded in 1894 by Pierre de Coubertin and Demetrios Vikelas, it is based i ...
announced that Răducan had tested positive for
pseudoephedrine, a banned substance.
Răducan and her coaches maintained that she was innocent. As a minor, they argued that she had only followed the treatment plan recommended by Ioachim Oană, the team physician. In the book she published in 2010, Răducan states that a few hours before the competition she had been given
Nurofen Cold & Flu, a common over-the-counter medication containing pseudoephedrine, to help treat a fever and cough. She also said that the pills had made her feel dizzy instead of helping her in any way.
["Court supports IOC over Raducan"](_blank)
BBC, 28 September 2000["Arbitrators uphold decision to strip Raducan of gold"](_blank)
'Sports Illustrated''/CNN, 13 November 2000
Despite strenuous appeals from Răducan, her coaches, the Romanian Gymnastics Federation, and certain members of the gymnastics community, she was stripped of the gold medal. The gold was re-awarded to
Amânar, Olaru was promoted to silver, and former fourth-place finisher
Liu Xuan from China was given the bronze medal.
Răducan's test samples from the team and vault event finals were clean; she was therefore allowed to keep the medals she won in these competitions.
["In our Spotlight: Andreea Raducan"](_blank)
''International Gymnast'', January 2001 The Romanian team doctor who gave Răducan the drug in two cold medicine pills was expelled from the Games and suspended through the
2002 Winter Olympics
The 2002 Winter Olympics, officially the XIX Olympic Winter Games and commonly known as Salt Lake 2002 (; Gosiute dialect, Gosiute Shoshoni: ''Tit'-so-pi 2002''; ; Shoshoni language, Shoshoni: ''Soónkahni 2002''), were an international wi ...
at
Salt Lake City
Salt Lake City, often shortened to Salt Lake or SLC, is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Utah. It is the county seat of Salt Lake County, the most populous county in the state. The city is the core of the Salt Lake Ci ...
and the
2004 Summer Olympics
The 2004 Summer Olympics (), officially the Games of the XXVIII Olympiad (), and officially branded as Athens 2004 (), were an international multi-sport event held from 13 to 29 August 2004 in Athens, Greece.
The Games saw 10,625 athletes ...
in
Athens
Athens ( ) is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Greece, largest city of Greece. A significant coastal urban area in the Mediterranean, Athens is also the capital of the Attica (region), Attica region and is the southe ...
.
Both Amânar and Olaru expressed their belief that Răducan was the deserving all-around gold medalist, as did Liu Xuan, who noted,
"I think the all-around champ (Răducan) is very good. I feel very sad and sorry for her that this problem occurred. I can't make sense of it. ...In gymnastics, we rely on technique to complete our moves. It's not possible to rely on drugs or strength, you have to rely on skill." All three declined a formal ceremony when the medals were re-awarded.
["Amanar retires, Tiriac resigns"](_blank)
''International Gymnast'', 29 September 2000 Following the announcement that Răducan would be stripped of her medal, Olaru and Amânar initially decided to refuse their new medals. However, they changed their minds in order to bring the medals back to Romania.
Amânar said of the gold medal, "I didn't win it. It was won by Andreea and belongs to Andreea."
["Amanar retires as Raducan feted"](_blank)
BBC Sport, 1 October 2000 It was thought that Amânar had given Răducan the gold medal back once the team returned to Romania, but Răducan herself is quoted as saying, in an interview with gymnastics podcast ''Gymcastic'':
Aftermath
Răducan's case was brought before the Court of Arbitration for Sport in late September 2000. While the arbitration panel did concede that Răducan had not gained any advantage by taking the pseudoephedrine, and that she was an underage athlete who had followed her team physician's instructions, they also upheld the IOC's decision. The basis for their decision was the belief that the Anti-Doping Code of the Olympics had to be enforced "without compromise", regardless of the intentions or age of the athlete.
