Cristea Olga

About

Olga Cristea, born on December 13, 1987, in Chișinău, is a former athlete from the Republic of Moldova specializing in the 800 meters, recognized for her remarkable international performances in the junior category. She won the gold medal at the 2006 World U20 Championships in Beijing, with a time of 2:04.52, becoming the first world champion in the history of Moldovan athletics, and silver at the 2003 World U18 Championships in Sherbrooke. She also obtained bronze at the European U20 Championships and silver at the 2009 World University Games in Belgrade, setting the national record for 800m with 2:00.12 in 2008, at the Beijing Olympic Games. She participated in two editions of the Olympic Games, in 2004 in Athens and 2008 in Beijing, where she reached the semifinals in the 800m event, proudly representing the Republic of Moldova. She competed under the colors of the Rapid București club from Romania and brought home gold at the 2003 European Youth Olympic Festival in Paris. Her career was marked by collaborations with the Athletics Federation of Moldova and coaches such as Mihai Kravtsov, contributing to the promotion of women's sports in the country through medals at European and world junior competitions. Olga Cristea's personal life was influenced by her passion for athletics, with a height of 172 cm and a weight of 60 kg, but her career ended prematurely in 2010 when she received a two-year ban for a positive testosterone test at the European Championships in Barcelona. Later, she got married and became Olga Zaporojan, retiring from competitions, but her legacy inspires generations of Moldovan female athletes in the context of middle-distance running, where discipline and perseverance remain essential in national federations.