 The first ever European Artistic Gymnastics Championships for women, held in 1957 in Bucharest in her native country of Romania, saw Leușteanu win the silver in the individual all-around competition behind Soviet Larisa Latynina.In the event finals, she collected two more medals in both the uneven bars and floor exercises.In Moscow at the 1958 World Championships, competing as Elena Teodorescu, she helped her team to the bronze medal and placed 17th in the individual combined exercises and was, again, a vault finalist.