Gabriela Szabo

{{About|Romanian field and track athlete|the Hungarian sprint canoer|Gabriella Szabó}}

{{Infobox sportsperson

| name = Gabriela Szabo

| nickname = Gabi{{cite web |url= https://kronikaonline.ro/sport/gabriela-szabo-sajnalja-hogy-nem-tanult-meg-magyarul|title= Gabriela Szabo sajnálja, hogy nem tanult meg magyarul |trans-title = Gabriela Szabo regrets that she did not learn Hungarian|language= hu|last= Tóth Gödri|first= Iringó|date= 6 May 2021|website= kronikaonline.ro|publisher= Krónika|access-date= 9 August 2021|quote= ahogy a sportrajongók ismerik, Gabi Szabo|trans-quote= as sports fans know her, Gabi Szabo}}

| image = Lansarea candidaturii Gabrielei Szabo pentru Camera Deputatilor, Voluntari - 04.05 (43) (14271151217) (cropped).jpg

| image_size =

| caption = Gabriela Szabo in May 2014

| birth_date = {{birth-date and age|14 November 1975}}

| birth_place = Bistriţa, Romania

| death_date =

| death_place =

| height = {{convert|1.52|m|ftin|abbr=on}}

| weight = {{convert|42|kg|lb|abbr=on}}

| sport = Running

| club =

| alma_mater =

| show-medals = yes

| medaltemplates = {{MedalCountry | {{ROU}} }}

{{MedalCount

|Olympic Games|1|1|1

|World Championships|3|0|0

|World Indoor Championships|4|1|0

|European Championships|0|1|1

|European Indoor Championships|2|0|0

|Universiade|2|0|0

|Total|11|3|3

}}

Gabriela Szabo ({{IPA|ro|ɡabriˈela ˈsabo}}, {{langx|hu|Szabó Gabriella}};{{cite web |url= https://index.hu/sport/2005/11/23/szabogabriel|title= 'Bánt, hogy már nem tudok magyarul'|trans-title = 'I'm sorry I can't speak Hungarian anymore'|language= hu|last= Ághassi|first= Attila|date= 23 November 2005|website= index.hu|publisher= Index|access-date= 9 August 2021|quote= "Nem véletlen, hogy eszembe sem volt a nevem megváltoztatása"|trans-quote= "It's no coincidence that I didn't even think of changing my name."}} born 14 November 1975){{cite web |url=https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/sz/gabriela-szabo-1.html |title=Gabriela Szabo Biography and Olympic Results |publisher=Sports Reference |access-date=2 December 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110913091717/http://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/sz/gabriela-szabo-1.html |archive-date=13 September 2011 |df=dmy }} is a retired Romanian runner. She competed in the 1500 m and 5000 m events at the 1996 and 2000 Olympics and won a gold, a silver and a bronze medal.

Szabo is a three-time world champion. She was named the BTA Best Balkan Athlete of the Year in 1999.{{cite web|url=https://www.bta.bg/bg/news/sport/bg/816349-vsichki-pobediteli-v-anketata-na-bta-sportist-na-balkanite-|title= Всички победители в анкетата на БТА "Спортист на Балканите"|date=January 17, 2025 |publisher=www.bta.bg|author=Dimitar Veliov |access-date=May 16, 2025}} Throughout her entire career she was coached by Zsolt Gyöngyössy, whom she eventually married. In May 2005 she retired from competitions due to exhaustion. She held the European record in the 3000 m between 2002 and 2019.

Early life

Szabo was born to a Romanian mother and a Hungarian father.{{cite book |title=Transylvania |last=Mallows |first=Lucy |year=2008 |publisher=The Globe Pequot Press Inc |location=Guilford, Connecticut |isbn=978-1-84162-230-9 |page=106}}[http://adevarul.ro/educatie/scoala/gabi-szabo-la-chimie-toceam-formulele-stiu-tabelul-mendeleev-1_5139d39800f5182b85e2ef9f/index.html Gabi Szabo: „La Chimie, toceam toate formulele. Dar şi astăzi ştiu tabelul lui Mendeleev!“]. adevarul.ro (9 March 2013). Retrieved on 11 August 2014. As a child, Szabo used to speak Hungarian with her friends, but she can only understand a few words today, which she regrets.

