Biography of Nadia Comaneci
Grace, vaulting and escape
November 12, 1961The name of Nadia Comaneci will forever be inextricably linked to the 1976 Olympic Games in Montreal (Canada). Nadia Elena Comaneci, unforgotten gymnast, was born on November 12, 1961 in Onesti, Romania. Parents Gheorghe and Stefania-Alexandrina, choosing the name inspired by the heroine of the Russian film "Nadezhda", which means ' hope '. Starts to play sports constantly at the tender age of three. In 1967 he joined the brand new gym sport society "The Flame"; his early coaches are Marta Karolyi and Valeriu Munteanu. In 1970 Nadia participated in his first national competition, competing in his hometown team. Nadia falls on three occasions, however the team will be the winner. In the two years after Nadia Comaneci is winner of the Junior Championships.
In addition, 1971 's champion in his first international competition in Ljubljana, Yugoslavia. At fourteen, in 1975 switch to senior level. At the European Championships in that year (Skien, Norway) takes the favorite Tourisheva and 16-year-old rising star Lyudmila Soviet Nelli Kim. The Declaration of the latter: "she's good, but unpleasant. We'll see in a few years if he can remain at these levels, "Nadia answered with a Curt:"Nelly Kim? Who is it?". The "Associated Press" elects Nadia Comaneci athlete of the year 1975. With this curriculum is presented to the Montreal Olympics 1976. At fifteen years of age not yet made Nadia Comaneci enchants the world by winning three gold medals in gymnastics. Nadia Comaneci moves with the grace of a butterfly hovers like a Dragonfly: the judges assign seven times the maximum score, a round, clear and perfect "ten".
Never anyone before her. Four years after the tiny Romanian girl repeats at 1980 Moscow Olympics, winning two more gold medals: the audience falls in love with this little girl on the platform turns into a butterfly. His happiness and his beautiful story, life and sports, life is short: Ceaucescu's regime uses her image to promote the dictatorship. Nadia was invited in the manifestations of the Palace and awarded the highest honors. It also covered with favors: a nice house, a house in Bucharest, a nice car. Wherever you travel, he sent as a parcel to be shown. In Romania all the girls play "Nadia". Nadia Comaneci becomes also the lover of Nico, son of the dictator, and suffers atrocities that he wouldn't dare never confess. A month before the fall of the Ceausescu regime Nadia flees in United States. He now lives in Montreal, in the city that he glorified, where he directs a school of gymnastics.
Article contributed by the team of collaborators.