Maria Olaru: Difference between revisions

Maria Olaru
Maria Olaru
Country represented	Romania
Born	4 June 1982 (age 42); Fălticeni, Romania
Residence	Timișoara, Romania
Height	160 cm (5 ft 3 in)
Weight	48 kg (106 lb)
Discipline	Women's artistic gymnastics
Years on national team	1993–2000 (ROM)
Retired	2000
Medal record
Olympic Games
World Championships
European Championships

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Maria Olaru (born 4 June 1982)^[1] is a Romanian former Olympic artistic gymnast. She is an Olympic, World, and European gold medalist with the team. Individually, she was the 1999 all-around world champion and the 2000 Olympic all-around silver medalist. Her best event was the vault on which she medaled at world and continental competitions. Olaru was one of the tallest gymnasts competing in the late 1990s, standing 160 cm (5 ft 3 in). After retirement she became an assistant professor at the Faculty of Sports and Physical Education of the West University of Timișoara.^[2]

Early life and career

Born in Fălticeni, Olaru began gymnastics at the age of six there, but quickly transferred to the local gymnastics club in Deva. She moved up to the junior national team in 1993, but after six months, she returned to her home club. In 1995 she rejoined the junior team in Bucharest. Olaru graduated to the Deva national training facility in 1996, after winning gold on vault at the Junior European Championships.^[3] In the same year she also won the Top Gym Trophy in Charleroi, Belgium.^[4]

Senior career

In 1998 Olaru moved up to senior competition, taking first place with the Romanian team and second on vault at the European Championships.^[5] The following year, she contributed to the team gold medal at the 1999 World Championships in Tianjin, China and became the second Romanian gymnast in history, after Aurelia Dobre, to win the all-around title. In 2000, she was, with Simona Amânar, Loredana Boboc, Andreea Isărescu, Claudia Presăcan and Andreea Răducan, a member of the Romanian team at the 2000 Olympics. There she shared in the team gold medal and won a silver in the all-around (after the Răducan controversy). She also qualified for the balance beam event final and placed sixth.

Post retirement

Olaru retired after the 2000 Olympics, noting that the new Code of Points would not be suited to gymnasts of her height, and enrolled as a student at the West University of Timișoara. After graduation she continued her studies, and she became an assistant professor at the Faculty of Sports and Physical Education of the West University of Timișoara.^[2]

In 2016, Olaru published her autobiography, The Price of Gold. Uncomfortable Sincerity. In it, she recounted how she and her Romanian teammates were hit and beaten by their coaches during training.^[6]

Skills

Vault: Double-twisting Yurchenko, Phelps
Uneven Bars: Kip cast to handstand 1.5 handstand pirouette to mixed grip giant, immediate pike Jaeger; giant 1.5 pirouette into Tkatchev, Pak salto, Back-in Full-out tucked dismount
Balance Beam: piked front mount, wolf jump, tucked Korbut; flip flop, full (or flip flop, layout step out, Korbut); switch side; front tuck, tuck jump; 3/4 twisting Shushonova; cartwheel, swing through double full dismount
Floor Exercise: Round-off, whip back, 2.5 twist, punch pike; front-handspring, front double twist, punch front; Round-off, back-handspring, triple twist. Her music for floor routines was:
- 1999: "Invisible Circus" by Vienna Symphony Orchestra
- 2000: Soundtrack from the film Black Cat, White Cat

References

^ Sports Reference Maria Olaru
^ ^a ^b West University of Timişoara Archived 2012-04-10 at the Wayback Machine Faculty of Sports and Physical Education Staff
^ Gymn-Forum Results 1996 Junior European Championships
^ Top Gym Archived 2012-01-02 at the Wayback Machine Palmares Complet
^ Gymnastics Results Archived 2010-11-24 at the Wayback Machine 1998 European Artistic Gymnastics Championships
^ "Romanian gymnastics world champion reveals dark side of performance in autobiography". romania-insider.com. 1 June 2016. Retrieved 23 December 2016.

