Alexandra Dobrescu (ROM)

Photo used with the expressed permission of Shanfan. Check out Shanfan's gymnastics site!

1994 Puerto Rico Cup: 6th AA
1995 Junior European Team Championships: 2nd T
1996 American Cup: 4th AA
1996 International 3 on 3: 8th AA
1996 Grand Prix of Rome: 9th AA
1996 ITA v. BLR v. ROM v. RUS: 2nd T, 10th AA
1997 International Team Championships: 1st T
1997 Moscow Stars: 8th V, 3rd FX
1997 ROM vs ESP: 1st T, 4th AA
1998 Romanian International

Alexandra Dobrescu was born on May 2, 1980 in Tirgoviste, a small town 80km northwest of Bucharest, Romania. Alexandra showed an early passion for the sport of Judo, but unlike her brothers - Shtefan and Laurentsu both eventually made Romania's National Judo team - Alexandra quickly switched to gymnastics. She began gymnastics in 1987, and by 1993 was part of Romania's junior National team. She trained at C.S. Onesti under the guidance of Dumitrita Turner (a member of Romania's 1980 Olympic team).

One of Alexandra's first major appearance as a senior was at the 1996 American Cup. Alexandra surely hoped to revisit the USA within a few short months (for the 1996 Atlanta Olympics), but these dreams were dashed when she failed to make the team. In hindsight, bringing Alexandra along would have been a good idea, for the Romanians were left one member short in Atlanta when Ana Maria Bican blew out her knee in podium training.

International assignments were more frequent over the next two years (e.g., 1997 Moscow News), but Alexandra never really had the chance to show her stuff at a major meet (e.g., she just missed the 1998 European team, instead being the alternate). As luck would then have it, a sudden bout of appendicitis cut Alexandra's career short. What would normally have been a routine operation, was, for Alexandra, the end of her gymnastics career. During the operation to remove her appendix, a careless nurse spilled boiling water into her open wound. The result was severe and she was never able to return to gymnastics.

Although no longer able to train, Alexandra opted to remain in Deva to continue her high school studies. She began studying to become a coach, but later changed career paths. She is now a sports reporter/editor for a Romanian newspaper, and recently covered the 2000 Romanian International.

Many thanks to Rodica Listea for updating me about Dobrescu's current whereabouts.

. This page was created on June 11, 2000.

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