Ionela Târlea (during marriage Târlea-Manolache; born 9 February 1976) is a former track and field athlete, competing internationally for Romania. She won the silver medal in the 400 m hurdles at the 2004 Summer Olympics. At the same games in Athens, Greece, Târlea helped the Romanian national team to sixth place in the 4 × 400 m relay.
She gained recognition in top international competitions as early as 1996 at the Atlanta Olympics, when she came seventh in the 400 m hurdles event. In 1999 at the World Indoor Athletics Championships she won the gold medal in the 200 metres.
In 2000 in Sydney, Australia, Târlea earned her place again in the finals of the 400 m hurdles event, and came sixth. In 2002, she reaped gold at the European Championships held in Munich, also in the 400 m hurdles, her preferred event. A rather uneventful period followed for Târlea.:It was only in early 2008 that she secured her comeback among the world's top athletes as she came third in the 400 m event held in Stuttgart's Sparkassen Cup. She retired in April 2009, due to long-term injuries.
At club level Târlea competed for Dinamo Bucharest, Fenerbahçe Istanbul and Sporting Portugal athletics.Fenerbahce Athletic
Achievements Representing 1992World Junior ChampionshipsSeoul, South Korea3rd400 m52.131st4 × 400 m relay3:31.571993European Junior ChampionshipsSan Sebastián, Spain 1st400 m hurdles56.431994World Junior ChampionshipsLisbon, Portugal1st400 m hurdles56.252nd4 × 400 m relay3:36.59European ChampionshipsHelsinki, Finland17th (h)400 m hurdles57.791995European Junior ChampionshipsNyíregyháza, Hungary 1st400 m hurdles56.04World University GamesFukuoka, Japan 2nd400 m hurdles55.991996Olympic GamesAtlanta, United States7th400 m hurdles54.401997World Indoor ChampionshipsParis, France4th400 m52.061998IAAF World CupJohannesburg, South Africa4th400 m hurdles54.01European ChampionshipsBudapest, Hungary 1st400 m hurdles53.37European Indoor ChampionshipsValencia, Spain 2nd400 m50.561999World Indoor Championships Maebashi, Japan 1st200 m22.39World University GamesPalma de Mallorca, Spain 1st400 m49.882000Olympic GamesSydney, Australia6th400 m hurdles54.352001World ChampionshipsEdmonton, Canada6th400 m hurdles55.36Grand Prix FinalMelbourne, Australia6th400 m hurdles 55.522002European ChampionshipsMunich, Germany 1st400 m hurdles54.95IAAF World CupMadrid, Spain4th400 m hurdles 56.172003World Athletics FinalMonte Carlo, Monaco 3rd400 m hurdles54.44World ChampionshipsParis, France4th400 m hurdles 54.412004Olympic GamesAthens, Greece 2nd400 m hurdles53.38World Indoor ChampionshipsBudapest, Hungary4th400 m51.58 3rd4 × 400 m relay3:30.06World Athletics FinalMonte Carlo, Monaco5th400 m hurdles55.79
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