Felicia Țilea-Moldovan

During her lengthy career Romanian javelin thrower Felicia Țilea-Moldovan competed at seven World Championships, six European Championships, and four Olympic Games. A multiple-time national champion, Țilea-Moldovan started competing in athletics when she was 12-years-old. She then had an ignominious start to her professional career after she was disqualified for doping at the 1990 European Championships in Split. After serving a ban, she returned a few years later, finishing eighth at the 1993 World Championships in Stuttgart.

Țilea-Moldovan had her best performances during the mid-1990s, starting with winning bronze at the 1994 European Championships in Helsinki. The following year she won gold at the Summer Universiade in Japan and silver at the World Championships in Göteborg. In 1996 she made her first of four appearances at the Olympics, finishing 10th in the final after posting the best mark in the qualifying round.

Although she never medalled again at a major competition, Țilea-Moldovan remained consistent throughout the rest of the decade, finishing fifth at the 1997 World Championships, before coming 10th a year later at the European Championships. She then had a disappointing performance at the 2000 Sydney Olympics, failing to advance from the qualifying round to place 15th overall. After coming ninth at the 2002 European Championships her results fell away, but she was still a regular in the Romanian track and field team. Țilea-Moldovan competed at both the 2004 and 2008 Olympics, finishing 11th at each of them, before retiring in 2010. In 2001 she moved to Spain with her husband where they lived until her untimely death from cancer in March 2025.

Personal Bests: JT(old) – 69.26 (1996); JT(new) – 63.89 (2002).