Marius Urzică

Marius Daniel Urzică (born 30 September 1975 in Toplița, Romania)<ref name=srMU /> is a Romanian gymnast. Urzică is an Olympic champion, a three-time world champion and a three-time European champion on pommel horse. He competed at three Olympic Games, medaling each time on pommel horse (gold Sydney 2000, silver Atlanta 1996 and silver Athens 2004) and contributed to the team bronze in Athens 2004. His unique technique and style of performance have won him the recognition as one of the greatest masters on this piece of apparatus ever, together with Miroslav Cerar and Zoltán Magyar.<ref name=figMU>Fédération Internationale de Gymnastique Template:Webarchive Marius Urzică</ref> Known as "The King of the Pommels" in 2001 he achieved the maximum score of 10.00 on this piece of apparatus at the Glasgow Grand Prix.<ref name=figMU /><ref name=gfGC>Gymn-Forum Results 2001 Glasgow Grand Prix Men Final Events</ref> Two elements in artistic gymnastics, one on pommel horse<ref name=FCP1>Fédération Internationale de Gymnastique Template:Webarchive Code of points Men Artistic Gymnastics 2009–2012 page 69</ref> and one on parallel bars<ref name=FCP2>Fédération Internationale de Gymnastique Template:Webarchive Code of points Men Artistic Gymnastics 2009–2012 page 114</ref> are named after him.

He was the founder of Romanian Golden Team.

Skills

Urzică had difficult routines, which he always tried to execute without fault. Among his skills on the pommel horse was a super E element called "the four Russians on one handle"<ref name=figMU /> and a move named after him rated C in the Code of points.<ref name =FCP1 /> On parallel bars he was known for his eponymous salto forward to 1/1 turn to upper arm hang rated E.<ref name=FCP2 />

External links

• Template:FIG
• Marius Urzica at Gymn Forum
• Template:Usurped
• Template:Olympics.com profile
• Template:Olympedia