4th Category Nationals

Last week-end, the Sports Hall in Deva hosted another edition of the 4th Category National Championships, now titled "the little gymnast." The 4th category is the first competitive level and corresponds to levels 5-6 in the US. Gymnasts from all over the country took part in the event, and the competition had more than a few routines with a high level of difficulty.

The team competition was particularly interesting, and the host team CSS Deva managed to reach their goal and win the gold medal with a final score of 188.988 pts. The gymnasts who competed for CSS Deva were Ana Maria Neacsa, Andreea Patru, Cătălina Dumitrescu, Diana Sima, Claudia Deac, Aluissa Lăcusteanu, who were coached by Adela Popa and Gheorghe Orban and choreographer Corina Doreanu. CSS Sibiu (185.138) and CSS 3 Steaua Bucharest (175.675) placed second and third respectively. This result confirms the new generation of Deva gymnasts has the potential to achieve great results in the future, even on the international stage.

The all-around winner was determined during the team competition. This time, the Deva gymnasts won only a bronze medal. First place and the national title went to Andreea Velea from CSS 1 Timisoara with a total of 38.588 pts, followed by Cătălina Rusu (CSS Buzău - 38.288) and Aluissa Lăcusteanu (CSS Cetate Deva - 38.250). Aluissa Lacusteanu seems to be the new leader of the team and she already showed she has a lot of talent and potential

Event finals were held Sunday in front of an enthusiastic crowd. PRIMA TV broadcast parts of the event, who went largely unnoticed by the media, even though it is a fairly important competition. Much to the surprise of casual fans, a gymnast from CSS Arad, Sânziana Mitric, won two gold medals –vault, with a score of 9.55 and floor where she tied Andra Stănescu from CSS Sibiu for first place. All-around champion Andreea Velea, took first place on bars (9.800) and beam (9.825) and ended the day with a silver on vault.

Aluissa Lacusteanu turned in a very good performance in the event finals, winning bars with a 9.8 and silver on beam with a score of 9.787. Diana Sima (5th place AA) and Cătălina Dumitrescu (6th place AA) also scored points for the CSS Deva club.

The competition will be followed by a well-deserved rest and several other national meets, leading to the National children's Championships, where the top 36 gymnasts in all categories will compete for the national crown. The meet is scheduled to take place in early November, at Ploiesti.

Back to Articles Page