Elena Leusteanu
Encyclopedia
Elena Leuşteanu-Popescu, (July 4, 1935 – August 16, 2008) was a female Romania
n artistic gymnast
who represented Romania at three Olympic games. During her career she won three Olympic bronze medals, one world bronze medal and five continental silver medals. She was the first artistic gymnast of Romania to win an individual Olympic medal (in 1956).
in Rome
, Italy
, where she placed 4th with her team, 5th in the individual combined standings, and was a vault finalist.
At the 1956 Melbourne Olympics
, Leuşteanu led her Romanian team the bronze medal at these games, a first for Romania at any World Championships or Olympics. In the individual combined standings, she tied Olga Tass of Hungary for 4th place, just .100 behind bronze medal position. She qualified for three of the four event finals: vault, where she placed 6th; balance beam, where she placed 6th; and floor exercise, where she became the first Romanian woman to win an individual Olympic gymnastics medal - a bronze.
in her native country of Romania
, saw Leuşteanu win the silver in the individual all-around competition behind Soviet Larisa Latynina. In the event finals, she collected two more medals in both the uneven bars and floor exercises.
In Moscow
at the 1958 World Championships
, competing under her newly acquired married name, 'Elena Teodorescu', she helped her team to the bronze medal and placed 17th in the individual combined exercises and was, again, a vault finalist.
At the second European Artistic Gymnastics Championships for women, held in 1959 in Krakow
, Poland
, she repeated her 2nd-place all-around finish and qualified to three of the four event finals where she won silver on the uneven bars as she had at the previous European Championships.
At the 1960 Rome Olympics
, she buttressed her stronger teammate Sonia Iovan
, helping their team to the bronze and she was 11th in the individual combined standings.
, East Germany, she placed 6th in the all-around and qualified to two event finals - uneven bars and floor where she placed 4th and 5th, respectively. In 1964 she was a member of the team representing Romania at the Olympic Games. She placed 6th with the team and 20th all around.
In 2006, at a celebration commemorating the 100th anniversary of the Romanian Gymnastics Federation, Leuşteanu was the first gymnast to be mentioned and honoured and clips of her performance on the uneven bars were presented. She took part in the celebration, ascending to the podium along with other notable Romanian gymnasts of the past such as Nadia Comăneci
, Daniela Silivaş
, and Lavinia Miloşovici
.
While her fellow Romanians were at the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics
, successfully defending the legacy of Romanian gymnastics she helped to create, Leuşteanu died in mid August 2008 at the age of 73 after a struggle with pancreatic cancer
.
Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
n artistic gymnast
Artistic gymnastics
Artistic gymnastics is a discipline of gymnastics where gymnasts perform short routines on different apparatus, with less time for vaulting . The sport is governed by the Federation Internationale de Gymnastique , which designs the Code of Points and regulates all aspects of international elite...
who represented Romania at three Olympic games. During her career she won three Olympic bronze medals, one world bronze medal and five continental silver medals. She was the first artistic gymnast of Romania to win an individual Olympic medal (in 1956).
1954 - 1956: World Championships and Olympic Games Debut
Leuşteanu made her debut at the 1954 World Championships1954 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships
The 13th Artistic Gymnastics World Championships were held in Rome, the capital of Italy, on June 28 - July 1, 1954.-Medals:- All-around :- Floor exercise :- Pommel horse :- Rings :- Vault :- Parallel bars :- Horizontal bar :...
in Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, where she placed 4th with her team, 5th in the individual combined standings, and was a vault finalist.
At the 1956 Melbourne Olympics
Gymnastics at the 1956 Summer Olympics
Gymnastics at the 1956 Summer Olympics was represented by 15 events: 7 for women and 8 for men. All events were held at the West Melbourne Stadium between December 3 and December 7...
, Leuşteanu led her Romanian team the bronze medal at these games, a first for Romania at any World Championships or Olympics. In the individual combined standings, she tied Olga Tass of Hungary for 4th place, just .100 behind bronze medal position. She qualified for three of the four event finals: vault, where she placed 6th; balance beam, where she placed 6th; and floor exercise, where she became the first Romanian woman to win an individual Olympic gymnastics medal - a bronze.
1957 - 1960: Continued Success
The first ever European Artistic Gymnastics Championships for women, held in 1957 in BucharestBucharest
Bucharest is the capital municipality, cultural, industrial, and financial centre of Romania. It is the largest city in Romania, located in the southeast of the country, at , and lies on the banks of the Dâmbovița River....
in her native country of Romania
Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
, saw Leuşteanu win the silver in the individual all-around competition behind Soviet Larisa Latynina. In the event finals, she collected two more medals in both the uneven bars and floor exercises.
