Cristina Elena Grigoras
Encyclopedia
Cristina Elena Grigoraş is a retired Romanian artistic gymnast. She is a two-time Olympic medalist with the team (gold in 1984 and silver in 1980). Individually, she won four medals (vault, all around, uneven bars and floor) at the 1981 European Championships. She is best known for a skill on the balance beam named after her: forward salto tucked with ½ twists (180°) take of from both legs.
and Béla Károlyi
until their defection to USA in 1981 and with coaches Adrian Goreac, Adrian Stan, Maria Cosma and Octavian Belu
after 1981.
, fifth on floor and eight on balance beam. Together with Nadia Comăneci
, Rodica Dunca
, Emilia Eberle
, Melita Ruhn
and Dumitriţa Turner
, Grigoraş was a member of the silver medaled team at the 1980 Olympics
. At these Olympic games she did not compete in any individual final event.
, gold on vault, silver on uneven bars, bronze on floor and she placed eight on beam. Her results in the all around and the events finals were the highest among her team members. In 1981 she also won the Champions All Trophy and was a team member at the 1981 World Championships
in Moscow
. At these World Championships she placed fourth with the team and fifth in the all around and uneven bars events. Once again her result in the all around was the highest among the Romanian team.
. In 1984 she won several medals for all around at some minor international events. In 1984 Grigoraş went with the team in Los Angeles
to compete at the 1984 Olympic Games
. The other members of the team were Lavinia Agache
, Laura Cutina
, Simona Păucă
, Mihaela Stănuleţ
, and Ecaterina Szabo
. She contributed to the team gold medal and she placed eight in the preliminaries of the all around event.
Gymnastics career
Grigoraş trained at CSS Cetate Deva with MártaMarta Károlyi
Márta Károlyi , is an American gymnastics coach and the National Team Coordinator for USA Gymnastics. Károlyi is originally from Romania, she and her husband, Béla, are ethnic Hungarians, and trained athletes there as well, but defected to the United States in 1981...
and Béla Károlyi
Béla Károlyi
Béla Károlyi is a Romanian gymnastics coach. He was born in what was then Kolozsvár, Hungary, a region restored to Romanian administration after 1944. Károlyi and his wife, Márta, also of Hungarian origin, emigrated to the United States in 1981 and both have dual citizenships for Romania and the...
until their defection to USA in 1981 and with coaches Adrian Goreac, Adrian Stan, Maria Cosma and 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...
after 1981.
1980 and the Olympic Games
Her senior debut in an international event was at the 1980 Italian-Romanian meet where she placed first with the team and second all-around. Her participation at the 1980 World Cup in Toronto brought her a bronze medal on vault. She also placed fourth all around ahead of team mate Emilia EberleEmilia Eberle
Gertrude Emilia Eberle , was a Romanian gymnast of ethnic Hungarian - German descent who was of European, World, and Olympic calibre.Eberle, a pupil of the famous fellow ethnic Hungarian husband-wife coaching team Béla Károlyi and Márta Károlyi before they defected from Romania to the United...
, fifth on floor and eight on balance beam. Together with 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...
, Rodica Dunca
Rodica Dunca
Rodica Dunca Köszegi is a Romanian artistic gymnast who represented Romania at the 1980 Olympic Games. She is an Olympic silver medalist and a world gold medalist with the team. Individually she won a continental bronze medal on beam.-External links:*...
, Emilia Eberle
Emilia Eberle
Gertrude Emilia Eberle , was a Romanian gymnast of ethnic Hungarian - German descent who was of European, World, and Olympic calibre.Eberle, a pupil of the famous fellow ethnic Hungarian husband-wife coaching team Béla Károlyi and Márta Károlyi before they defected from Romania to the United...
, Melita Ruhn
Melita Ruhn
Melita Ruhn is a retired Romanian artistic gymnast who represented Romania at the 1980 Summer Olympics.She won three olympic medals for Romania and scored a perfect ten for the vault optionals in the team competition of the 1980 Olympic Games...
and Dumitriţa Turner
Dumitrita Turner
Dumitriţa Turner is a retired Romanian artistic gymnast who represented Romania at the 1980 Olympic Games. She is a world champion on vault, a world gold medalist with the team and an Olympic silver medalist.-References:...
, Grigoraş was a member of the silver medaled team at the 1980 Olympics
1980 Summer Olympics
The 1980 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXII Olympiad, was an international multi-sport event celebrated in Moscow in the Soviet Union. In addition, the yachting events were held in Tallinn, and some of the preliminary matches and the quarter-finals of the football tournament...
. At these Olympic games she did not compete in any individual final event.
1981
At the 1981 European Championships Madrid Spain, Cristina medaled in all events except the balance beam. She won silver in the all around behind Maxi GnauckMaxi Gnauck
Maxi Gnauck is a retired Artistic Gymnast. With a total of 27 medals at the Olympic Games, World Championships, World Cups, and European Championships she is considered one of the most successful woman gymnast that Germany has ever produced.Her parents were expecting a boy and they planned to name...
, gold on vault, silver on uneven bars, bronze on floor and she placed eight on beam. Her results in the all around and the events finals were the highest among her team members. In 1981 she also won the Champions All Trophy and was a team member at the 1981 World Championships
1981 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships
The 21st Artistic Gymnastics World Championships were held in Moscow, the capital of the USSR, in 1981.-Medals:-All-around:- Floor exercise :-Pommel horse:-Rings:-Vault:-Parallel bars:-Horizontal bar:-Team final:-All-around:...
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 these World Championships she placed fourth with the team and fifth in the all around and uneven bars events. Once again her result in the all around was the highest among the Romanian team.
1982-1984 and the Olympic Games
In 1982 Grigoraş did not compete at all. She came back into the gymnastics events in 1983, but she was only an alternate in the team at the 1983 World Championships1983 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships
The 22nd Artistic Gymnastics World Championships were held in Budapest, the capital of Hungary, in 1983.-Medals:-All-around:- Floor exercise :-Pommel horse:-Rings:-Vault:-Parallel bars:-Horizontal bar:-Team final:-All-around:...
. In 1984 she won several medals for all around at some minor international events. In 1984 Grigoraş went with the team in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
to compete at the 1984 Olympic Games
1984 Summer Olympics
The 1984 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIII Olympiad, was an international multi-sport event held in Los Angeles, California, United States in 1984...
. The other members of the team were Lavinia Agache
Lavinia Agache
Lavinia Agache is a retired Romanian gymnast. She had a successful senior career winning a number of ten medals at major international events. She medaled team gold at the 1984 Olympics and team silver at the 1983 Worlds...
, Laura Cutina
Laura Cutina
Laura Cutina is a Romanian artistic gymnast. She is an Olympic gold medalist and a two-time world silver medalist with the team.-External links:*...
, Simona Păucă
Simona Pauca
Simona Pauca is a Romanian gymnast and Olympic champion.She competed at the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, where she tied for gold with her teammate Ecaterina Szabo on balance beam with an exceptionally difficult and innovative routine, received a gold medal in team combined exercises, and a...
, Mihaela Stănuleţ
Mihaela Stanulet
Mihaela Stănuleţ is a Romanian artistic gymnast, who competed in international events between 1979 and 1984. She is an Olympic gold medalist and a world silver medalist with the team. Individually, she is a European bronze medalist on beam. She also placed fourth on the uneven bars final at the...
, and Ecaterina Szabo
Ecaterina Szabo
Ecaterina Szabo is an ethnic Hungarian former artistic gymnast from Romania who won 20 Olympic, world and continental medals...
. She contributed to the team gold medal and she placed eight in the preliminaries of the all around event.