Răducan was exonerated of any personal wrongdoing by the Romanian Olympic Committee, and therefore was not subjected to the sporting ban usually imposed on athletes involved in doping cases. However,
Ion Țiriac
Ion Țiriac
(; born 9 May 1939), also known as the "Brașov Bulldozer", is a Romanian businessman and former professional tennis and ice hockey player. He has been president of the Romanian Tennis Federation.
A former singles top 10 player o ...
, the president of the Romanian Olympic Committee (ROC), resigned over the scandal.
["Raducan can keep competing"](_blank)
''International Gymnast'', 18 October 2000 The executive committee of the International Gymnastics Federation (FIG) also unanimously decided not to impose any suspension or punishment on Răducan, taking the stance that losing her medal "was punishment enough for an athlete who was innocent in this situation".
The FIG, IOC and ROC all agreed with the punishment and suspension of Dr. Oană, viewing him as the guilty party for administering the banned substance to Răducan and her teammate. Oană was permitted to keep his medical license and cleared of malpractice by the Deva Physicians' Association, who stated that he had not committed any offense "from a medical perspective".
Despite the controversy, Răducan was still seen as a positive and even sympathetic figure. She received a significant amount of support in Romania,
and members of the gymnastics community, including
Nadia Comăneci, publicly expressed their support.
On returning to Romania with her teammates, she was personally greeted and presented with flowers by Romanian President
Emil Constantinescu.
Răducan was given a replacement medal in pure gold by a Romanian jeweler; she also received several endorsements and sponsorships. At one point, a Răducan doll was even rumored to be in the works.
In addition, the prize money she would have been awarded from the Romanian Olympic Committee for her all-around gold was replaced, and doubled, by a group of Romanian businessmen.
["Amanar tops Romanian money list"](_blank)
''International Gymnast'', 15 October 2000 She, along with Amanar, was awarded a diplomatic passport by the Romanian government for being a "good ambassador for Romania".
After Sydney
Răducan continued to train in
Deva
Deva may refer to:
Arts and entertainment Fictional characters
* Deva, List of Advanced Dungeons & Dragons 2nd edition monsters, an ''Advanced Dungeons & Dragons'' 2nd edition monster
* Deva, in the 2023 Indian film ''Salaar: Part 1 – Ceasefir ...
after the Olympics. With the retirement of her Sydney teammates
Amânar,
Olaru, and
Presăcan, she found herself one of the senior gymnasts at Deva. At the
2001 World Championships in
Ghent
Ghent ( ; ; historically known as ''Gaunt'' in English) is a City status in Belgium, city and a Municipalities of Belgium, municipality in the Flemish Region of Belgium. It is the capital and largest city of the Provinces of Belgium, province ...
, Belgium, she was part of the gold medal-winning Romanian team and picked up four individual medals: gold on floor exercise and balance beam and bronze in the all-around and vault. Injuries and other concerns marred her training in 2002, and after a poor showing at the
Worlds in Hungary, she quietly retired.
After retiring, Răducan became a sports announcer in Romania. Her assignments for
EuroSport
Eurosport is a group of pay television networks in Europe and parts of Asia, owned and operated by Warner Bros. Discovery through its WBD Sports unit, it operates two main channels—Eurosport 1 and Eurosport 2—across most of its territorie ...
have included the 2004 Olympics in
Athens
Athens ( ) is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Greece, largest city of Greece. A significant coastal urban area in the Mediterranean, Athens is also the capital of the Attica (region), Attica region and is the southe ...
. She also has her own television show and does modelling and promotional work. Răducan also has a master's degree in journalism from the
University of Bucharest
The University of Bucharest (UB) () is a public university, public research university in Bucharest, Romania. It was founded in its current form on by a decree of Prince Alexandru Ioan Cuza to convert the former Princely Academy of Bucharest, P ...
.
In 2010, Răducan released her autobiography, ''The Other Side of the Medal'', which provides further insight into the disqualification of her all-around result at the 2000 Olympic Games. The 2020 "''Golden Girl''" film, directed by Adrian Robe and Denisa Morariu-Tamas, covers her attempt to reclaim her title.
