Nicu Vlad

Nicu Vlad ( born 1 November 1963 in piscu, Circle Galaţi ) is a former Romanian- Australian weightlifter.

Career as an athlete

Nicu Vlad won in his career several world championships and Olympic medals for Romania. In 1994 he joined briefly on for Australia.

Vlad was discovered as a student of the former weightlifter Gheorghe Gospodinov, who took him into the sports school in Galaţi. As Gospodinov moved to Rapid Bucharest, Vlad followed him and remained his student until his Olympic victory in 1984. Later, Vlad moved to Steaua Bucharest and was coached by Dragomir Cioroslan.

His first World Championship won Vlad along with the 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles, which still represented the same World Championships at the time. He lifted 392.5 kg in class to 90 kg, and thus left the runner-up by 32.5 kg. This would not have been possible with the presence of the Soviet lifters who had to boycott the games, sure.

In 1985 Vlad then the first heavyweight (then to 100 kg) and finished at the World Championships in Södertälje 3rd place 405 kg in the behind Pavel Kuznetsov from the Soviet Union. As early as the 1986 World Cup a year later he rose to 437.5 kg and won gold in the duel. In 1987, he placed himself behind again Pavel Kuznetsov and was runner-up in a duel with 420 kg.

In his second Olympic Games in 1988 Vlad had to bow in Seoul again and won with 402.5 kg silver medal behind Kuznetsov, with 425 kg. Originally runner Andor Szanyi scored 407.5 kg, but was disqualified for doping. At the World Championships in 1989 in Athens, he won silver behind the Bulgarians once again Petar. In 1990, he was then able to realize his third World Cup victory and won with 412.5 kg in class to 100 kg of gold.

In his third Olympic Games in 1992 Vlad came despite only 103.10 kg body weight in the class up to 110 kg and took there the 4th Place. At the 1993 World Championships in Melbourne, he moved again, however, in the new class to 99 kg, won silver in the snatch there. In pushing him to present a valid trial and therefore no duel championship. 1994 in Istanbul launched Nicu Vlad then one class higher, up to 108 kg. There he took two silver medals in the jerk and in the tackle and a bronze in the snatch.

The end of his career were his now fourth Olympic Games in Atlanta in 1996, where he obtained with 420 kg in class to 108 kg in the 3rd place. The runner-up Russian Sergei Syrtsov raised the same load, but was 480 grams lighter.

Others

After his career Vlad worked as a trainer and has been since 1997 President of the Romanian Weightlifting Federation. Vlad is 2006 in the Hall of Fame of the International Weightlifting Federation (IWF ) has been added. On 1 April 2009 he was elected Vice President of the IMF, after he had a long time member of the Technical Committee.

Personal best

• Tear: 200.5 kg in class to 100 kg at the World Championships in Sofia.
• Launched: 237.5 kg in class to 100 kg at the World Championships in Sofia.
• Duel: 437.5 kg in class to 100 kg at the World Championships in Sofia.