Steliana Nistor

Infobox Gymnast
gymnastname= Steliana Nistor


imagesize=
caption= Steliana Nistor in 2008
fullname= Steliana Nistor
altname=
nickname= Stela
country= ROU
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birthdate= birth date and age|1989|9|15
birthplace= Sibiu
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residence=
height= convert|150|cm|ftin
discipline= WAG
level= Senior
natlteam=
club= C.S.S. SIBIU
gym=
collegeteam=
headcoach=
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choreographer=
music=
eponymousskills=
retired=
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Steliana Nistor (born September 15, 1989 in Sibiu, Romania) is a Romanian artistic gymnast. She is the 2007 World silver medalist in the all-around and on the balance beam, and was a member of the bronze medal-winning Romanian team at that competition. She is the 2007 & 2008 European silver medalist on the uneven bars, a member of the 2008 champion Romanian team, and the 2007 bronze medalist on the balance beam.

Early gymnastic career

Steliana began gymnastics at the age of five, at the gymnastics club CSS Sibiu [http://gymnastics.about.com/od/athletestowatch/p/StelianaNistor.htm “Bio of gymnast Steliana Nistor by Amy Van Deusen”] ] under the training of the former Olympic champion Mihaela Stănuleţ and of the coach Raluca Bugner (since 1998) [http://www.steliana-nistor.net/profile.htm “Steliana Nistor: unofficial website”] ] . In 1998 she finished first with the team at an international competition in France. In 2001 she won the the all-around title, gold on bars and beam and finished third on floor at the Romanian junior championships in her age category. These successes allowed her to join the national junior gymnastic team in 2002. As a national junior she medaled in several international and national competitions. The 2004 European Junior Championships Amsterdam was an especially successful met for Steliana. She won gold in the all around and floor final events and silver in the team and vault finals [http://www.gymnasticsresults.com/2004/e2004wjun.html “Gymnastics Results: 25th Eropean Championships Women’s Junior Artistics Gymnastics”] ] . Her all around score was the highest score of all the gymnasts, including the senior ones.

enior life

2005

Since 2005, Steliana has been a member of the senior national gymnastic team. Unfortunately she was sidelined for nearly six months with back and knee injuries and she did not compete at all in 2005. It was only after an intensive rehabilitation process that she was able to return, and Nistor still sometimes wears a protective brace on her right knee.

2006

She returned to the international competitions in 2006 at the Cottbus cup where she finished 6th in the beam finals. At the European Championships, Volos Greece she medaled silver with the team and she finished 6th in the uneven bars finals [http://www.gymnasticsresults.com/2006/e2006w.html "Gymnastic results: 2006 European Artistic Gymnastics Women Senior"] ] .

Steliana was a member of 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. She placed 4th the all-around event behind her teammate Sandra Izbasa and 7th on beam and uneven bars [http://www.gymnasticsresults.com/2006/w2006w.html, "Gymnastics results: 39th Women's Artistic Gymnastics World Championships"] ] .

2007

In 2007, she competed at several world cup competitions. At the 2007 European Championships, Amsterdam, The Netherlands she won silver on bars and bronze on beam. She also placed 4th in the all-around event and 5th on the floor finals [http://www.gymnasticsresults.com/2007/eurow.html "Gymnastics Results: 2nd European Individual Ghampionships Artistic Gymnastics Women"] ] . At the 2007 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships, she won silver on the all around event and on the beam final, bronze with the team and placed 6th in the uneven bars final event [http://www.gymnasticsresults.com/2007/worldw.html "Gymnastics Results: 40th Women's Artistic Gymnastics World Championships"] ] .

2008 and the Olympics

In 2008 she competed at the European Championships in Clermond-Ferrand, France. She won the gold medal with the team, the silver medal on the uneven bars and placed 6th on the beam finals [http://www.intlgymnast.com/Online-Features/reports/283.html "International GYMNAST Magazine", "Four nations golden as Europeans conclude, Amanda Turner"] ] . Had there been a senior all around competition, Steliana would have won the title with her 60.700, highlighted by a 15.400 on bars (toe-on-1 and 1/2 to Jaeger; toe-on-Tkatchev-Pak) and 15.800 on beam (flip-flop full) "International Gymnast Magazine" Clermont-Ferrand erupts, IG staff, May 2008 ] .

The 2008 Romanian Nationals coincided with Nistor's exams, so she juggled a full competition with her studies. Nistor won the all-around and two events and scored 10s on Romanian language and literature, English and Sports. Her final average was 8.95, placing her among the top ten students in Deva. The process, Nistor told Prosport, was "draining," and she only competed bars at a dual meet with Italy the following week to give her mind and body a rest [http://www.nbcolympics.com/athletes/athlete=688/bio/ "NBC Olympics:Athletes "] ] .

Together with Sandra Izbasa, Anamaria Tămârjan, Gabriela Drăgoi, Andreea Grigore, and Andreea Acatrinei, Steliana was a member of the Romanian Team at the 2008 Summer Olympic Games Beijing, China. In the team competition she did all four events and contributed heavily to the team score on uneven bars with an world class routine (scored 16.150)"International Gymnast Magazine" Golden girls. China handily topped the U.S. to win its first Olympic team title, Amanda Turner, October 2008 ] . She won the bronze medal with the team and placed 5th in the all-around and 7th on uneven bars [http://www.gymnasticsresults.com/olympics.html "Gymnastics Results: Olympic Games"] ] . Following the Olympic games, Nistor went back home while the other gymnasts went to Constanta for a holiday/training camp by the seaside. A few weeks later, she formally announced on television that she would be retiring, having been bothered by back pains for quite some time.

kills

Nistor skills included a handspring to back full on balance beam, as well as a front flip to Arabesque. On bars, she performed a toe-on reverse hecht (called a Ray) to a Pak salto.

References

External links

*
* [http://www.steliana-nistor.net/profile.htm “Steliana Nistor: unofficial website”]
* [http://www.steliananistor.kit.net/ Site of fans in Brazil]