External links

Maria Olaru at the International Gymnastics Federation
Maria Olaru interview 2003, International Gymnast Magazine
Maria Olaru update - Agenda Timişoara – via geocities.com/gimnastica at the Wayback Machine (archived 8 August 2009)
Maria Olaru at Gymn Forum
Maria Olaru at Olympics.com
Maria Olaru at Olympic.org (archived)
Maria Olaru at Olympedia

[SRMO-1] Sports Reference Maria Olaru

[UT-2] West University of Timişoara Archived 2012-04-10 at the Wayback Machine Faculty of Sports and Physical Education Staff

[GFEC96-3] Gymn-Forum Results 1996 Junior European Championships

[TG-4] Top Gym Archived 2012-01-02 at the Wayback Machine Palmares Complet

[GREC98-5] Gymnastics Results Archived 2010-11-24 at the Wayback Machine 1998 European Artistic Gymnastics Championships

[6] "Romanian gymnastics world champion reveals dark side of performance in autobiography". romania-insider.com. 1 June 2016. Retrieved 23 December 2016.

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[6]

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
+{{Short description|Romanian gymnast (born 1982)}}
+{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2020}}
 {{Infobox gymnast
 |name= Maria Olaru
@@ Line 7: / Line 9: @@
 |altname=
 |nickname=
-|country={{ROM}}
+|country= {{ROM}}
 |formercountry=
-|birth_date= {{Birth date and age|1982|06|04}}
+|birth_date= {{Birth date and age|1982|06|04|df=y}}
-|birth_place= [[Falticeni]] , [[Romania]]
+|birth_place= [[Fălticeni]], Romania
 |hometown=
-|residence=
+|residence= [[Timișoara]], Romania
 |death_date=
 |death_place=
-|height=
+|height=160 cm
+|weight=48 kg
 |discipline=WAG
 |level=
+|natlteam= 1993–2000 ([[Romania women's national gymnastics team|ROM]])
-|natlteam=
 |club=
 |gym=
@@ Line 28: / Line 31: @@
 |music=
 |eponymousskills=
-|retired=
+|retired=2000
 |show-medals = yes
 |medaltemplates= <!-- see [[Template:MedalRelatedTemplates]] -->
 {{MedalCompetition | [[Olympic Games]]}}
+[[File:Olympic rings.svg|center|60px]]
-{{MedalGold|[[2000 Sydney]]|[[Team]]}}
-{{MedalSilver|[[2000 Sydney]]|[[All-around]]}}
+{{MedalGold|[[Gymnastics at the 2000 Summer Olympics|2000 Sydney]]|Team}}
+{{MedalSilver|[[Gymnastics at the 2000 Summer Olympics|2000 Sydney]]|All-Around}}
-{{MedalWorldChampionships}}
+{{MedalCompetition|[[World Artistic Gymnastics Championships|World Championships]]}}
 {{MedalGold|[[1999 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships|1999 Tianjin]]|Team}}
-{{MedalGold|[[1999 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships|1999 Tianjin]]|All Around}}
+{{MedalGold|[[1999 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships|1999 Tianjin]]|All-Around}}
 {{MedalBronze|[[1999 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships|1999 Tianjin]]|Vault}}
+{{MedalCompetition|[[European Women's Artistic Gymnastics Championships|European Championships]]}}
-{{MedalEuropeanChampionships}}
-{{MedalGold|1998 St Petersburg|Team}}
+{{MedalGold|[[1998 European Women's Artistic Gymnastics Championships|1998 St Petersburg]]|Team}}
-{{MedalSilver|1998 St Petersburg|Vault}}
+{{MedalSilver|[[1998 European Women's Artistic Gymnastics Championships|1998 St Petersburg]]|Vault}}
 }}
-'''Maria Ludovica Olaru''' (born June 4, 1982 in [[Fălticeni]])<ref name = SRMO>[http://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/ol/maria-olaru-1.html Sports Reference] Maria Olaru</ref> is a retired [[Olympic Games|Olympic]] [[artistic gymnast]] from [[Romania]]. She is an Olympic, world, and European gold medalist with the team. Individually, she is the 1999 all around world champion and the 2000 Olympic all around silver medalist. Her best event was the vault on which she medaled at world and continental competitions. Olaru was one of the tallest gymnasts competing in the late 1990s, standing 5'3"/160&nbsp;cm. After retirement she became an assistant professor at the Faculty of Sports and Physical Education of the [[West University of Timișoara]].<ref name =UT>[http://www.sport.uvt.ro/didactic.php West University of Timişoara] Faculty of Sports and Physical Education Staff</ref>
