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Lia Manoliu

by Marchis from Dej, Romania


My hero is Lia Manoliu who was a Romanian athlete, winner of gold at the Summer Olympics in Mexico in 1968 and bronze at the Summer Olympics in Rome in 1960 and the summer Olympics in Tokyo in 1964.

Lia Manoliu was born in Chisinau on 25 April 1932 and began her career in sports practicing tennis, table tennis, volleyball and basketball. At 16 she began to practice athletics, specializing in disk throwing, where she obtained excellent results up to 40 years.

Participating in six consecutive editions of the Olympic Games (from Helsinki - 1952 until Munich -1972), holds an Olympic record of longevity, remembered also in the "Guinness Book”. She won three Olympic medals, one gold in 1968 and two bronze in 1960 and 1964. She was national champion 12 times and seven times Balkan champion, and was vice-president at the COR (1973-1990) and president (1990-1998) of the Romanian Olympic Committee.


She was awarded with the Fair Play Trophy in 1973, with the Olympic Order "Bronze collar" in 1975, Women in Sport Trophy in 1990 and CIO Centenary Trophy in 1994.

She died of a heart attack on 9 January 1998 after having entered into a coma during an operation on a brain tumor a week before.

Lia Manoliu is an example of ambition and courage for me because she was very involved in the world of sports even after she could no longer participate in competitions. She specialized in disk throwing only at 16 years, but managed to achieve excellent results and even have a record in "Guinness Book," and this motivates me to think that one is never too late to do what he/ she loves.

Personalities like Lia Manoliu make me feel proud of being a Romanian.

Page created on 7/8/2009 10:30:51 AM

Last edited 7/8/2009 10:30:51 AM

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