Having reached the top quickly, she lost her previous fearlessness and began to feel apprehensive before her bouts: “When you get on the piste, it looks to you like your opponent is out to steal your dreams.” She struggled throughout the 2002–03 season, managing only a quarter-finals finish in Prague. A double gold medal haul at the Junior European Fencing in Porec helped her overcome the hurdle. That season saw also the first apparition of the Romanian women's épée team in senior competitions, namely the 2003 World Fencing Championships, where they finished 8th.