Alexandra Marinescu
Encyclopedia
Alexandra Marinescu is a retired Romania
n Olympic
artistic gymnast. She is an Olympic bronze medalist with the team and a two-time world champion with the team. Individually, she is a world silver medalist on beam and a seven-time Junior European medalist. She currently works as a minimal electro DJ based in Bucharest
.
. During her career as a competitive gymnast, she competed under a falsified passport which listed her year of birth as 1981; her age was advanced by one year
to make her age-eligible for the 1995 World Championships and the 1996 Olympics. Her year of birth is still listed as 1981 in the official F.I.G. database, however, Marinescu herself has stated that this is incorrect and she was born in 1982. In a 2002 interview, she revealed, "Without asking for his permission, but rather communicating him their decision, they told my father that they had to modify my age by changing in the passport the year when I was born. Instead of 1982 they wrote 1981. They explained to my father that it was my only chance to get to the Olympic Games."
, but eventually switched over to gymnastics. Unlike many of her Romanian teammates, who transferred to the national training center in Deva
as juniors, Marinescu spent the bulk of her career training at her home club, Triumf, in Bucharest with coach Eliza Stoica. She arrived at Deva in early 1996, during the buildup to the Atlanta Olympics.
As a result of the different training environment, Marinescu's gymnastics style stood out. She had long lines, elegant presentation and a sense of artistry that was missing from most routines crafted at Deva, but showed less difficulty in her tumbling and vaulting than Deva trained athletes such as Lavinia Miloşovici
and Gina Gogean
.
At the age of twelve, Marinescu was the European Junior Champion; the following year, she won the pre-Olympic test event in Atlanta. In 1996, she placed second on the balance beam at the World Championships and successfully defended her all-around title at the Junior European Championships. Leading into the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, Marinescu was touted as one of Romania's best chances for an individual medal, and was compared to legendary Romanian gymnast Nadia Comăneci
by the media.
The Olympics proved to be a difficult competition for Marinescu. She contributed to the team bronze medal and qualified for the all-around final. However, coach Octavian Belu
pulled her from the all-around and replaced her with teammate Simona Amânar
. Belu's official reason, as given to the media, was that Marinescu did not "work hard enough." Marinescu's only chance to shine at the Olympics came in the balance beam event final. She was the first competitor in the final, suffered two falls during her routine, and finished last with a score of 8.462.
Marinescu continued training in 1997, representing Romania at such competitions as the American Cup
. At the World Championships in Lausanne
she shared in the team gold medal, however, once again, she was pulled from the all-around finals in favor of Amânar.
Marinescu's experiences were detailed in the book Alexandra's Secrets, written by ProSport journalist Andrei Norescu. The book, which was published in Romania in 2002, won the 2003 "Best Book of the Year" award from the Romanian Sports Press Association. An English-language translation entitled The Secrets of a Gymnast was released in the United States in January 2006.
Alexandra is currently doing some work as a DJ, playing Minimal. She has her own recurring radio show, called Nuances, on the internet radio DI.fm.
1997 American Cup: 5th AA
1996 Olympics: 3rd team; 8th BB
1996 World Championships: 2nd BB
1996 European Championships: 1st AA (junior)
1995 World Championships: 1st team; 4th BB; 4th UB
1995 Olympic Test Event: 1st AA
1994 European Championships: 1st AA; 1st BB; 3rd FX; 6th VT (junior)
1994 Balkan Championships: 1st UB
1993 Balkan Championships: 1st FX; 1st BB; 2nd AA (junior)
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 Olympic
Olympic Games
The Olympic Games is a major international event featuring summer and winter sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Olympic Games have come to be regarded as the world’s foremost sports competition where more than 200 nations participate...
artistic gymnast. She is an Olympic bronze medalist with the team and a two-time world champion with the team. Individually, she is a world silver medalist on beam and a seven-time Junior European medalist. She currently works as a minimal electro DJ based in Bucharest
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....
.
Biography
Marinescu was born 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....
. During her career as a competitive gymnast, she competed under a falsified passport which listed her year of birth as 1981; her age was advanced by one year
Age controversies in gymnastics
The age requirements in gymnastics are established by the Fédération Internationale de Gymnastique and regulate the age at which athletes are allowed to participate in senior-level competitions.-History of age requirements in artistic gymnastics:...
to make her age-eligible for the 1995 World Championships and the 1996 Olympics. Her year of birth is still listed as 1981 in the official F.I.G. database, however, Marinescu herself has stated that this is incorrect and she was born in 1982. In a 2002 interview, she revealed, "Without asking for his permission, but rather communicating him their decision, they told my father that they had to modify my age by changing in the passport the year when I was born. Instead of 1982 they wrote 1981. They explained to my father that it was my only chance to get to the Olympic Games."
