1. Overview
Adrian Croitoru is a Romanian judoka who competed internationally, primarily in the middleweight categories. Throughout his career, he represented Romania at three Olympic Games, participated in multiple World Judo Championships, and achieved significant success at the European Judo Championships. He secured two bronze medals at the World Championships in 1993 and 1999, and four medals at the European Championships, including a gold medal in 2000, a silver in 1992, and two bronze medals in 1991 and 1994.
2. Early Life and Background
Adrian Croitoru was born on February 24, 1971, in Tudora, a commune located in Botoșani County, Romania. He dedicated his early life to the sport of judo, beginning a career that would see him become a prominent figure in Romanian and international judo. Croitoru stands at 72 in (183 cm) tall.
3. Career
Adrian Croitoru's judo career spanned over a decade, marked by consistent participation and notable achievements at the highest levels of the sport. He competed in the middleweight division, specifically the 86 kg category for most of his career, later transitioning to the 90 kg category.
3.1. Junior and Early Career (1990-1992)
Croitoru began his international career by making an impact at the junior level. In 1990, he earned a bronze medal at the 1990 World Junior Championships held in Dijon, France. This early success indicated his potential on the international stage.
In 1991, he achieved further success at the European Judo Championships, securing a bronze medal in Prague. The same year, he won a silver medal at the Dutch Open in Rotterdam and a bronze at the German Open in Düsseldorf, along with a fifth-place finish at the French Open in Paris. He also became a European Junior champion in 1991.
His performance continued to improve into 1992, when he claimed a silver medal at the 1992 European Judo Championships in Paris and a silver at the Hungarian Open in Budapest. Croitoru made his Olympic debut at the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona, Spain, competing in the 86 kg middleweight category. He defeated Joseph Wanag of the United States but was subsequently defeated by Pascal Tayot of France in the third round. In the repechage, he won matches against Károly Korbel of Hungary, Andrés Franco of Cuba, and Daniel Kistler of Switzerland. However, in the bronze medal match, he lost to Nicolas Gill of Canada by Tani otoshi, ultimately finishing in fifth place alongside Axel Lobenstein of Germany.
3.2. World Championships and Olympic Participation (1993-1996)
In 1993, Croitoru continued his strong performance by winning a gold medal at the Hungarian Open in Budapest. He competed at the 1993 World Judo Championships in Hamilton, Canada. He reached the semifinals but was defeated by Nicolas Gill of Canada by Ōuchi gari. Croitoru secured a bronze medal at the championships, sharing it with León Villar of Spain, while Yoshio Nakamura of Japan and Nicolas Gill took the gold and silver respectively. He also placed fifth at the European Championships that year.
He earned another bronze medal at the 1994 European Judo Championships in Gdańsk, Poland, and a silver medal at the French Open. In 1995, Croitoru finished seventh at the 1995 World Judo Championships.
Croitoru competed in his second Olympic Games at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, United States. He started strongly, defeating notable opponents such as Hidehiko Yoshida of Japan by Kosoto gake in his opening match, followed by victories against Ruslan Mashurenko of Ukraine and Darcel Yandzi of France, to reach the semifinals. In the semifinal, he lost to Armen Bagdasarov of Uzbekistan by Yuko. In the subsequent bronze medal match, he was defeated by Mark Huizinga of the Netherlands by Kouchi gari, once again finishing in fifth place, a result he shared with Yoshida. Earlier in 1996, he had won gold medals at both the French Open and the Hungarian Open, and placed fifth at the European Championships.
3.3. Later Career and European Championship Victory (1998-2000)
Towards the later stages of his career, Adrian Croitoru transitioned to the 90 kg middleweight category. In 1998, he won a gold medal at the Polish Open in Warsaw and a bronze at the Hungarian Open, in addition to a fifth-place finish at the German Open. The following year, 1999, he earned a silver medal at the Bulgarian Open in Sofia.
At the 1999 World Judo Championships in Birmingham, United Kingdom, Croitoru faced an initial setback, losing to Carlos Honorato of Brazil in his first match. However, he successfully navigated the repechage bracket, defeating Siarhei Kukharenka of Belarus, Algimantas Merkevičius of Lithuania, Ruslan Mashurenko of Ukraine, and Yosvany Despaigne of Cuba. In the bronze medal match, he secured a victory over Sergey Shakimov of Kazakhstan, earning his second World Championship bronze medal, shared with Yoo Sung-yeon of South Korea.
His most significant achievement came in 2000, when he won the gold medal at the 2000 European Judo Championships in Wrocław, Poland. This was his first major championship title. Before the Olympics, he also secured a bronze medal at the Austrian Open in Vienna and a gold medal at the Korean Open in Suwon. Croitoru made his third and final Olympic appearance at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, Australia. He defeated Vicbart Geraldino of the Dominican Republic and Dmitry Morozov of Russia. However, in the third round, he was once again defeated by Mark Huizinga of the Netherlands, ultimately finishing in ninth place and concluding his Olympic career without a medal.
4. Major Tournament Results
Adrian Croitoru's career included numerous appearances and medal wins at major international judo events, competing primarily in the 86 kg and later 90 kg middleweight divisions.
| Year | Tournament | Place | Weight class |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 | World Junior Championships | 3rd | 86 kg |
| 1991 | French Open | 5th | 86 kg |
| 1991 | German Open | 3rd | 86 kg |
| 1991 | Dutch Open | 2nd | 86 kg |
| 1991 | European Judo Championships | 3rd | 86 kg |
| 1991 | European Junior Championships | 1st | 86 kg |
| 1992 | Hungarian Open | 2nd | 86 kg |
| 1992 | European Judo Championships | 2nd | 86 kg |
| 1992 | Olympic Games | 5th | 86 kg |
| 1993 | Hungarian Open | 1st | 86 kg |
| 1993 | European Judo Championships | 5th | 86 kg |
| 1993 | World Judo Championships | 3rd | 86 kg |
| 1994 | French Open | 2nd | 86 kg |
| 1994 | European Judo Championships | 3rd | 86 kg |
| 1995 | World Judo Championships | 7th | 86 kg |
| 1996 | French Open | 1st | 86 kg |
| 1996 | Hungarian Open | 1st | 86 kg |
| 1996 | European Judo Championships | 5th | 86 kg |
| 1996 | Olympic Games | 5th | 86 kg |
| 1998 | German Open | 5th | 90 kg |
| 1998 | Hungarian Open | 3rd | 90 kg |
| 1998 | Polish Open | 1st | 90 kg |
| 1999 | Bulgarian Open | 2nd | 90 kg |
| 1999 | World Judo Championships | 3rd | 90 kg |
| 2000 | Austrian Open | 3rd | 90 kg |
| 2000 | European Judo Championships | 1st | 90 kg |
| 2000 | Korean Open | 1st | 90 kg |
| 2000 | Olympic Games | 9th | 90 kg |