Silvia Stroescu
Encyclopedia
Silvia Alexandra Stroescu (b. May 8, 1985 in Bucharest
, Romania
) is a Romania
n artistic gymnast. She is an Olympic, world, and European gold medalist with the team. A skill on the floor exercise is named after her; "Stroescu" is a stretched forward salto with 2½ twists.
(9.6), earned a share of the Romanian team's silver medal, and placed second all-around (37.973) behind teammate Sabina Cojocar
. Initially, Stroescu did not qualify for the all around event due to the two-per-country rule, having achieved the third qualification score among her teammates. But, in the all around final she replaced Carmen Ionescu
who withdrew in her favor.
. Here she contributed to Romania’s sixth team title by competing on beam and uneven bars. Individually, she placed eleventh all around and seventh on floor. Later that year she won the mixed pair Swiss Cup event together with Marian Drǎgulescu
.
In the period 2002-2003 she did not make the team for major international events but she competed at the national championships and at some friendly international competitions.
After being sidelined for two years she joined the team for the 2004 European Championships where she contributed to the team title. Just weeks before the 2004 Olympic games she decided to give up gymnastics being disappointed for not making the Olympic team. However, her disappointment was short lived and she returned to replace injured Aura Munteanu
. Stroescu went to Athens and was part of an immensely successful Romanian women's gymnastics team (four golds, one silver and one bronze in six events) that also included Oana Ban
, Monica Roşu
, Catalina Ponor
, Daniela Sofronie and Alexandra Eremia
. Though the team members were less experienced than most of their rivals, the Romanians hit every routine to take the team gold by a comfortable margin. World champions USA were second, and the Russians, led by Svetlana Khorkina
, took the bronze.
Bucharest
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....
, 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...
) is a 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...
n artistic gymnast. She is an Olympic, world, and European gold medalist with the team. A skill on the floor exercise is named after her; "Stroescu" is a stretched forward salto with 2½ twists.
Early life and career
She was one of the most successful junior gymnast of her generation. The major achievements of her junior years were the win of the prestigious Top Gym Trophy (1998) and of four medals (two gold and two silver) at the 2000 Junior European Gymnastics Championships. At these championships she won gold on floor (9.725), tied for gold on balance beam with Sabina CojocarSabina Cojocar
Sabina Carolina Cojocar is a retired international elite artistic gymnast from Romania as well as a singer...
(9.6), earned a share of the Romanian team's silver medal, and placed second all-around (37.973) behind teammate Sabina Cojocar
Sabina Cojocar
Sabina Carolina Cojocar is a retired international elite artistic gymnast from Romania as well as a singer...
. Initially, Stroescu did not qualify for the all around event due to the two-per-country rule, having achieved the third qualification score among her teammates. But, in the all around final she replaced Carmen Ionescu
Carmen Ionescu
Carmen Ionescu is a retired Romanian artistic gymnast. She is a gold world medalist with the team ....
who withdrew in her favor.
Senior career
Her senior debut at a major international event was at the 2001 World Championships2001 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships
The 35th Artistic Gymnastics World Championships were held in Ghent, Belgium, in 2001 at the Flanders Sports Arena. This was the first Worlds at which the 6-3-3—six athletes per team, three compete, all three scores count—format was used in team finals...
. Here she contributed to Romania’s sixth team title by competing on beam and uneven bars. Individually, she placed eleventh all around and seventh on floor. Later that year she won the mixed pair Swiss Cup event together with Marian Drǎgulescu
Marian Dragulescu
Marian Drăgulescu is a Romanian artistic gymnast. During his senior gymnastics career he has won an impressive number of 26 medals at Olympic games, World or European Championships among which eight gold medals at World Championships...
.
In the period 2002-2003 she did not make the team for major international events but she competed at the national championships and at some friendly international competitions.
After being sidelined for two years she joined the team for the 2004 European Championships where she contributed to the team title. Just weeks before the 2004 Olympic games she decided to give up gymnastics being disappointed for not making the Olympic team. However, her disappointment was short lived and she returned to replace injured Aura Munteanu
Aura Andreea Munteanu
Aura Andreea Munteanu, known as Andreea Munteanu , is a retired world-class Romanian gymnast.Andreea became interested in gymnastics in 1994 after watching a competition on television. Inspired by the meet, she began using her mother's bed as a makeshift vault, prompting her parents to enroll her...
. Stroescu went to Athens and was part of an immensely successful Romanian women's gymnastics team (four golds, one silver and one bronze in six events) that also included Oana Ban
Oana Ban
Oana Mihaela Ban is a retired Romanian artistic gymnast. She is an Olympic gold medalist with the team and a world silver medalist on beam and with the team...
, Monica Roşu
Monica Rosu
Monica Roşu is an artistic gymnast from Romania. During her career she won two Olympic gold medals , a silver medal with the team at world championships and two gold continental medals ....
, Catalina Ponor
Catalina Ponor
Cătălina Ponor is a gymnast from Constanţa, Romania. After beginning training with the national team in 2002, Ponor won several medals with the Romanian team, along with individual balance beam and floor exercise medals. Almost unknown until late 2003, Ponor has made several important...
, Daniela Sofronie and Alexandra Eremia
Alexandra Eremia
Alexandra Georgiana Eremia is a Romanian artistic gymnast. Her best apparatus was the balance beam on which she had an interesting routine starting with her trademark split mount. She is an Olympic and a European gold medalist with the team. Individually, she won several medals on beam in...
. Though the team members were less experienced than most of their rivals, the Romanians hit every routine to take the team gold by a comfortable margin. World champions USA were second, and the Russians, led by Svetlana Khorkina
Svetlana Khorkina
Svetlana Vasilyevna Khorkina is a popular Russian gymnast and seven-time Olympic medalist, who is now a deputy at the Russian State Duma. With an unprecedented nine gold, eight silver, and three bronze World Championships medals, she is one of the most successful female gymnasts of her era and has...
, took the bronze.