Name: Marian DRAGULESCU
Date of birth: Dec 18, 1980
Nick name: "marocanul" /Marochi
Gender: Male
Height: 164.0 cm/ 5.4 ft   Weight: 61.0 kg / 134.5 lb
Marital status: married (May 14, 2006)
Children
Place of birth: Bucharest
Hometown: Bucharest
Profession: gymnast
Languages
Start discipline: 1988
First int. event : 1988
Nat. team since
Club: CS Dinamo Bucharest
Head coach: Dan Grecu
Assistant coach: Adrian Sandu
Choreographer
Best apparatus/cat. : Vault, Floor
Favourite tricks: beam            Personal tricks
highest score
Music #1                      Author #1


   The current European All-Around champion, has put together an amazing collection of medals on Floor and Vault from all of the most important competitions. Former twice World Champion on Floor (2001 and 2002) and on Vault (2001); 2002 World Cup holder on Vault. 2003 World Silver medallist on Vault , 2004 European Champion on Floor and Vault, 2004 Olympic Games in Athens - Silver on Floor, Bronze on Vault and Team; 2004 Glasgow Grand Prix and World Cup - Silver on Vault and Bronze on Floor, Ghent World Cup - Winner on Vault. He was the first to perform handspring double front with half twist.

His name will remain the history of Gymnastics long after Dragulescu decides to retire, not only because of his World titles on Floor (2001, 2002) and Vault (2001), but also because of the extremely spectacular and difficult Vault named after him: Handspring Double Front Somersault with Half Turn!

Best Achievements:

2003
- Anaheim (USA) World Championships- World Silver medallist on Vault. Team/5th
- Glasgow Grand Prix and World Cup- Silver on Vault (1st. Blanik POL), Bronze on Floor,

2002
-European Championships, Patras, Greece: Champion on Vault in a tie with D. Kasparovich (BLR); Bronze medal on Floor
- World Championships Debrecen (HUN)- Gold on Floor
- Number one on the Vault World Cup Ranking List before the Finals in Stuttgart (Victories in Paris'01, Ghent'01 and Glasgow'02). In Stuttgart he won Gold medal on Floor and Bronze on Vault. Vaults performed: 1. Roche- Half out and 2. Kasamatsu 1 1/2 twists.

2001
- All-around Winner at the Goodwill Games in Brisbane (AUS)
- World Champion on Floor (in a tie with Jordan Jovtchev) and on Vault in Ghent

2000
- Senior European Champion on Floor.
- 6th on Floor at the Sydney OG

1998 Junior European Champion on Pommel Horse

He has been a scholarship holder with the IOC since September 1998.

"My first coach A. DUMITRU is to thank for me being a gymnast."

Versatile athlete- have also trained karate and swimming in the past.
Hobby: Sports cars

 He is building a fantastic palmares on Vault and Floor and is getting better and better in the All Around. He just won the 2004 European title at these three events. He was a scholarship holder with the IOC in September 1998. Why this sport? As a young boy he only went to gymnastics as an excuse to get out of karate. However as training became more intense he decided to switch to swimming because it was free. His father was not aware that his son was not at gymnastics. But Marian soon went back to the gym as swimming was no longer free after three months.

Student Education: Physical Education - National Academy of Physical Education and Sport: Bucharest. Training Regime: Trains over 30 hours/week. Most influential person in career: Pascu Nicusor, "because he teaches me all I know in gymnastics". My first coach A. Dumitru is also to thank for me being a gymnast". Hero/Idol Nadia Comaneci: "because she is and always will be the best gymnast in the world." Ambitions: To be an Olympic champion and after that a coach. Hobby: Sports cars. Family: Marian's father Ional is a retired mechanic and his mother Vassilica works in a pizza restaurant. Two brothers.

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