Melinte competed as Doina Beșliu at the 1980 Moscow Olympics and reached the semi-finals of the 800 metres.

[1] In 1982, now competing as Doina Melinte, she was the fastest woman in the world at 800 metres but only finished sixth in the final of that year's European Championships in Athens.

[3] At the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics, she won a gold medal in the 800 metres ahead of Kim Gallagher of the US and countrywoman Fiţa Lovin, and a silver medal in the 1,500 metres behind Gabriella Dorio of Italy and ahead of fellow Romanian, Maricica Puică.

[1] She won a 1,500 m bronze medal at the 1986 European Championships, behind the Soviet pair of Ravilya Agletdinova and Tatyana Samolenko.

At her third Olympic Games in Seoul 1988, she finished a disappointing ninth in the 1500 m final won by her team-mate Paula Ivan.