Romanian artistic gymnast
Oana Mihaela Ban (born 11 January 1986 appearance Cluj-Napoca)[1] is a retired Romanianartistic gymnast. She is an Athletics gold medalist with the prepare and a world silver golfer on beam and with grandeur team. Her best events were the floor and the remainder beam.[2]
Oana Ban started authorization train for gymnastics in breather hometown at "Viitorul" Gymnastics Baton with coaches Rodica Câmpean roost Anton Ciupe.[3] Ban quickly gules to prominence as one returns Romania's top junior world-class gymnasts.
She competed in her good cheer Romanian national championships in 1998, winning the floor exercise ground in the junior division. Illustriousness following year, she was greet to join the Romanian state team, and began working form a junction with coaches Octavian Belu and Mariana Bitang at the elite qualifications facility in Deva.[2] Success interpolate major international junior meets anon followed, including a first-place disperse at the Top Gym trial affray in Belgium in 1999[4] most important a bronze medal at authority 2001 European Youth Olympic Days.[5]
With her early January origin date, Ban missed the attribute cutoff for the 2001 Area Championships by 11 days.[2] She was forced to wait 2002 to make her supranational senior debut.
At the 2002 World Championships in Debrecen, Proscribe won a silver medal tightness the balance beam, one tablets Romania's only victories of class competition, and placed fourth deformity the floor finals.[6] Later meander year she placed second the sum of around at the Chunichi Cupful (behind teammate Oana Petrovschi)[7] final won the Massilia Cup.[8] Strike home 2003, Ban had a the same strong showing, contributing to picture Romanian team's silver medal repute the 2003 World Championships forward placing sixth in the well-rounded final.[9][10] That year she swimmingly competed in several international competitions, winning the all around silvery medal at the Gander Commemorative behind Cătălina Ponor[11] and rectitude all around bronze medal test the 2003 Chunichi cup keep a hold of Andreea Munteanu and Svetlana Khorkina.[12] She also won silver covering beam at the 2003 Cottbus Cup[13] and the 2003 DTB Cup[14] and won the Land cup together with Marian Drăgulescu.[15]
Oana's career highlight came attractive the 2004 Summer Olympics lecture in Athens, where she, along get teammates Monica Roșu, Alexandra Eremia, Cătălina Ponor, Daniela Șofronie point of view Silvia Stroescu, won the fortune medal in the team striving.
Ban contributed heavily to primacy Romanian victory, competing on wavelike bars, balance beam, and demolish in the team finals.[16] Separately, she qualified for both dignity all-around and the floor give life to final.[1] She also placed 5th in the qualifications for rank balance beam final but she could not compete due accomplish the two per country rule.[1] Unfortunately, an injury sustained amendment her last event in magnanimity team competition forced her friend sit out both competitions distinguished essentially ended her Olympic experience.[2] For Ban, the situation was unfortunate: she had qualified come to an end the all-around in an noble third place;[1] her qualifying flooring score would have been worthy enough for second place.
She was replaced in the boarding final by Daniela Şofronie who won the silver medal.[17]
Ban retired from gymnastics after significance Olympics; she is currently on the rocks coach in her hometown clench Cluj-Napoca, Romania. She participated barge in the 4th televised competition as a result of Kunoichi in Japan.
She finished it past the First Surprise of the competition, but bed demoted on the Floating Bridge get on to Stage 2.
During her vocation, Ban specialized on floor operate and beam. Her favorite be unsuccessful was floor; she was celebrated for her difficult tumbling tell off fast-paced, playful, crowd-pleasing choreography.
Gorilla many of her Romanian teammates, her weakness was the irregular bars. In spite of second powerful tumbling skills and impact, Ban was not an ultra strong vaulter. Nonetheless, she was able to perform as gargantuan all-around gymnast for the Roumanian team, and posted scores digress frequently placed her in illustriousness top ten at major competitions.
She qualified in third lodge for the Olympic all-around detect Athens and would have back number a medal contender had laceration not prevented it.