Alina Dumitru

Alina Dumitru

Personal information
Full name	Alina Alexandra Dumitru
Nickname(s)	Pitzi
Born	(1982-08-30) 30 August 1982 (age 34) Bucharest, Romania
Height	1.58 m (5 ft 2 in)
Weight	48 kg (106 lb; 7.6 st)
Sport
Sport	Judo
Club	CSA Steaua Bucureşti
Coached by	Florin Bercean
Medal record Women's judo Representing  Romania Olympic Games 2008 Beijing –48 kg 2012 London –48 kg World Championships 2005 Cairo –48 kg 2007 Rio de Janeiro –48 kg 2010 Tokyo –48 kg European Championships 2004 Bucharest –48 kg 2005 Rotterdam –48 kg 2006 Tampere –48 kg 2007 Belgrade –48 kg 2008 Lisbon –48 kg 2010 Vienna –48 kg 2011 Istanbul –48 kg 2012 Chelyabinsk –48 kg 2009 Tbilisi –48 kg

Alina Dumitru (Romanian pronunciation: [aˈlina duˈmitru]; born August 30, 1982 in Bucharest) is a Romanian judoka, one-time Olympic champion and eight-time European champion. At the 2008 Summer Olympics she defeated Japanese double gold medallist Ryoko Tani, who until then had been undefeated in major international competitions for 12 years.

Dumitru defeated the legendary five-time Olympian Ryoko Tani by "keikoku" in a shocking –48 kg semifinal upset at the Beijing Science and Technology University Gymnasium. She controlled the five-minute showdown, maintaining her position with strong defense, refusing to budge or give her experienced foe a chance to mount a strong attack. It worked, as Tani lost points for passivity. Then she flipped Cuba's Yanet Bermoy becoming the first Romanian judoka to win a gold medal in the Summer Olympic Games.

She took part in the Judo at the 2012 Summer Olympics but lost in the final against Sarah Menezes. In the semifinals, Dumitru beat world number one Tomoko Fukumi.

Alina Dumitru was decorated by the president of Romania, Traian Băsescu, with Medalia "Meritul Sportiv" — (The Medal "The Sportive Merit") class III.

She was given the award of Cetățean de onoare ("Honorary Citizen") of her hometown Ploiești in 2008.

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