In Moscow
Moscow
Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...
at the 1958 World Championships
1958 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships
The 14th Artistic Gymnastics World Championships were held on July 6–10 1958 in Moscow, the capital of the USSR.-Medals:-All-around:- Floor exercise :-Pommel horse:-Rings:-Vault:-Parallel bars:-Horizontal bar:-Team final:-All-around:...
, competing under her newly acquired married name, 'Elena Teodorescu', she helped her team to the bronze medal and placed 17th in the individual combined exercises and was, again, a vault finalist.
At the second European Artistic Gymnastics Championships for women, held in 1959 in Krakow
Kraków
Kraków also Krakow, or Cracow , is the second largest and one of the oldest cities in Poland. Situated on the Vistula River in the Lesser Poland region, the city dates back to the 7th century. Kraków has traditionally been one of the leading centres of Polish academic, cultural, and artistic life...
, Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
, she repeated her 2nd-place all-around finish and qualified to three of the four event finals where she won silver on the uneven bars as she had at the previous European Championships.
At the 1960 Rome Olympics
Gymnastics at the 1960 Summer Olympics
At the 1960 Summer Olympics, fourteen different artistic gymnastics events were contested, eight for men and six for women. All events were held in the Baths of Caracalla in Rome from September 5 through 10th.-Format of competition:...
, she buttressed her stronger teammate Sonia Iovan
Sonia Iovan
Sonia Iovan-Inovan is a retired Romanian artistic gymnast who represented Romania at three Olympic Games: the 1956 Olympic Games, the 1960 Olympic Games and the 1964 Olympic Games. She is a double Olympic bronze medalist, a bronze world medalist and a multiple European medalist.-References:...
, helping their team to the bronze and she was 11th in the individual combined standings.
Post 1960 and Later Life
In Leuşteanu's 3rd appearance at the European Championships held in 1961 in LeipzigLeipzig
Leipzig Leipzig has always been a trade city, situated during the time of the Holy Roman Empire at the intersection of the Via Regia and Via Imperii, two important trade routes. At one time, Leipzig was one of the major European centres of learning and culture in fields such as music and publishing...
, East Germany, she placed 6th in the all-around and qualified to two event finals - uneven bars and floor where she placed 4th and 5th, respectively. In 1964 she was a member of the team representing Romania at the Olympic Games. She placed 6th with the team and 20th all around.
In 2006, at a celebration commemorating the 100th anniversary of the Romanian Gymnastics Federation, Leuşteanu was the first gymnast to be mentioned and honoured and clips of her performance on the uneven bars were presented. She took part in the celebration, ascending to the podium along with other notable Romanian gymnasts of the past such as Nadia Comăneci
Nadia Comaneci
Nadia Elena Comăneci is a Romanian gymnast, winner of three Olympic gold medals at the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, and the first female gymnast ever to be awarded a perfect score of 10 in an Olympic gymnastic event. She is also the winner of two gold medals at the 1980 Summer...
, Daniela Silivaş
Daniela Silivas
Viorica Daniela Silivaş-Harper , best known as Daniela Silivaş, is a Romanian gymnast who is most famous for winning six medals in women's artistic gymnastics at the 1988 Olympic Games in Seoul, Korea...
, and Lavinia Miloşovici
Lavinia Milosovici
Lavinia Corina Miloşovici is a Romanian Olympic gymnast. An exceptionally successful athlete on the international competition circuit, Miloşovici, also known as "Milo" in the gymnastics community, is considered to be one of Romania's top gymnasts of the 1990s and one of the most prolific female...
.
While her fellow Romanians were at the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics
Gymnastics at the 2008 Summer Olympics
At the 2008 Summer Olympics, three different gymnastics disciplines were contested: artistic gymnastics, rhythmic gymnastics and trampoline. The artistic gymnastics events were held at the Beijing National Indoor Stadium on August 9–19. The rhythmic gymnastics events were held at the Beijing...
, successfully defending the legacy of Romanian gymnastics she helped to create, Leuşteanu died in mid August 2008 at the age of 73 after a struggle with pancreatic cancer
Pancreatic cancer
Pancreatic cancer refers to a malignant neoplasm of the pancreas. The most common type of pancreatic cancer, accounting for 95% of these tumors is adenocarcinoma, which arises within the exocrine component of the pancreas. A minority arises from the islet cells and is classified as a...
.