Cătălina Ponor

Catalina Ponor ( born August 20, 1987 in Constanta, Constanta county ) is a Romanian gymnast.

Career

Catalina Ponor competed for C.S.Ş. nr. 1 Farul Constanta, where he was coached by Matei Stănei and Gabriela Dosoftei. She made first attracted international attention when she won three silver medals in 2003 at the World Gymnastics Championships: in team all-around, on the ground and on the balance beam. In 2004, she took three gold medals at the European Championships in the same disciplines.

She was one of the most successful athletes in the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens. Ponor won in the individual finals each of the gold medal on floor and on the balance beam. In multi-discipline teams, they also won the gold medal with Romania.

At the European Championships in 2005 Ponor was able to defend her title on balance beam, she also was ranked 4 on the ground. In the World Gymnastics Championships in 2005, she won bronze on beam. At the European Championships in April 2006, she won another gold medals on balance beam. It also won a silver medal in the team all-around and bronze on floor. Then Ponor had injured her training break and did not return until November 2006 back. She separated from their previous coaching staff and moved to Mariana Bitang. The last medal won Ponor at the World Gymnastics Championships in 2007, where she was ranked 3 in the team competition and rank 4 on the balance beam. On 12 December 2007 she announced her retirement from active competitive sports. In April 2011 Ponor returned to Leistungsssport and took Octavian Belu and Mariana Bitang training after a nearly four - year absence again. At the 2011 World Championships in Tokyo She won the 4th place with the team. In the following 2012 Summer Olympic Games in London, she won the bronze medal with the Romanian team behind the Olympic champions from the United States and Russia, and silver on floor behind the USA's Alexandra Raisman.

Catalina Ponor is 1,58 m tall, her competition weight is 51 kg.

Awards

• Choice for the best athlete of the year 2004 in the district of Constanta