# Ionela Târlea

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.

## Achievements

| Year | Competition | Venue | Position | Event | Notes |
| Representing Romania ||||||
| 1992 | World Junior Championships | Seoul, South Korea | 3rd | 400m | 52.13 |
| 1992 | World Junior Championships | Seoul, South Korea | 1st | 4 × 400 m relay | 3:31.57 |
| 1993 | European Junior Championships | San Sebastián, Spain | 1st | 400 m hurdles | 56.43 |
| 1994 | World Junior Championships | Lisbon, Portugal | 1st | 400m hurdles | 56.25 |
| 1994 | World Junior Championships | Lisbon, Portugal | 2nd | 4 × 400 m relay | 3:36.59 |
| 1994 | European Championships | Helsinki, Finland | 17th (h) | 400m hurdles | 57.79 |
| 1995 | European Junior Championships | Nyíregyháza, Hungary | 1st | 400 m hurdles | 56.04 |
| 1995 | World University Games | Fukuoka, Japan | 2nd | 400 m hurdles | 55.99 |
| 1996 | Olympic Games | Atlanta, United States | 7th | 400 m hurdles | 54.40 |
| 1997 | World Indoor Championships | Paris, France | 4th | 400 m | 52.06 |
| 1998 | IAAF World Cup | Johannesburg, South Africa | 4th | 400 m hurdles | 54.01 |
| 1998 | European Championships | Budapest, Hungary | 1st | 400 m hurdles | 53.37 |
| 1998 | European Indoor Championships | Valencia, Spain | 2nd | 400 m | 50.56 |
| 1999 | World Indoor Championships | Maebashi, Japan | 1st | 200 m | 22.39 |
| 1999 | World University Games | Palma de Mallorca, Spain | 1st | 400 m | 49.88 |
| 2000 | Olympic Games | Sydney, Australia | 6th | 400 m hurdles | 54.35 |
| 2001 | World Championships | Edmonton, Canada | 6th | 400 m hurdles | 55.36 |
| 2001 | Grand Prix Final | Melbourne, Australia | 6th | 400 m hurdles | 55.52 |
| 2002 | European Championships | Munich, Germany | 1st | 400 m hurdles | 54.95 |
| 2002 | IAAF World Cup | Madrid, Spain | 4th | 400 m hurdles | 56.17 |
| 2003 | World Athletics Final | Monte Carlo, Monaco | 3rd | 400 m hurdles | 54.44 |
| 2003 | World Championships | Paris, France | 4th | 400 m hurdles | 54.41 |
| 2004 | Olympic Games | Athens, Greece | 2nd | 400 m hurdles | 53.38 |
| 2004 | World Indoor Championships | Budapest, Hungary | 4th | 400 m | 51.58 |
| 2004 | World Indoor Championships | Budapest, Hungary | 3rd | 4 × 400 m relay | 3:30.06 |
| 2004 | World Athletics Final | Monte Carlo, Monaco | 5th | 400 m hurdles | 55.79 |