Montreal, July 18, 1976: the rise of Nadia Comaneci
The 11th Olympics in Montreal in 1976 began just two days ago, inaugurated by Queen Elizabeth, dressed in a stunning shocking pink outfit. The opening ceremony was lavish, featuring dancers, cannon shots, doves, and colorful ribbons released into the sky. However, one “circle” was missing: 27 African countries, all except Ivory Coast and Senegal, boycotted the Games in protest against New Zealand, which maintained sporting ties with apartheid South Africa.
A historic event
On July 18, the artistic gymnastics competition begins, an event destined to make history thanks to the young Nadia Comaneci. The 14-year-old gymnast, weighing 40 kg and standing at 153 cm tall, enters the uneven bars with bib number 73. Nadia is not a stranger: she has already won the all-around European Championships in Norway the previous year.
The beginning of a dream
Nadia started practicing gymnastics at the age of 6, when her coach Bèla Kàroly, manager of a sports club, noticed her during a visit to her elementary school. “Who can do a cartwheel?” he asked, and Nadia raised her hand. From that moment on, she entered a rigorous training program, almost military in nature, under Kàroly’s guidance. Despite accusations of brutal methods, Nadia always showed unmatched dedication, surpassing all expectations.
A perfect execution
On that day, Nadia wore a long-sleeved white bodysuit, with a fringed bob and a ponytail decorated with a white and red ribbon. She greets the judges and begins her routine. The following 25 seconds are pure magic: Nadia performs flips and twists with dazzling grace, compared to Tinkerbell, Peter Pan’s fairy. The audience is stunned, but the scoring takes time to arrive. When it finally appears, the scoreboard shows an incredible “1.00.” Initially disoriented, everyone soon realizes that this is the first perfect “10” in gymnastics history, as the scoreboards were not designed for a perfect score.
A rising legend
In the following days, Nadia achieves another seven “10s” on the uneven bars and balance beam, winning three gold medals. She becomes a legend, and four years later, at the Moscow Olympics, she clinches two more golds. Upon her return to Bucharest, Nadia is welcomed as a heroine, receiving hundreds of letters a day and becoming a propaganda trophy of the Ceausescu regime, which showers her with jewels and honors.
A bitter fate
Despite her fame, Nadia’s life is far from easy. Monitored and forced to become the mistress of Ceausescu’s son, Nicu, she lives through hell that leads her to attempt suicide. However, with the fall of the Berlin Wall, she manages to escape, crossing the Hungarian border and reaching Vienna, where she requests political asylum. On December 2, 1989, she arrives in New York, and 23 days later, Ceausescu is executed.
A new life
Nadia finds a new life in the United States. In 1996, she marries fellow gymnast Bart Conner, and their son Dylan is born in 2006. Today, together with her husband, she runs a gymnastics academy in Oklahoma, which has about a thousand students, and she has become a successful entrepreneur. She also founded the “Children’s Clinic” in Bucharest. Her journey, which began as a game, has turned into a story of resilience, talent, and hope.