Rodica Arba

{{short description|Romanian rower}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2016}}

{{Infobox sportsperson

| name = Rodica Arba

| image = Rodica Arba.jpg

| image_size =

| caption = Arba in the 1980s

| birth_date = {{birth-date and age|5 May 1962}}

| birth_place = Petricani, Romania

| death_date =

| death_place =

| height = 179 cm

| weight = 75 kg

| sport = Rowing

| club = CS Dinamo București[http://www.cosr.ro/sportiv/rodica-arba-puscatu Rodica Arba-Puscatu]. Romanian Olympic Committee

| alma_mater =

| show-medals = yes

| medaltemplates =

{{MedalCountry | {{ROM}} }}

{{MedalCompetition | Olympic Games }}

{{MedalBronze | 1980 Moscow | Eight }}

{{MedalGold | 1984 Los Angeles | Coxless pair }}

{{MedalGold | 1988 Seoul | Coxless pair }}

{{MedalSilver | 1988 Seoul | Eight }}

{{MedalCompetition | World Championships }}

{{MedalBronze | 1981 Munich | Coxless pair }}

{{MedalBronze | 1982 Lucerne | Coxed four }}

{{MedalSilver | 1983 Dusiburg | Coxless pair }}

{{MedalGold | 1985 Hazewinkel | Coxless pair }}

{{MedalGold | 1986 Nottingham | Coxless pair }}

{{MedalGold | 1987 Copenhagen | Coxless pair }}

{{MedalGold | 1987 Copenhagen | Eight}}

}}

Rodica Arba (née Puşcatu; born 5 May 1962) is a retired Romanian rower. She competed at the 1980, 1984 and 1988 Olympics and won two gold, one silver, and one bronze medal. At the world championships she won four gold, one silver and two bronze medals between 1981 and 1987, mostly in coxless pairs.

Arba was born in 1962 in Petricani, Neamț County, Romania.{{Cite sports-reference |title = Rodica Arba-Puşcatu |url = https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/ar/rodica-arba-puscatu-1.html |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20200417233142/https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/ar/rodica-arba-puscatu-1.html |url-status = dead |archive-date = 17 April 2020 |access-date = 27 November 2016}} She cites Sanda Toma as her rowing inspiration.{{cite web |title=Rodica Arba |url=https://www.munzinger.de/search/portrait/Rodica+Arba/1/2725.html |publisher=Munzinger Archiv GmbH |access-date=26 November 2016 |language=de}}

She went to the 1980 Summer Olympics as a member of the Romanian women's eight, and won a bronze medal with the team.{{Cite sports-reference |title = Romania Rowing at the 1980 Moskva Summer Games |url = https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/countries/ROU/summer/1980/ROW/ |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20200417101030/https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/countries/ROU/summer/1980/ROW/ |url-status = dead |archive-date = 17 April 2020 |access-date = 27 November 2016}} In the 1981 season, she competed in the coxless pair with team member Elena Horvat, and they won bronze at the 1981 World Rowing Championships at Oberschleißheim near Munich, Germany.{{cite web |title=(W2-) Women's Pair - Final |url=http://www.worldrowing.com/events/1981-world-championships/womens-pair/final/ |publisher=World Rowing Federation |access-date=26 November 2016}} At the 1982 World Rowing Championships, she was a member of the women's coxed four team that won a bronze medal.{{cite web | url=http://www.sport-komplett.de/sport-komplett/sportarten/r/rudern/hst/90.html | title=Weltmeisterschaften (Damen - Teil 1) | publisher=Sport-komplett.de | access-date=27 November 2016 |language=de}} At the 1983 World Rowing Championships, Horvat and Arba won silver in the women's pair.{{cite web |title=(W2-) Women's Pair - Final |url=http://www.worldrowing.com/events/1983-world-championships/womens-pair/final/ |publisher=World Rowing Federation |access-date=27 November 2016}} The same crew won gold at the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles.{{Cite sports-reference |title = Rowing at the 1988 Seoul Summer Games: Women's Coxless Pairs |url = https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/summer/1988/ROW/womens-coxless-pairs.html |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20200418124514/https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/summer/1988/ROW/womens-coxless-pairs.html |url-status = dead |archive-date = 18 April 2020 | access-date=21 November 2016}}{{Cite sports-reference |title = Rowing at the 1984 Los Angeles Summer Games: Women's Coxless Pairs |url = https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/summer/1984/ROW/womens-coxless-pairs.html |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20200418050134/https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/summer/1984/ROW/womens-coxless-pairs.html |url-status = dead |archive-date = 18 April 2020 | access-date=26 November 2016}} She gained the 1985 World Rowing Championships title with Horvat,{{cite web |title=(W2-) Women's Pair - Final |url=http://www.worldrowing.com/events/1985-world-championships/womens-pair/final/ |publisher=World Rowing Federation |access-date=26 November 2016}} and won the 1986 and 1987 World Rowing Championships with Olga Homeghi.{{cite web |title=(W2-) Women's Pair - Final |url=http://www.worldrowing.com/events/1986-world-championships/womens-pair/final/ |publisher=World Rowing Federation |access-date=26 November 2016}}{{cite web |title=(W2-) Women's Pair - Final |url=http://www.worldrowing.com/events/1987-world-championships/womens-pair/final/ |publisher=World Rowing Federation |access-date=26 November 2016}} At the 1987 World Rowing Championships, she also competed with the women's eight, and won a second title at that event.{{cite web |title=(W8+) Women's Eight - Final |url=http://www.worldrowing.com/events/1987-world-championships/womens-eight/final/ |publisher=World Rowing Federation |access-date=27 November 2016}}

At the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul, Korea, Arba won gold in the women's pair with Homeghi, and silver with the women's eight.

After the Seoul Olympics, Arba became pregnant, and this finished her rowing career. Her son, Iulian Arba, was born on 20 July 1989; this was to be her only child. He later competed for Romania in rowing, and moved to elite level in 2009 when he competed at the 2009 European Rowing Championships with the men's eight. Her son accidentally electrocuted himself while fishing in 2015.{{cite news |last1=Neag |first1=Mirela |title=Disperare în viaţa dublei campioane olimpice Rodica Arba: "Nu-mi îngrop copilul!" |url=http://www.gsp.ro/sporturi/altele/disperare-in-viata-dublei-campioane-olimpice-rodica-arba-nu-mi-ingrop-copilul-459091.html |access-date=27 November 2016 |work=Gazeta Sporturilor |date=21 September 2015 |language=Ro}}{{cite web |title=Iulian Arba |url=http://www.worldrowing.com/athletes/athlete/25666/results/arba-iulian |publisher=World Rowing Federation |access-date=27 November 2016}}