Mirela Ana Pașca (born 19 February 1975) is a retired Romanian artistic gymnast, who competed internationally between 1990 and 1992.[3] She is an Olympic silver medalist and a world bronze medalist with the team. Individually, she is a world bronze medalist and a European champion on uneven bars. She was also an uneven bars finalist at the 1992 Olympic Games.

Mirela Pașca
Personal information
Country represented Romania
Born (1975-02-19) 19 February 1975 (age 49)
Baia Mare, Romania[1]
DisciplineWomen's artistic gymnastics
Head coach(es)Octavian Bellu[2]
Former coach(es)Elena Marinescu, Alexandru Aldea, Iuliana Simonfi[2]
Retired1992
Medal record
Olympic Games
Silver medal – second place 1992 Barcelona Team
World Championships
Bronze medal – third place 1991 Indianapolis Team
Bronze medal – third place 1992 Paris Uneven bars
World Cup Final
Silver medal – second place 1990 Brussels Uneven bars
Bronze medal – third place 1990 Brussels Floor exercise
European Championships
Gold medal – first place 1990 Athens Uneven bars

Career

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Mirela started to train for gymnastics at the age of 5 at the Baia-Mare Sport Club, under the direction of Adriana and Nelu Pop (who also coached Ludivine Furnon).[3]

In 1990 she joined the national Romanian team. In the same year she tied for gold on the uneven bars with Svetlana Boginskaya and Natalia Kalinina at the European Championships in Athens, Greece.

At the 26th World Gymnastics Championships 1991, Indianapolis, United States she won bronze with the team and placed 8th in the all around event. Mirela also tied for the fourth place on the uneven bars with Henrietta Ónodi in a final in which the bronze medal was not rewarded.[4] One year later she managed to win a bronze medal for uneven bars at the 1992 World Championships.[5]

Together with Lavinia Miloșovici, Gina Gogean, Cristina Bontaș, Vanda Hădărean, and Maria Neculiță, Mirela was a member of the Romanian team at the 1992 Summer Olympics Barcelona, Spain. In Barcelona she won silver with the team and tied for the fourth place for the uneven bars with Lavinia Miloșovici and Kim Gwang Suk.[6]

Retirement

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Mirela's last competition was the 1992 DTB cup.[3] After that she graduated in physical education from the Bucharest Ecological University. During her studies she was a member of the aerobic gymnastics team of the university coached by Gineta Stoenescu. In 1996 she won the silver medal for individual women and for mixed pairs (together with her future husband Octavian Romas) at the first Romanian National Aerobic Gymnastics Championships.

In 1997 she left for Spain to become the new gymnastics coach of the Real Grupo de Cultura Covadonga club, based in Gijon.

Mirela returned to Romania to open in 2006 her own fitness and aerobic club.[7]

References

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  1. ^ Evans, Hilary; Gjerde, Arild; Heijmans, Jeroen; Mallon, Bill; et al. "Mirela Pașca". Olympics at Sports-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on 3 December 2016. Retrieved 20 February 2019.
  2. ^ a b "Mirela Pașca". COSR.ro (in Romanian). Romanian Olympic Committee. Archived from the original on 9 October 2016. Retrieved 7 October 2016.
  3. ^ a b c "Gymnastics Greats: Mirela Pașca". Gymn.ca. Archived from the original on 11 November 2010.
  4. ^ "Results 1991 Word Artistic Championships". Gymn-Forum.net. Archived from the original on 1 December 2008. Retrieved 9 September 2008.
  5. ^ "Results 1992 Word Artistic Championships". Gymn-Forum.net. Archived from the original on 2 May 2008. Retrieved 9 September 2008.
  6. ^ "1992 Summer Olympics". GymnasticsResults.com. Archived from the original on 22 September 2008. Retrieved 9 September 2008.
  7. ^ "Fitness Mirela Pașca". FitnessMirelaPasca.ro (in Romanian). Archived from the original on 11 September 2008. Retrieved 9 September 2008.
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