+'''Maria Olaru''' (born 4 June 1982)<ref name = SRMO>[https://web.archive.org/web/20200417183431/https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/ol/maria-olaru-1.html Sports Reference] Maria Olaru</ref> is a [[Romania]]n former [[Olympic Games|Olympic]] [[Artistic gymnastics|artistic gymnast]]. She is an Olympic, World, and European gold medalist with the team. Individually, she was the 1999 all-around world champion and the 2000 Olympic all-around silver medalist. Her best event was the [[Vault (gymnastics)|vault]] on which she medaled at world and continental competitions. Olaru was one of the tallest gymnasts competing in the late 1990s, standing {{convert|160|cm|ftin|frac=2|abbr=on}}. After retirement she became an assistant professor at the Faculty of Sports and Physical Education of the [[West University of Timișoara]].<ref name=UT>[http://www.sport.uvt.ro/didactic.php West University of Timişoara] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120410093934/http://www.sport.uvt.ro/didactic.php |date=2012-04-10 }} Faculty of Sports and Physical Education Staff</ref>
 ==Early life and career==
-Olaru began gymnastics at the age of six in her hometown of [[Fălticeni]], but quickly transferred to the local gymnastics club in [[Deva, Romania|Deva]]. She moved up to the junior national team in 1993, but after six months, she returned to her home club. In 1995 she rejoined the junior team in [[Bucharest]]. Olaru graduated to the [[Deva, Romania|Deva]] national training facility in 1996, after winning gold on [[Vault (gymnastics)|vault]] at the Junior European Championships.<ref name = GFEC96>[http://www.gymn-forum.net/Results/jeuro-results.html Gymn-Forum Results] 1996 Junior European Championships</ref> In the same year she also won the prestigious Top Gym Trophy in [[Charleroi]], [[Belgium]].<ref name = TG>[http://www.gymnos.be/ Top Gym] Palmares Complet</ref>
+Born in [[Fălticeni]], Olaru began gymnastics at the age of six there, but quickly transferred to the local gymnastics club in [[Deva, Romania|Deva]]. She moved up to the junior national team in 1993, but after six months, she returned to her home club. In 1995 she rejoined the junior team in [[Bucharest]]. Olaru graduated to the Deva national training facility in 1996, after winning gold on [[Vault (gymnastics)|vault]] at the Junior European Championships.<ref name = GFEC96>[http://www.gymn-forum.net/Results/jeuro-results.html Gymn-Forum Results] 1996 Junior European Championships</ref> In the same year she also won the Top Gym Trophy in [[Charleroi]], [[Belgium]].<ref name=TG>[http://www.gymnos.be/ Top Gym] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120102200051/http://www.gymnos.be/ |date=2012-01-02 }} Palmares Complet</ref>
 ==Senior career==
