Cristina Neagu

Cristina Neagu

Personal information
Full name	Cristina Georgiana Neagu
Born	26 August 1988 Bucharest, Romania
Nationality	Romanian
Height	1.80 m (5 ft 11 in)
Weight	71 kilograms (157 lb)
Playing position	Left back
Club information
Current club	ŽRK Budućnost
Number	8
Youth clubs
2000–2006	CSŞ 5 Bucureşti
Senior clubs
2006–2009 2009–2013 2013–	Rulmentul Braşov Oltchim Râmnicu Vâlcea ŽRK Budućnost Podgorica
National team
	Romania	132 (551)
Medal record World Championship 2015 Denmark European Championship 2010 Denmark/Norway Youth World Championship 2006 Canada European Youth Championship 2005 Austria European Junior Championship 2007 Turkey

Cristina Georgiana Neagu (Romanian pronunciation: [krisˈtina ˈne̯aɡu]; born 26 August 1988)^[1] is a Romanian handballer who plays as a left back for the club ŽRK Budućnost Podgorica and the Romanian national team. She was voted World Handball Player of the Year 2010 and also in 2015^[2] by the International Handball Federation.

Neagu reached the final stage of the Champions League three times (in 2009, 2014 and 2015). She has been a member of the European Championship All-Star Team for two times (2010 and 2014). She received a bronze medal at the 2010 European Championship, being also the top scorer of the competition and having the most assists.

During the 2010-2011 season, her right shoulder cartilage was damaged. On 10 October 2012, Neagu returned to play in the Romanian Women's Handball League at 605 days (approximately 1 year and 7 months) after injury and after she received long-term treatment in the United States.^[3]

She seriously injured again during training in January 2013. Neagu was out for six months after undergoing surgery on left knee ruptured cruciate ligaments,^[4] but she is now back on court.

Comeback

After nearly 2-and-a-half years of injuries, Neagu again reached the final stage of the Champions League, this time in 2014 with Budućnost.

On 21 December 2014, she was awarded best left back of the 2014 European Championship. She was also among the tournament top goalscorers, ranking second.

After an outstanding 2014 year, she again got nomination for IHF World Player of the Year, but this time lost the award in front of Eduarda Amorim being named second best player in the world with 25.8% of the votes.^[5]

Neagu won her first Champions League trophy in 2015 after an outstanding season, topping the goalscorers list alongside Andrea Penezić and being voted the best left back of the competition.

She was named MVP player at the Handball World Championship in Denmark (2015), where she scored 63 goals - being the top goalscorer in the competition.^[6]

International honours

• EHF Champions League:
  • Winner: 2015
  • Finalist: 2010, 2014
• EHF Cup Winners' Cup:
  • Finalist: 2008
• European Championship:
  • Bronze Medalist: 2010
• World Championship:
  • Bronze Medalist: 2015
  • Fourth Place: 2007

Individual awards

• Carpathian Trophy Top Scorer: 2006^[7]
• Most Valuable Player of the European Women's Youth Handball Championship: 2005
• Most Valuable Player of the European Women's Youth Handball Championship: 2006
• All-Star Left-Back of the European Women's Junior Handball Championship: 2007
• IHF World's Best Rookie of the Year: 2009^[8]
• Most Valuable Player GF World Cup: 2009, 2010
• Romanian Handballer of the Year: 2009, 2010, 2015
• All-Star Left-Back of the European Championship: 2010
• Top Goalscorer (53) of the European Championship: 2010
• Most Assists (36) at the European Championship: 2010
• IHF World Player of the Year: 2010 and 2015
• Team of the Tournament Left Back of the Bucharest Trophy: 2014,^[9]2015
• All-Star Left Back of the European Championship: 2014
• Carpathian Trophy Top Scorer: 2015
• All-Star Team Best Left Back of the EHF Champions League: 2015
• EHF Champions League Top Scorer: 2015
• Most Valuable Player of the IHF World Women's Handball Championship: 2015
• All-Star Team Best Left Back of the IHF World Women's Handball Championship: 2015
• Top Goalscorer (63) of the IHF World Women's Handball Championship: 2015

Personal life

Cristina Neagu was born in Bucharest on August 26, 1988 in Ghencea district, a few hundred meters from Ghencea Stadium. She has two older sisters. She was discovered by coach Maria Covaci.^[10]

References

1. "Cristina Georgiana Neagu". European Handball Federation. Retrieved 25 November 2013.
2. http://www.ihf.info//MediaCenter/News/NewsDetails/tabid/130/Default.aspx?ID=536 Cristina Neagu - World Handball Player of the Year 2010
3. "Revenire după 605 zile » Cristina Neagu a jucat din nou pentru Oltchim". gsp.ro (in Romanian). Gazeta Sporturilor. Retrieved 11 October 2012.
4. "Cristina Neagu six months out!". Handball Planet. Gazeta Sporturilor. Retrieved 30 January 2013.
5. http://www.ihf.info/MediaCenter/News/NewsDetails/tabid/130/Default.aspx?ID=2402 Karabatic and Amorim – Grundfos World Handball Players of the Year
6. http://sport.hotnews.ro/stiri-teamball-20679303-live-text-romania-polonia-15-45.htm
7. "Romania a castigat Trofeul Carpati la handbal feminin" (in Romanian). Sport365. 6 November 2006.
8. http://www.ihf.info/front_content.php?idcat=57&idart=2645 Neagu and Fäth World’s best Rookies of the Year 2009
9. "We are the champions! CSM a câștigat Bucharest Trophy 2014" (in Romanian). bucharest-trophy.ro. Retrieved 26 August 2014.
10. "Acasa la Cristina Neagu: "Mami, ce medalie imi aduci?"" (in Romanian). Evenimentul Zilei. 16 December 2010.