President of Romanian Federation
On 4 August 2017, Andreea Răducan was elected president of the Romanian Gymnastics Federation (RGF). She took over from Adrian Stoica, who was the President of the Federation for 12 years. It was expected to be a huge challenge for Răducan to improve the performances of the Romanian team, who did not qualify a full team to compete at the 2016 Olympic Games in
Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro, or simply Rio, is the capital of the Rio de Janeiro (state), state of Rio de Janeiro. It is the List of cities in Brazil by population, second-most-populous city in Brazil (after São Paulo) and the Largest cities in the America ...
, Brazil. The failure to qualify marked the first time Romania did not field a gymnastics team at the Games since 1968.
Drawing on the success of Romania successfully hosting the European Gymnastics Championships 18–23 April 2017, Romania was expected to contend for the all-around and individual titles at the 2017 World Gymnastics Championships in
Montreal
Montreal is the List of towns in Quebec, largest city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Quebec, the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, second-largest in Canada, and the List of North American cit ...
, Canada. Unfortunately, their arguably best all-around gymnast
Larisa Iordache suffered a torn Achilles tendon during warm-up for qualifying. Romania's other hope for a medal,
Cătălina Ponor
Cătălina Ponor (; born 20 August 1987) is a Romanian former Artistic gymnastics, artistic gymnast who competed at three Summer Olympic Games: 2004 Summer Olympics, 2004, 2012 Summer Olympics, 2012, and 2016 Summer Olympics, 2016. She won three ...
, multiple medal winner in her gymnastics career, failed to qualify in either of the events she competed – beam or floor.
She stepped down from her position upon the failure of either the women's or men's teams qualifying for the
2020 Summer Olympics
The officially the and officially branded as were an international multi-sport event that was held from 23 July to 8 August 2021 in Tokyo, Japan, with some of the preliminary sporting events beginning on 21 July 2021. Tokyo ...
.
"Andreea Răducan Steps Down From The Helm Of The Romanian Gymnastics Federation"
''Romania Journal'', 5 December 2019
Competitive skills
*Vault: Round-off 1/2 twist on, front layout off.
*Balance beam: full twisting back salto, double pike back dismount, tucked Korbut
*Floor exercise: Double laid-out salto, Whip salto (immediate connection) Back-double pike salto, 2.5 twisting back layout (immediate connection) punch-layout-front, Triple-twisting back layout.
Floor music
*1998–2000: "Las Carretas del Rocio" by the ''Orquestra Española de Juan Alfonso''
*2000: "Reel Around The Sun" from the album ''Riverdance
''Riverdance'' is a theatrical show that consists mainly of traditional Irish music and dance. With a score composed by Bill Whelan, it originated as an interval act during the Eurovision Song Contest 1994, featuring Irish dancing champions J ...
'' by Bill Whelan
*2001: "Éclipse" from the album '' Nouvelle Expérience'' by René Dupere
*2002: "Meet Her At The Love Parade" by Da Hool and " Right in the Night" by Jam & Spoon featuring Plavka
Competitive history
See also
* Doping at the Olympic Games
* List of doping cases in sport
The following is an incomplete list of sportspeople who have been involved in doping offences. It contains those who have been found to have, or have admitted to having, taken Doping (sport), illegal performance-enhancing drugs, prohibited recrea ...
* List of Olympic female artistic gymnasts for Romania
* List of top female medalists at major artistic gymnastics events
References
Further reading
*
External links
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Raducan, Andreea
1983 births
Living people
21st-century Romanian sportswomen
Competitors stripped of Summer Olympics medals
Doping cases in gymnastics
Gymnasts at the 2000 Summer Olympics
Medalists at the 2000 Summer Olympics
Medalists at the World Artistic Gymnastics Championships
Olympic gold medalists for Romania
Olympic gymnasts for Romania
Olympic medalists in gymnastics
Olympic silver medalists for Romania
Romanian female artistic gymnasts
Romanian sportspeople in doping cases
Romanian television personalities
Sportspeople from Bârlad
World champion gymnasts