Romanian handball legend Cristina Neagu has announced her retirement from the national women’s handball team, after Romania finished 12th at the World Championship and failed to qualify for the 2024 Paris Olympics.
„Another wasted tournament, we didn’t achieve our goal. We wanted to be at least in the quarterfinals, to get to the pre-Olympic tournament, that was the goal. There’s a lot of disappointment. I officially announce my withdrawal from the national team, if there are no more chances to reach the pre-Olympic tournament”, Cristina Neagu said.
Her decision was apparently taken before the World Championship, where she hoped Romania would get a place that would give it the chance, in re-qualification, to participate in the 2024 Olympics. As Romania failed to qualify, she will continue to play only for her club CSM Bucharest.
„I got injured, I did my best to recover, but I couldn’t. I tried, because I knew how important the match against Germany was. I tried, but I couldn’t. We somehow ended up in 12th place. We had a sensational player, Lisa (ed. Eliza Buceschi), and we still finished 12th,” Cristina Neagu said.
Neagu, 35, has been named the world’s best player on four occasions in 2010, 2015, 2016 and 2018– a record in both the men’s and women’s game. Her skill has impressed coaches, opponents and team-mates alike during her 17 years on the national team.
Romania won the world bronze in 2015 and the European bronze in 2010.
She also won seven World Championships, where she played in 48 matches, scoring 250 goals.
Romania captain since 2016, Neagu can boast the title of all-time top scorer of the European Championship, both in the women’s and men’s categories, with 303 goals.
She was named the best sportswoman in Romania in 2015 and elected the best handball player Romanian in 2009, 2010, 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2018.