Post-sport career

File:Victor Ponta, Daciana Sarbu, Gabriela Firea, Nicolae Banicioiu si Gabriela Szabo la Buftea 25.05 (2) (14555239344).jpg

As of 19 August 2013 she held the honorific title of Romanian Tourism Ambassador,[https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=477969048966728&set=a.324572704306364.74883.323952537701714&type=1 Romanian Tourism Ambassadors post by DrumLiber.ro], 21 August 2013, drumliber.ro, accessed on 21 August 2013 together with 7 other cultural and sport personalities of Romania.

On 5 March 2014, she was appointed Minister of Youth and Sport in the Victor Ponta social-democratic government. She held the position until 17 November 2015.

Competition record

{{AchievementTable\|width=auto\|Event=yes}}
colspan="6" \| Representing {{ROM}}
1991 \| European Junior Championships \| Thessaloniki, Greece \| bgcolor=gold \| 1st \| 3000 m \| 9:19.28
1992 \| World Junior Championships \| Seoul, South Korea \| style="background:silver;"\|2nd \| 3000 m \| 8:48.28
1993 \| European Junior Championships \| San Sebastián, Spain \| bgcolor=gold \| 1st \| 3000 m \| 8:50.97
rowspan=2 \| 1994 \| World Junior Championships \| Lisbon, Portugal \| bgcolor=gold \| 1st \| 3000 m \| 8:47.40
European Championships \| Helsinki, Finland \| style="background:#c96;"\|3rd \| 3000 m \| 8:40:08
rowspan=4 \| 1995 \| World Indoor Championships \| Barcelona, Spain \| bgcolor=gold \| 1st \| 3000 m \| 8:54.50
World Championships \| Gothenburg, Sweden \| 4th \| 5000 m \| 14:56.57
rowspan=2 \| Universiade \| rowspan=2 \| Fukuoka, Japan \| bgcolor=gold \| 1st \| 1500 m \| 4:11.73
bgcolor=gold \| 1st \| 5000 m \| 15:29.86
rowspan=2 \| 1996 \| rowspan=2 \| Olympic Games \| rowspan=2 \| Atlanta, United States \| style="background:silver;"\|2nd \| 1500 m \| 4:01.54
23rd (h) \| 5000 m \| 15:42.35
rowspan=3 \| 1997 \| World Indoor Championships \| Paris, France \| bgcolor=gold \| 1st \| 3000 m \| 8:45.75
World Championships \| Athens, Greece \| bgcolor=gold \| 1st \| 5000 m \| 14:57.68
Universiade \| Catania, Italy \| bgcolor=gold \| 1st \| 1500 m \| 4:10.31
rowspan=2 \| 1998 \| European Indoor Championships \| Valencia, Spain \| bgcolor=gold \| 1st \| 3000 m \| 8:49.96
European Championships \| Budapest, Hungary \| style="background:silver;"\|2nd \| 5000 m \| 15:08.31
rowspan=3 \| 1999 \| rowspan=2 \| World Indoor Championships \| rowspan=2 \| Maebashi, Japan \| bgcolor=gold \| 1st \| 1500 m \| 4:03.23
bgcolor=gold \| 1st \| 3000 m \| 8:36.42
World Championships \| Seville, Spain \| bgcolor=gold \| 1st \| 5000 m \| 14:41.82
rowspan=3 \| 2000 \| European Indoor Championships \| Ghent, Belgium \| bgcolor=gold \| 1st \| 3000 m \| 8:42.06
rowspan=2 \| Olympic Games \| rowspan=2 \| Sydney, Australia \| style="background:#c96;"\|3rd \| 1500 m \| 4:05.27
bgcolor=gold \| 1st \| 5000 m \| 14:40.79
rowspan=3 \| 2001 \| World Indoor Championships \| Lisbon, Portugal \| style="background:silver;"\|2nd \| 3000 m \| 8:39.65
rowspan=2 \| World Championships \| rowspan=2 \| Edmonton, Canada \| bgcolor=gold \| 1st \| 1500 m \| 4:00.57
8th \| 5000 m \| 15:19.55
2002 \| European Championships \| Munich, Germany \| style="background:silver;"\|2nd \| 1500 m \| 3:58.81
2003 \| World Championships \| Paris, France \| 11th \| 5000 m \| 14:59.36

