 The twelve-time Romanian national champion, Melinte is also a former European and World champion, but has never participated in the Olympics.She failed a drugs test at the Notturna di Milano meeting in 2000 (ruling her out of the 2000 Sydney Olympics) and she was banned from the sport for two years for taking nandrolone (an anabolic steroid).Following her ban, she never again reached a major global podium or threw over 72 metres – some way off her previous world record mark.