Tina Erceg
Encyclopedia
Tina Erceg is a Croatian
international gymnast. The senior all-around National Champion in 2004 and 2005 and the winner of several medals on the World Cup circuit, Erceg is considered to be the Croatia's most successful international gymnast. She is also the first, and to date the only, female gymnast ever to represent independent Croatia at the Olympic Games.
, Croatia
(then the SFRY) to parents Slobodan and Anda. She began gymnastics in 1995 at Kaštela
Gymnastics, with coach Magda Miloševic-Ilic. In 1998, she followed coach Miloševic-Ilic to a new club, GK Marjan. The following year, she placed first in the all-around in the youth division at the Croatian National Championships in Zagreb
. In 2000 Erceg won gold medals on the vault, balance beam and uneven bars in the youth division of the Croatian Nationals, and earned a place on the Croatian national junior team. In 2002, Erceg competed at the junior European Championships, where she placed 12th in the all-around final.
and did not qualify for the 2004 Olympics, but continued training. In 2004 she placed 14th in the all-around at the European Championships. Erceg won her first major international medal at the 2005 Maribor World Cup, where she placed second on floor exercise. At the 2006 Marbior World Cup, Erceg won two additional medals, a silver on the uneven bars and a bronze on vault.
In 2007, Erceg competed in the World Championships in Stuttgart
, where she placed 69th in the all-around in the preliminary round of competition, earning herself an individual berth to the 2008 Olympics in Beijing. She also competed at the 2007 World University Games
, placing sixth on the floor in event finals.
In the spring of 2008 Erceg placed 16th in the all-around at the European Championships in Clermont-Ferrand
. At the 2008 Olympics, she competed only in the team qualifying round, placing 13th on vault and 57th overall.
, Erceg is a first year university student, majoring in Kinesiology
.
Croats
Croats are a South Slavic ethnic group mostly living in Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and nearby countries. There are around 4 million Croats living inside Croatia and up to 4.5 million throughout the rest of the world. Responding to political, social and economic pressure, many Croats have...
international gymnast. The senior all-around National Champion in 2004 and 2005 and the winner of several medals on the World Cup circuit, Erceg is considered to be the Croatia's most successful international gymnast. She is also the first, and to date the only, female gymnast ever to represent independent Croatia at the Olympic Games.
Early life and junior career
Erceg was born in SplitSplit (city)
Split is a Mediterranean city on the eastern shores of the Adriatic Sea, centered around the ancient Roman Palace of the Emperor Diocletian and its wide port bay. With a population of 178,192 citizens, and a metropolitan area numbering up to 467,899, Split is by far the largest Dalmatian city and...
, Croatia
Croatia
Croatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic in Europe at the crossroads of the Mitteleuropa, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. The country is divided into 20 counties and the city of Zagreb. Croatia covers ...
(then the SFRY) to parents Slobodan and Anda. She began gymnastics in 1995 at Kaštela
Kaštela
Kaštela is a series of seven towns in central Dalmatia, located northwest of Split, west of Solin and east of Trogir, in Croatia. They are part of the Split-Dalmatia county and are treated as a single city with a population of 38,474 , although they are individually between 3,000 and 7,000...
Gymnastics, with coach Magda Miloševic-Ilic. In 1998, she followed coach Miloševic-Ilic to a new club, GK Marjan. The following year, she placed first in the all-around in the youth division at the Croatian National Championships in Zagreb
Zagreb
Zagreb is the capital and the largest city of the Republic of Croatia. It is in the northwest of the country, along the Sava river, at the southern slopes of the Medvednica mountain. Zagreb lies at an elevation of approximately above sea level. According to the last official census, Zagreb's city...
. In 2000 Erceg won gold medals on the vault, balance beam and uneven bars in the youth division of the Croatian Nationals, and earned a place on the Croatian national junior team. In 2002, Erceg competed at the junior European Championships, where she placed 12th in the all-around final.
Senior career
Erceg entered the senior ranks in 2003. She placed 112th in the all-around at the 2003 World Championships2003 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships
The 37th World Artistic Gymnastics Championships were held in Anaheim, California, United States, in 2003.Tie-breakers were not used at this competition...
and did not qualify for the 2004 Olympics, but continued training. In 2004 she placed 14th in the all-around at the European Championships. Erceg won her first major international medal at the 2005 Maribor World Cup, where she placed second on floor exercise. At the 2006 Marbior World Cup, Erceg won two additional medals, a silver on the uneven bars and a bronze on vault.
In 2007, Erceg competed in the World Championships in Stuttgart
Stuttgart
Stuttgart is the capital of the state of Baden-Württemberg in southern Germany. The sixth-largest city in Germany, Stuttgart has a population of 600,038 while the metropolitan area has a population of 5.3 million ....
, where she placed 69th in the all-around in the preliminary round of competition, earning herself an individual berth to the 2008 Olympics in Beijing. She also competed at the 2007 World University Games
Universiade
The Universiade is an International multi-sport event, organized for university athletes by the International University Sports Federation . The name is a combination of the words "University" and "olympiad"...
, placing sixth on the floor in event finals.
In the spring of 2008 Erceg placed 16th in the all-around at the European Championships in Clermont-Ferrand
Clermont-Ferrand
Clermont-Ferrand is a city and commune of France, in the Auvergne region, with a population of 140,700 . Its metropolitan area had 409,558 inhabitants at the 1999 census. It is the prefecture of the Puy-de-Dôme department...
. At the 2008 Olympics, she competed only in the team qualifying round, placing 13th on vault and 57th overall.
, Erceg is a first year university student, majoring in Kinesiology
Kinesiology
Kinesiology, also known as human kinetics is the scientific study of human movement. Kinesiology addresses physiological, mechanical, and psychological mechanisms. Applications of kinesiology to human health include: biomechanics and orthopedics, rehabilitation, such as physical and occupational...
.
Skills
Erceg has a skill named after her on balance beam, a round-off Arabian salto mount.- Balance beam: 'Erceg' mount; front aerial-side flip; back handspring-layout; double twist dismount.
- Uneven bars: Comaneci salto; 1 1/2 piroutte-Jaeger combination; double-front dismount.
- Floor exercise: Triple twist; double pike.