-In 1998 Olaru moved up to senior competition, taking first place with the Romanian team and second on vault at the European Championships.<ref name = GREC98>[http://www.gymnasticsresults.com/90/e1998w.html Gymnastics Results] 1998 European Artistic Gymnastics Championships</ref> The following year, she contributed to the team gold medal at the [[1999 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships|1999 World Championships]] in [[Tianjin]], [[China]] and became the second Romanian gymnast in history, after [[Aurelia Dobre]], to win the all-around title. In 2000 she was together with [[Simona Amânar]], [[Loredana Boboc]], [[Andreea Isărescu]], [[Claudia Presacan]] and [[Andreea Răducan]] a member of the Romanian team at the [[Gymnastics at the 2000 Summer Olympics|2000 Olympics]]. Here she shared in the team gold medal and won a bronze in the all-around (this was changed to a silver after the [[Andrea Raducan]] scandal). She also qualified for the balance beam event final and placed sixth.
+In 1998 Olaru moved up to senior competition, taking first place with the Romanian team and second on vault at the European Championships.<ref name = GREC98>[http://www.gymnasticsresults.com/90/e1998w.html Gymnastics Results] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101124171041/http://gymnasticsresults.com/90/e1998w.html |date=2010-11-24 }} 1998 European Artistic Gymnastics Championships</ref> The following year, she contributed to the team gold medal at the [[1999 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships|1999 World Championships]] in [[Tianjin]], [[China]] and became the second Romanian gymnast in history, after [[Aurelia Dobre]], to win the all-around title. In 2000, she was, with [[Simona Amânar]], [[Loredana Boboc]], [[Andreea Isărescu]], [[Claudia Presăcan]] and [[Andreea Răducan]], a member of the Romanian team at the [[Gymnastics at the 2000 Summer Olympics|2000 Olympics]]. There she shared in the team gold medal and won a silver in the all-around (after the Răducan controversy). She also qualified for the balance beam event final and placed sixth.
-==Retirement==
+==Post retirement==
-Olaru retired after the [[Gymnastics at the 2000 Summer Olympics|2000 Olympics]], noting that the new ''[[Code of Points (artistic gymnastics)|Code of Points]]'' would not be suited to gymnasts of her height, and enrolled as a student at the [[West University of Timișoara]]. After graduation she continued her studies and she became an assistant professor at the Faculty of Sports and Physical Education of the [[West University of Timișoara]].<ref name =UT/>
+Olaru retired after the [[Gymnastics at the 2000 Summer Olympics|2000 Olympics]], noting that the new [[Code of Points (artistic gymnastics)|Code of Points]] would not be suited to gymnasts of her height, and enrolled as a student at the [[West University of Timișoara]]. After graduation she continued her studies, and she became an assistant professor at the Faculty of Sports and Physical Education of the West University of Timișoara.<ref name =UT/>
+In 2016, Olaru published her autobiography, ''The Price of Gold. Uncomfortable Sincerity''. In it, she recounted how she and her Romanian teammates were hit and beaten by their coaches during training.<ref>[http://www.romania-insider.com/dark-secret-behind-romanian-gymnastics-performances/ "Romanian gymnastics world champion reveals dark side of performance in autobiography"]. romania-insider.com. 1 June 2016. Retrieved 23 December 2016.</ref>
 ==Skills==
 *Vault: Double-twisting [[Yurchenko (vault)|Yurchenko]], Phelps
-*Uneven Bars: Kip cast to handstand 1.5 handstand pirouette to mixed grip giant, immediate pike Jaeger; giant 1.5  pirouette into [[Tkatchev]], Pak salto, Back-in Full-out tucked dismount
+*Uneven Bars: Kip cast to handstand 1.5 handstand pirouette to mixed grip giant, immediate pike Jaeger; giant 1.5  pirouette into Tkatchev, Pak salto, Back-in Full-out tucked dismount
 *Balance Beam: piked front mount, wolf jump, tucked Korbut; flip flop, full (or flip flop, layout step out, Korbut); switch side; front tuck, tuck jump; 3/4 twisting Shushonova; cartwheel, swing through double full dismount
