Sandra Izbaşa

Infobox Gymnast
gymnastname= Sandra Izbaşa


imagesize=
caption= Sandra Izbaşa in 2008
fullname= Sandra Raluca Izbaşa
altname=
nickname= Oscar [http://exel.fig-gymnastics.com/events/athletes/bio.jsp?ID=5806 Sandra Raluca Izbaşa at Fédération Internationale de Gymnastique] ]
country= ROU
birthdate= birth date and age|1990|06|18
birthplace= Bucharest
hometown=
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height= convert|164|cm|ftin
discipline= WAG
level= Senior
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club= C.S.A-C.S.S. 3 Steaua Bucuresti
gym=
collegeteam=
headcoach=
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Sandra Raluca Izbaşa (born June 18, 1990 in Bucharest, Romania) is a Romanian artistic gymnast. Her best events are the floor exercise, the balance beam, and the all-around. She is the 2008 Olympic champion on floor exercise and a bronze medalist on the team event.

Early gymnastic career

Izbasa began gymnastics in 1994 at the CSS Steaua Bucharest club, after trying out tennis and fencing [ [http://www.nbcolympics.com/athletes/athlete=689/bio/ NBC 2008 Olympics: Sandra Izbasa Bio] ] . In 2002 she joined the Romanian national gymnastics team [http://www.romanian-gymnastics.com/profiles/2008olympics/wag/sandra_izbasa.htm "Sandra Izbasa"] ] . At the 2004 Junior European Championships, Izbaşa placed sixth in the all-around event. She also won a silver medal on the floor final event; her compatriot Steliana Nistor won the gold [ [http://www.gymnasticsresults.com/2004/e2004wjun.html GymnasticsResults.com: 25th European Championships Women's Juniors Artistic Gymnastics] ] . One year latter, at the 2005 Japan Junior International meet, she won the gold medals on the floor and vault.

enior career

2006

In 2006, her first year competing as a senior, Izbaşa won the all-around, floor and vault titles at the Romanian International Championships [ [http://www.freewebs.com/rominter/2006ef.htm Sri Ea's Romanian Gymnastics Pages] ] . She followed up her domestic success with her senior international debut at the World Cup final in Lyon, France, where she won the bronze medal on the balance beam and the silver on the floor. At the 2006 European Championships in Volos, Greece, Izbaşa was a member of the silver-medal-winning Romanian team, as well as winning the gold medal on the floor exercise and the bronze medal on the balance beam.

These successes secured her a place in the national team competing for the 2006 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships in Aarhus, Denmark. In Aarhus, the Romanian team placed 4th in the team competition. Izbaşa won the bronze medal in the all-around event and the silver medal on the beam. She placed 8th in the vault final, and fifth on the floor. During the floor exercise final, she stepped out of bounds on her first tumbling pass.Fact|date=August 2008

2007

In 2007, she competed at several world cup competitions. At the 2007 European Championships, Amsterdam, The Netherlands she won the silver medal in the all-around event, behind Vanessa Ferrari [http://www.gymnasticsresults.com/2007/eurow.html, "Gymnastics Results: 2nd European Individual Championships Artistic Gymnastics "] ] . She injured her ankle on the dismount of her event final beam routine, but she managed to win the silver medal. Due to the injury she did not compete in the floor event final [http://www.intlgymnast.com/Online-Features/reports/106.html "International GYMNAST Magazine", "Seven countries win European event golds, Josh Crumlish"] ] .

She had only four months to recover from this injury before the 2007 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships. At that competition she won the team bronze medal [http://www.gymnasticsresults.com/2007/worldw.html "Gymnastics results"] ] . She placed 9th in the all-around and 8th on the floor event final.

2008 and the Olympics

In 2008, having recovered from her injury, she competed at the 2008 European Championships in Clermond-Ferrand, France. She won the team gold medal, the gold on the floor, and the silver medal on the beam [http://www.intlgymnast.com/Online-Features/reports/283.html "International GYMNAST Magazine", "Four nations golden as Europeans conclude, Amanda Turner"] ] .

Together with Steliana Nistor, Anamaria Tămârjan, Gabriela Drăgoi, Andreea Grigore, and Andreea Acatrinei, Izbaşa was a member of the Romanian Team at the 2008 Summer Olympic Games Beijing, China. She won the bronze medal with the team and the gold medal in the individual floor event [http://www.gymnasticsresults.com/olympics.html "Gymnastics Results: Olympic Games"] ] .

kills

2005

"Floor Exercise": Triple turn; round-off, back handspring, tuck full-in; front handspring, double twist to punch front tuck; double-twisting tuck jump; cat leap double, cat leap 1 3/4; round-off, back handspring, 2 1/2 twist to punch front layout full; switch leap, stag leap; round-off, back handspring, triple twist.

2006

"Floor Exercise": Round-off, back layout 1 1/2 twist, punch front layout full to punch front tuck full; round-off, back handspring, tucked full-in; full-twisting split leap; triple turn; round-off, back handspring, 2 1/2 twist to punch front 1 1/2 tuck; full-twisting switch leap, half-twisting split leap; round-off, back handspring, triple twist.

2007

"Floor Exercise": Round-off, back handspring, piked full-in; round-off, back handspring, tucked full-in; triple turn; round-off, back handspring, 2 1/2 twist to punch front layout full; round-off back 1 1/2 twist to punch front 1 1/2 twist layout; tour jete 1/2 to split leap 1/2; round-off, back handspring, triple twist.

2008

"Floor Exercise": Round-off, back 1 1/2 twist to punch front 2 twist; round-off, back handspring, piked full-in; triple turn; round-off, back handspring, 2 1/2 twist to punch front layout full; round-off, backhandspring, tucked-full-in; tour jete 1/2 to split leap 1/2; round-off, backhandspring, triple twist.

References

External links

*
* [http://www.romanian-gymnastics.com/profiles/2008olympics/wag/sandra_izbasa.htm Bio at romanian-gymnastics.com]