The story of the Romanian athlete who became world champion, but paid a huge price: “I’m in pain”

Mihaela Melinte remains a reference name in Romanian sport, with no less than 12 world titles in the hammer throw. He performed, he had satisfaction, but he was also left with sequelae in his right knee. Her greatest achievement is becoming a mother, and that only happened after she finished competing in sports.

The story of the Romanian athlete who became world champion, but paid a huge price: “I’m in pain”

Mihaela Melinte, born on March 27, 1975 in Bacău, Romania, is one of the most brilliant figures in the world of hammer throwing. From an early age of 11, Mihaela turned to athletics and dedicated her entire life to performance sports.

Mihaela started practicing athletics in 1988, under the guidance of coach Teodor Agachi, at CSȘ Bacău. From the start, his passion and talent were evident, and his rise in the hammer throw world was swift and spectacular.

Since 1991, Mihaela specialized in this test, which was then introduced in domestic and international women’s competitions. Throughout her career, she has achieved countless top performances, becoming one of the best hammer throwers in the country and the world.

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His career was one sprinkled with success and impressive records. She dominated the national scene, becoming the national champion multiple times and setting an impressive national record of 76.07 meters. However, her achievements did not stop only at the national level. Mihaela Melinte became world champion in 1998 and European champion in the same year, demonstrating unparalleled dominance in the hammer throw, according to cosr.ro.

The period 1994-1999 was one of glory for Melinte, who set no less than eight world records during this time.

In 1999, Mihaela managed to break the world record in the hammer throw, with a distance of 76.07 meters, a few days after winning the title of world champion in Seville. He became the European leader in Budapest in 1998, with a distance of 71.71 meters. In total, she has broken the national senior women’s record 22 times, which shows not only her talent, but also the perseverance and dedication she has had during her career.

In 2000, Mihaela won first place at the “European Cup” group A, in a memorable performance for her and for Romania. For all this, he received many distinctions and recognitions, including the title of “Master Emeritus of Sport”, awarded in 1999, according to ligasportivilor.ro.

But it wasn’t just her performances that made her stand out in the world of sports. Mihaela was also a model of dedication and passion for sports, who inspired many young athletes to follow their dreams and push their limits. As a coach, she continued to dedicate her life to the sport, mentoring young athletes and helping them reach their full potential.

He started a family only after he retired

Mihaela Melinte retired from the activity in 2009. “In 2009 I was throwing almost 70 m, I didn’t make the scale for the world championships, I still needed a few cm, I didn’t go to the world championships and at that moment I retired. Of course also suffering from some knee problems. And that’s how I managed to retire faster”, said the former champion.

But doing performance sports requires an iron will and, implicitly, a lot of giving up. Preoccupied with training and obtaining the best results, the former champion can declare – for several years – that she is also happy on a personal level, as she is successfully experimenting with the job of mother.

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“I didn’t start a family until 2010, in 2011 I managed to have my first child and in 2014 my second child. So I couldn’t do them in my youth when it was ok, now I’m 42 years old and I have 2 small children, when I could have grown them and it would be different”, declared Mihaela Melinte.

Mother of a 6-year-old girl and a 3-year-old and 8-month-old boy, the coach confesses that she will familiarize them with the sport. “Not necessarily to follow in my footsteps, but I will direct them to sports because it is very good for the child. No matter what sport, so not necessarily the hammer throw, any sport: swimming, handball, volleyball, athletics, she concluded.

The price of performance: “I’m in pain every day”

Performance sports brought him medals and fame, but also health problems. “I have had 3 operations on that knee, but for now nothing can be done because the cartilage is gone, the cartilage on the kneecap seems to be gone. And because of that, if I sit quietly in bed, I don’t have anything, but as I stand more, I already feel…

I didn’t do recovery at all, nor did I take an interest in health. Yes, I have pain every day. In the afternoon or evening, hellish knee pain. I ignore them.

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As you saw, I managed to throw a pirouette, I will also do the demonstration with 4 pirouettes”, said Mihaela Melinte, according to libertatea.ro.