 *Floor Exercise: Round-off, whip back, 2.5 twist, punch pike; front-handspring, front double twist, punch front; Round-off, back-handspring, triple twist. Her music for floor routines was:
-** ''1999'': "Invisible Circus" by [[Vienna Symphony Orchestra]]
+** 1999: "Invisible Circus" by [[Vienna Symphony Orchestra]]
-** ''2000'': Soundtrack from the movie ''[[Black Cat, White Cat]]''
+** 2000: Soundtrack from the film ''[[Black Cat, White Cat]]''
 ==References==
-{{reflist}}
+{{Reflist}}
-==External links and resources==
+==External links==
-*{{Fig|id=383|name=Maria Olaru}}
+* {{FIG|bio=21907|lic=383|name=Maria Olaru}}
-*[http://www.intlgymnast.com/events/2003/worlds/news-olaru.html Maria Olaru interview] 2003, ''International Gymnast Magazine''
+* [http://www.intlgymnast.com/events/2003/worlds/news-olaru.html Maria Olaru interview] 2003, ''International Gymnast Magazine''
-*[http://www.webcitation.org/query?url=http://www.geocities.com/gimnastica/articles03/olaruupdate.html&date=2009-10-25+23:20:18  "Maria Olaru update"] Feb. 26th, 2002, ''Agenda Timişoara''
+* {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090808133926/http://geocities.com/gimnastica/articles03/olaruupdate.html |date=dmy |title=Maria Olaru update - Agenda Timişoara – via geocities.com/gimnastica}}
-*[http://www.gymn-forum.net/bios/women/olaru.html List of competitive results at Gymn Forum]
+* [http://www.gymn-forum.net/bios/women/olaru.html Maria Olaru] at Gymn Forum
+* {{Olympics.com|maria-olaru|org_archive=20160920103455}}
+* {{Olympedia}}
-{{Portal|Gymnastics}}
 {{Olympic champions artistic gymnastics Women TC|2000}}
-{{NavigationWorldChampionsArtisticGymnasticsWomenTC}}
+{{NavigationWorldChampionsArtisticGymnasticsWomenTC|1999}}
 {{NavigationWorldChampionsArtisticGymnasticsWomenAA}}
+{{Footer European Artistic Gymnastics Team Champions (Women)|1998}}
+{{Authority control}}
-{{Persondata <!-- Metadata: see [[Wikipedia:Persondata]]. -->
-| NAME              = Olaru, Maria
-| ALTERNATIVE NAMES =
-| SHORT DESCRIPTION = Gymnast
-| DATE OF BIRTH     = June 4, 1982
-| PLACE OF BIRTH    = [[Falticeni]] , [[Romania]]
-| DATE OF DEATH     =
-| PLACE OF DEATH    =
-}}
 {{DEFAULTSORT:Olaru, Maria}}
 [[Category:1982 births]]
@@ Line 90: / Line 91: @@
 [[Category:Romanian female artistic gymnasts]]
 [[Category:Gymnasts at the 2000 Summer Olympics]]
-[[Category:Olympic gymnasts of Romania]]
+[[Category:Olympic gymnasts for Romania]]
 [[Category:Olympic gold medalists for Romania]]
 [[Category:Olympic silver medalists for Romania]]
+[[Category:Olympic medalists in gymnastics]]
+[[Category:Medalists at the 2000 Summer Olympics]]
 [[Category:World champion gymnasts]]
 [[Category:Medalists at the World Artistic Gymnastics Championships]]
 [[Category:People from Fălticeni]]
-[[Category:Olympic medalists in gymnastics]]
+[[Category:European champions in gymnastics]]
+[[Category:20th-century Romanian sportswomen]]
+[[Category:Sportspeople from Suceava County]]
-[[fr:Maria Olaru]]

v t e Olympic Champions in Artistic Gymnastics – Women's Team All-Around
Summary
1928: Netherlands 1936: Germany 1948: Czechoslovakia 1952: Soviet Union 1956: Soviet Union 1960: Soviet Union 1964: Soviet Union 1968: Soviet Union 1972: Soviet Union 1976: Soviet Union 1980: Soviet Union 1984: Romania 1988: Soviet Union 1992: Unified Team 1996: United States 2000: Romania 2004: Romania 2008: China 2012: United States 2016: United States 2020: ROC 2024: United States
2000: Romania (ROU), Andreea Răducan, Maria Olaru, Simona Amânar, Loredana Boboc, Andreea Isărescu, Claudia Presăcan

Authority control databases
International	ISNI VIAF WorldCat
National	Germany United States