Ionela Târlea (during marriage Târlea-Manolache; born 9 February 1976) is a former track and field athlete, competing internationally for Romania. She won the silver medal in the 400 m hurdles at the 2004 Summer Olympics. At the same games in Athens, Greece, Târlea helped the Romanian national team to sixth place in the 4 × 400 m relay.

Ionela Târlea
Personal information
Born (1976-02-09) 9 February 1976 (age 48)
Horezu, Vâlcea
Medal record
Women's athletics
Representing  Romania
Olympic Games
Silver medal – second place 2004 Athens 400 m hurdles
European Championships
Gold medal – first place 1998 Budapest 400 m hurdles
Gold medal – first place 2002 Munich 400 m hurdles
European Indoor Championships
Silver medal – second place 1998 Valencia 400 m
World Indoor Championships
Gold medal – first place 1999 Maebashi 200 m
Bronze medal – third place 2004 Budapest 4x400 m relay
Universiade
Gold medal – first place 1999 Palma de Mallorca 400 m

She gained recognition in top international competitions as early as 1996 at the Atlanta Olympics, when she came seventh in the 400 m hurdles event. In 1999 at the World Indoor Athletics Championships she won the gold medal in the 200 metres.

In 2000 in Sydney, Australia, Târlea earned her place again in the finals of the 400 m hurdles event, and came sixth. In 2002, she reaped gold at the European Championships held in Munich, also in the 400 m hurdles, her preferred event. A rather uneventful period followed for Târlea.:It was only in early 2008 that she secured her comeback among the world's top athletes as she came third in the 400 m event held in Stuttgart's Sparkassen Cup. She retired in April 2009, due to long-term injuries.

At club level Târlea competed for Dinamo Bucharest, Fenerbahçe Istanbul and Sporting Portugal athletics.[1]

Achievements

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Year Competition Venue Position Event Notes
Representing   Romania
1992 World Junior Championships Seoul, South Korea 3rd 400m 52.13
1st 4 × 400 m relay 3:31.57
1993 European Junior Championships San Sebastián, Spain 1st 400 m hurdles 56.43
1994 World Junior Championships Lisbon, Portugal 1st 400m hurdles 56.25
2nd 4 × 400 m relay 3:36.59
European Championships Helsinki, Finland 17th (h) 400m hurdles 57.79
1995 European Junior Championships Nyíregyháza, Hungary 1st 400 m hurdles 56.04
World University Games Fukuoka, Japan 2nd 400 m hurdles 55.99
1996 Olympic Games Atlanta, United States 7th 400 m hurdles 54.40
1997 World Indoor Championships Paris, France 4th 400 m 52.06
1998 IAAF World Cup Johannesburg, South Africa 4th 400 m hurdles 54.01
European Championships Budapest, Hungary 1st 400 m hurdles 53.37
European Indoor Championships Valencia, Spain 2nd 400 m 50.56
1999 World Indoor Championships Maebashi, Japan 1st 200 m 22.39
World University Games Palma de Mallorca, Spain 1st 400 m 49.88
2000 Olympic Games Sydney, Australia 6th 400 m hurdles 54.35
2001 World Championships Edmonton, Canada 6th 400 m hurdles 55.36
Grand Prix Final Melbourne, Australia 6th 400 m hurdles 55.52
2002 European Championships Munich, Germany 1st 400 m hurdles 54.95
IAAF World Cup Madrid, Spain 4th 400 m hurdles 56.17
2003 World Athletics Final Monte Carlo, Monaco 3rd 400 m hurdles 54.44
World Championships Paris, France 4th 400 m hurdles 54.41
2004 Olympic Games Athens, Greece 2nd 400 m hurdles 53.38
World Indoor Championships Budapest, Hungary 4th 400 m 51.58
3rd 4 × 400 m relay 3:30.06
World Athletics Final Monte Carlo, Monaco 5th 400 m hurdles 55.79

References

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