Elisabeta Lipă

Elisabeta Lipă (born October 26, 1964 in Siret, Suceava) is a retired rower from Romania, who was born under the name of Elisabeta Oleniuc. She is the most decorated rower in the history of the Olympics, winning five golds, two silvers and one bronze. She holds the record for the most years between gold medals, at 20 years. *** Birgit Fischer of Germany actually holds the woman's record for years between gold medals, at 24 years. Aladar Gerevich holds the men's record for years between gold medals at 28 years. Only the 5 consecutive golds by Great Britain's Sir Stephen Redgrave can match Lipa's Olympics rowing achievements. ***

Lipă debuted at the age of 19 at the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, California, where she won her first gold medal in the Double Scull event. She won her most recent gold medal in the eight-oared boat at the Athens Summer Olympics in 2004. She is the only person to win a gold medal in the two premiere rowing events: the single scull and the eight oared boat. She is also one of very few women to win a gold medal in both a sculling (two oars per person) and a sweep (one oar per person) event. (Canada's Kathleen Heddle and Marnie McBean accomplished the same, sculling and sweep gold medals, in 1992 and 1996.)

Albeit retired, on her 42nd birthday she declared that she hasn't given up the thought of presenting at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing.

She was awarded the 2008 Thomas Keller Medal at the Rowing World Cup in Lucerne.

=Olympic=

*1984 Summer Olympics, Gold Medal, Double Scull (2x)
*1988 Summer Olympics, Silver Medal, Double Scull (2x)
*1988 Summer Olympics, Bronze Medal, Quadruple Scull (4x)
*1992 Summer Olympics, Silver Medal, Double Scull(1x)
*1992 Summer Olympics, Gold Medal, Single Scull (1x)
*1996 Summer Olympics, Gold Medal, Eight (8+)
*2000 Summer Olympics, Gold Medal, Eight (8+)
*2004 Summer Olympics, Gold Medal, Eight (8+)

Rowing World Championships

*1982, 3rd, Quadruple Scull
*1983, 3rd, Double Scull
*1985, 2nd, Double Scull
*1986, 2nd, Double Scull
*1987, 2nd, Double Scull
*1989, 2nd, Double Scull
*1989, 1st, Single Scull
*1990, 6th, Single Scull
*1991, 2nd, Single Scull
*1991, 2nd, Double Scull
*1993, 7th, Single Scull
*1993, 6th, Double Scull
*1994, 3rd, Eight
*1994, 2nd, Double Scull
*1999, 9th, Quad
*2003, 2nd, Eight
*

External links

* [http://www.olympic.org/uk/athletes/heroes/bio_uk.asp?PAR_I_ID=61806 Profile on IOC site]
* [http://www.rowingone.com Profile available on www.rowingone.com]
* [http://www.hickoksports.com World and Olympic Championships database]
* [http://www.worldrowing.com/display/modules/news/dspNews.php?newid=324375 Thomas Keller Medal 2008]