colspan="6" | Representing {{ROM}}

1991

| European Junior Championships

| Thessaloniki, Greece

| bgcolor=gold | 1st

| 3000 m

| 9:19.28

1992

| World Junior Championships

| Seoul, South Korea

| style="background:silver;"|2nd

| 3000 m

| 8:48.28

1993

| European Junior Championships

| San Sebastián, Spain

| bgcolor=gold | 1st

| 3000 m

| 8:50.97

rowspan=2 | 1994

| World Junior Championships

| Lisbon, Portugal

| bgcolor=gold | 1st

| 3000 m

| 8:47.40

European Championships

| Helsinki, Finland

| style="background:#c96;"|3rd

| 3000 m

| 8:40:08

rowspan=4 | 1995

| World Indoor Championships

| Barcelona, Spain

| bgcolor=gold | 1st

| 3000 m

| 8:54.50

World Championships

| Gothenburg, Sweden

| 4th

| 5000 m

| 14:56.57

rowspan=2 | Universiade

| rowspan=2 | Fukuoka, Japan

| bgcolor=gold | 1st

| 1500 m

| 4:11.73

bgcolor=gold | 1st

| 5000 m

| 15:29.86

rowspan=2 | 1996

| rowspan=2 | Olympic Games

| rowspan=2 | Atlanta, United States

| style="background:silver;"|2nd

| 1500 m

| 4:01.54

23rd (h)

| 5000 m

| 15:42.35

rowspan=3 | 1997

| World Indoor Championships

| Paris, France

| bgcolor=gold | 1st

| 3000 m

| 8:45.75

World Championships

| Athens, Greece

| bgcolor=gold | 1st

| 5000 m

| 14:57.68

Universiade

| Catania, Italy

| bgcolor=gold | 1st

| 1500 m

| 4:10.31

rowspan=2 | 1998

| European Indoor Championships

| Valencia, Spain

| bgcolor=gold | 1st

| 3000 m

| 8:49.96

European Championships

| Budapest, Hungary

| style="background:silver;"|2nd

| 5000 m

| 15:08.31

rowspan=3 | 1999

| rowspan=2 | World Indoor Championships

| rowspan=2 | Maebashi, Japan

| bgcolor=gold | 1st

| 1500 m

| 4:03.23

bgcolor=gold | 1st

| 3000 m

| 8:36.42

World Championships

| Seville, Spain

| bgcolor=gold | 1st

| 5000 m

| 14:41.82

rowspan=3 | 2000

| European Indoor Championships

| Ghent, Belgium

| bgcolor=gold | 1st

| 3000 m

| 8:42.06

rowspan=2 | Olympic Games

| rowspan=2 | Sydney, Australia

| style="background:#c96;"|3rd

| 1500 m

| 4:05.27

bgcolor=gold | 1st

| 5000 m

| 14:40.79

rowspan=3 | 2001

| World Indoor Championships

| Lisbon, Portugal

| style="background:silver;"|2nd

| 3000 m

| 8:39.65

rowspan=2 | World Championships

| rowspan=2 | Edmonton, Canada

| bgcolor=gold | 1st

| 1500 m

| 4:00.57

8th

| 5000 m

| 15:19.55

2002

| European Championships

| Munich, Germany

| style="background:silver;"|2nd

| 1500 m

| 3:58.81

2003

| World Championships

| Paris, France

| 11th

| 5000 m

| 14:59.36

Personal bests

=Outdoor (track)=

1500 metres - 3:56.97 (1998)

One mile - 4:19.30 (1998)

3000 metres - 8:21.42 (2002)

5000 metres - 14:31.48 (1998)

=Indoor=

1500 metres - 4:03.23 (1999)

One mile - 4:23.19 (2001)

2000 metres - 5:30.53 (1998)

3000 metres - 8:32.88 (2001)

5000 metres - 14:47.35 (1999)

2001 Accident

Szabo is remembered for a collision with German long-jumper Kofi Amoah Prah during an indoor meeting at Stuttgart in 2001. Szabo was leaving the track after her competition had finished while Amoah was running for his attempt.{{cite news |title=Ethiopians sweep medals in 3 000m |url=http://www.news24.com/xArchive/Archive/Ethiopians-sweep-medals-in-3-000m-20010204

|work=news24.com |date=4 February 2001 |access-date=28 March 2013}} Szabo walked into Amoah's path and they collided heavily.{{YouTube|0DT7d_LshnY|"Athletics long jump collision"}}