Nadia Comaneci’s prodigal performances at the 1976 Olympics still define gymnastics perfection for many, and her achievements continue to bring the Romanian heroine honors. In 2000, she was named one of the Athletes of the Century at the World Sports Awards in Vienna, Austria, joining Muhammad Ali, Carl Lewis, Pele, and Steffi Graf as the century’s most accomplished athletes.
Born November 12, 1961 in Onesti, Comaneci began serious training at age six. Coached by Bela Karolyi, she earned an upset victory at the ’75 European championships in Norway, where she won gold medals for all-around, vault, uneven bars and balance beam. (In Comaneci’s wake was two-time defending champion Lyudmila Turischeva of the USSR, who placed fourth.)
At the ’76 Olympics in Montreal, Comaneci notched the first perfect score in Games history, with her 10.0 on uneven bars in the compulsories round. By the conclusion of the Olympiad, she had totaled seven such marks en route to gold medals for all-around, uneven bars and balance beam.
In Prague in ’77, Comaneci won the European all-around title for the second time. She also tied for first place on uneven bars, and won silver on vault. Comaneci did not finish the event finals, however, after the Romanian team withdrew in protest over her vault score.
Comaneci took part in the ’78 world championships in Strasbourg, with mixed results. She placed fourth all-around behind a Soviet trio, after falling from the uneven bars. Comaneci redeemed herself in the event finals, where she won gold on balance beam and silver on vault.
In ’79, Comaneci became the first (and still only) woman to win three European all-around titles. At the continental competition in Copenhagen, she won the all-around by a hefty 0.60 margin. Comaneci then added golds on vault and floor in the event finals, taking the latter title by 0.40 points. She finished fourth all-around at the ’79 World Cup in Tokyo (a fall from the uneven bars costing her a higher finish), but won individual golds on vault and floor exercise.
At the end of ’79, she helped Romania win its first world championship team title with her brave performance on the balance beam. Although Comaneci led the competition in Fort Worth after compulsories, she developed a wrist infection and was unable to perform on all four events in the optionals. Realizing that Romania’s chances to defeat the Soviets were at risk without her score, Comaneci performed a nearly one-handed routine on the beam (protecting her inflamed wrist) and scored 9.95.
Comaneci’s efforts to successfully defend her Olympic all-around title in Moscow in ’80 were hampered by a fall from the uneven bars in the team optionals round. She compensated later by tying second all-around, tying for first on floor exercise, and winning outright on balance beam.
Her final major competition was the ’81 World University Games in Bucharest, which she handily won.
In ’84, the International Olympic Committee awarded Comaneci its Olympic Order. Comaneci began a quiet life in Romania as a coach, but in November ’89 defected under cover of night, through Hungary and then through to Austria. She soon ended up in North America, first in Florida and then in Montreal. Longtime friend Bart Conner (who also won the ’76 American Cup) soon interceded, and the two began a courtship. In ’93, Comaneci was inducted into the International Gymnastics Hall of Fame. In April ’96, Comaneci and Conner were married in Bucharest. The couple live in Norman, Oklahoma.
Today, Comaneci and Conner are partners in the Bart Conner Gymnastics Academy (Norman, Okla.), and the Perfect 10 Productions company, which produces gymnastics TV events. The couple is also involved in a number of charitable projects, as they travel the world in support of causes like Special Olympics and the Muscular Dystrophy Association.
“It’s hard to believe that after so many years people still remember me,” Comaneci says now. “I am happy that with my success I can help others. Bart and I are proud to make dozens of speeches and public appearances for our charities as well as sponsors. We are hardly ever home, but this is the best way for us to make a positive contribution.”
Nadia has remained close to her Romanian roots, and continues to support the Romanian Gymnastics Federation as well as the Nadia Comaneci gymnastics school in her hometown of Onesti. “Even though I live full-time in the US, I love to travel to Romania as often as I can to support my family, friends and the Romanian gymnastics program,” Comaneci adds. “In fact, I was in Romania six times in the year 2000.”
