Maricica Puică

Maricica Puica (born Luca, born July 29, 1950 in Iaşi ) is a Romanian former middle and long distance runner and Olympic gold medalist.

Career

Puica could hardly achieve success at a young age. At the 1976 Olympic Games in Montreal she divorced about 1500 meters from the inlet port. It was not until the age of 27 she was in 1978 at the World Cross Country Championships and won third parties together with the team the gold medal. In the summer they twice reached the final at the European Athletics Championships 1978 in Prague. After she became in 8:40,9 min fourth over 3000 meters, she won over 1500 meters eleventh place. At the Olympic Games in Moscow in 1980, she reached the 1500 -meter final, but 4:01,26 min were only enough for seventh place.

1982 Puica first came on at the European Indoor Championships, in Milan, she took over 3000 meters in 8:54,26 minutes into second place behind the Italian Agnese Possamei. At the World Cross Country Championships a few weeks later she won the gold medal in the individual competition. In the summer they ran at the European Championships in Athens in both finals. In 8:33,33 min, it was about 3000 meters second behind Svetlana Ulmassowa, however, had more than three seconds behind. Over 1500 meters, she finished fourth in 3:59,31 minutes, three tenths missing the bronze medal by Gabriella Dorio.

1984 Puica won for the second time in the individual competition at the World Cross Country Championships. In the summer of 1984, the Romanian Central and Langstrecklerinnen Doina Melinte drove around and Puica as Mitfavoritinnen to the Olympic Games in Los Angeles, as the Russian runners were missing because of the Olympic boycott. Puicăs Olympic program began on August 8 with the lead on the first Olympic 3000 meters, Puica won the third lead in 8:43,32 min. On 9 August were the Heats over 1500 meters, Puica finished third in the second heat in 4:05,30 minutes into second place behind Gabriella Dorio. On August 10, the finals took place over 3000 meters. The world champion Mary Decker in the U.S. ran in front, followed by the British Zola Budd. Decker collided with Budd, fell down and gave up while Puica with the British Wendy Sly took the lead. In the last 200 m Puica ran out a potential advantage to Sly and won in 8:35,96 min. Tags after, on August 11 Puica entered as the only participant in the 3000 -meter final at the finals also over 1500 meters. In 4:04,15 min, they won the bronze medal behind Dorio and Melinte.

In the following three years Puica was one of the stars of the big sports events. In 1986 she won the Grand Prix standings over 1500 meters and finished second overall in 1987 she won the Grand Prix standings over 3000 meters. At the European Championships in 1986 she won in 8:35,92 minutes over 3000 meters silver behind Olga Bondarenko from the USSR. Three days later, she finished second in 4:03,90 min fifth over 1500 meters. In 1987, she stepped on to the first official IAAF World Indoor Championships in Indianapolis. In 8:47,92 min she won over 3000 meters bronze behind Tetjana Samolenko and Olga Bondarenko. At the World Athletics Championships in Rome again won Samolenko, Puica stood in 8:39,45 min close behind and got silver. At the Olympic Games in Seoul in 1988, its fourth participation, they rose in the 3000 -meter lead 200 meters out from the finish. Your last international medal she won at the European Indoor Championships in 1989 in The Hague. In a race with five participants, four of which reached the finish, she was in 9:15,49 min third parties with more than five seconds behind the winner Elly van Hulst.

During her career she set three world records: 1982 in Rieti, in the mile run with a time of 4:17,44 min, 1979 in Bucharest over 2000 Mater in 5:33,5 min and in London in 1986, also over 2000 meters with a time of 5:28,69 min.

In the Romanian national championships they won in 1982 over 1500 meters, 1977, 1980, 1981, and 1984 and 1985 she won over 3000 meters; 1987 nor was added a title in the 10,000 m.

Maricica Puica is 1,68 m tall and weighed about 54 kg competition times.

Bests

  • 800 m: 1:57,8 min, June 17, 1979, Bucharest
  • 1000 m: 2:31,5 min, June 1, 1986, Poiana Brasov Hall: 2:42,64 min, January 22, 1989 Sherbrooke
  • Hall: 4:28,55 min, March 10, 1982 Milan
  • Hall: 8:43,49 min, February 27, 1987, Princeton
Long-distance running 1978 European Athletics Championships 3000 metres 1982 European Athletics Championships 1986 European Athletics Championships 1987 IAAF World Indoor Championships 1987 World Championships in Athletics 1989 European Athletics Indoor Championships Middle-distance running#1000 m 5000 metres Yelena Romanova Gabriela Szabo Tirunesh Dibaba
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