Gymnastics career
As a young child, Marinescu was involved with swimmingSwimming (sport)
Swimming is a sport governed by the Fédération Internationale de Natation .-History: Competitive swimming in Europe began around 1800 BCE, mostly in the form of the freestyle. In 1873 Steve Bowyer introduced the trudgen to Western swimming competitions, after copying the front crawl used by Native...
, but eventually switched over to gymnastics. Unlike many of her Romanian teammates, who transferred to the national training center in Deva
Deva, Romania
Deva is a city in Romania, in the historical region of Transylvania, on the left bank of the Mureș River. It is the capital of Hunedoara County.-Name:...
as juniors, Marinescu spent the bulk of her career training at her home club, Triumf, in Bucharest with coach Eliza Stoica. She arrived at Deva in early 1996, during the buildup to the Atlanta Olympics.
As a result of the different training environment, Marinescu's gymnastics style stood out. She had long lines, elegant presentation and a sense of artistry that was missing from most routines crafted at Deva, but showed less difficulty in her tumbling and vaulting than Deva trained athletes such as 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...
and Gina Gogean
Gina Gogean
Gina Gogean is a retired 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 championships or continental championships...
.
At the age of twelve, Marinescu was the European Junior Champion; the following year, she won the pre-Olympic test event in Atlanta. In 1996, she placed second on the balance beam at the World Championships and successfully defended her all-around title at the Junior European Championships. Leading into the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, Marinescu was touted as one of Romania's best chances for an individual medal, and was compared to legendary Romanian gymnast 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...
by the media.
The Olympics proved to be a difficult competition for Marinescu. She contributed to the team bronze medal and qualified for the all-around final. However, coach Octavian Belu
Octavian Belu
Octavian Ioan Atanase Bellu is the current head of the Romanian national women's artistic gymnastics team. He was the main coach with interruptions, between 1990 and 2005 and returned as head of the national team in 2010...
pulled her from the all-around and replaced her with teammate Simona Amânar
Simona Amânar
Simona Amânar is a Romanian gymnast. She is a seven-time Olympic medalist and a ten-time world medalist. Amânar helped Romania to win four consecutive world team titles as well as the 2000 Olympic team title. She has a vault named after her, the Amanar...
. Belu's official reason, as given to the media, was that Marinescu did not "work hard enough." Marinescu's only chance to shine at the Olympics came in the balance beam event final. She was the first competitor in the final, suffered two falls during her routine, and finished last with a score of 8.462.
Marinescu continued training in 1997, representing Romania at such competitions as the American Cup
American Cup (gymnastics)
The American Cup, is an elite senior level international gymnastics competition held in the United States, and is generally considered to be one of the first major competitions of the Gymnastics season, as it is held in March or February of each year. In 1978-79 the event was sponsored by Dial and...
. At the World Championships in Lausanne
Lausanne
Lausanne is a city in Romandy, the French-speaking part of Switzerland, and is the capital of the canton of Vaud. The seat of the district of Lausanne, the city is situated on the shores of Lake Geneva . It faces the French town of Évian-les-Bains, with the Jura mountains to its north-west...
she shared in the team gold medal, however, once again, she was pulled from the all-around finals in favor of Amânar.
Post-retirement
Marinescu retired in early 1998, citing serious back problems. She has remained a public figure in Romanian gymnastics due to her outspoken criticism of the Deva coaches and training system. While former Romanian Gymnastics Federation president Adrian Stoica has denied Marinescu's allegations of abuse at Deva, many of her teammates have stepped forward in the Romanian press to corroborate and substantiate her claims.Marinescu's experiences were detailed in the book Alexandra's Secrets, written by ProSport journalist Andrei Norescu. The book, which was published in Romania in 2002, won the 2003 "Best Book of the Year" award from the Romanian Sports Press Association. An English-language translation entitled The Secrets of a Gymnast was released in the United States in January 2006.
Alexandra is currently doing some work as a DJ, playing Minimal. She has her own recurring radio show, called Nuances, on the internet radio DI.fm.
Major Results
1997 World Championships: 1st team1997 American Cup: 5th AA
1996 Olympics: 3rd team; 8th BB
1996 World Championships: 2nd BB
1996 European Championships: 1st AA (junior)
1995 World Championships: 1st team; 4th BB; 4th UB
1995 Olympic Test Event: 1st AA
1994 European Championships: 1st AA; 1st BB; 3rd FX; 6th VT (junior)
1994 Balkan Championships: 1st UB
1993 Balkan Championships: 1st FX; 1st BB; 2nd AA (junior)