Post by Sandrafan on Apr 1, 2008 5:54:46 GMT 4
Sandra Raluca Izbasa (b. June 18, 1990 in Bucharest, Romania) is a Romanian artistic gymnast.
A member of the CSS Steaua Bucharest club, Izbasa began gymnastics in 1994. She has been part of the Romanian national gymnastics team since 2002, and has enjoyed considerable success in major international competitions, particularly on the floor exercise and vault.
At the 2004 European Championships, Izbasa placed sixth in the all-around and won a silver medal on the floor exercise in the junior division. She continued to do well in 2005, winning two gold medals, on floor and vault, at the prestigious Japan Junior International meet.
In 2006, as a new senior, Izbasa won the all-around, floor and vault titles at the Romanian International Championships. She followed up her domestic success with a strong senior international debut at the World Cup final in Lyon, France, placing third on the balance beam and second on floor. At the 2006 European Championships in Volos, Greece, Izbasa was a member of the Romanian team which won the silver medal. In the same competition, she won the title on floor and placed third on balance beam.
In 2006, Izbasa made the Romanian team for the 2006 World Gymnastics Championships. Romania came 4th in the Team Competition, being beaten to the bronze medal by the Russian team. In the all-around competition, Sandra was one of the few gymnasts to stay on her feet. This earned her a bronze medal behind Jana Bieger and Vanessa Ferrari. She finished a disappointing 8th in the vault final, but managed to pick up a silver on the beam, and a fifth place finish in the floor final. She could have earned at least a bronze in the floor final had she not stepped out of bounds on her complicated initial tumbling pass.
Sandra has continued with her packed competition schedule in 2007, attending several world cup competitions. She took the silver medal in the all-around at the European Championships, behind Vanessa Ferrari once again. There was also a silver on beam behind Yulia Lozcheko.
A member of the CSS Steaua Bucharest club, Izbasa began gymnastics in 1994. She has been part of the Romanian national gymnastics team since 2002, and has enjoyed considerable success in major international competitions, particularly on the floor exercise and vault.
At the 2004 European Championships, Izbasa placed sixth in the all-around and won a silver medal on the floor exercise in the junior division. She continued to do well in 2005, winning two gold medals, on floor and vault, at the prestigious Japan Junior International meet.
In 2006, as a new senior, Izbasa won the all-around, floor and vault titles at the Romanian International Championships. She followed up her domestic success with a strong senior international debut at the World Cup final in Lyon, France, placing third on the balance beam and second on floor. At the 2006 European Championships in Volos, Greece, Izbasa was a member of the Romanian team which won the silver medal. In the same competition, she won the title on floor and placed third on balance beam.
In 2006, Izbasa made the Romanian team for the 2006 World Gymnastics Championships. Romania came 4th in the Team Competition, being beaten to the bronze medal by the Russian team. In the all-around competition, Sandra was one of the few gymnasts to stay on her feet. This earned her a bronze medal behind Jana Bieger and Vanessa Ferrari. She finished a disappointing 8th in the vault final, but managed to pick up a silver on the beam, and a fifth place finish in the floor final. She could have earned at least a bronze in the floor final had she not stepped out of bounds on her complicated initial tumbling pass.
Sandra has continued with her packed competition schedule in 2007, attending several world cup competitions. She took the silver medal in the all-around at the European Championships, behind Vanessa Ferrari once again. There was also a silver on beam behind Yulia Lozcheko.