Nadia Comaneci Romanian gymnast, Olympic champion Date of Birth: 12.11.1961 Country: Romania

Biography of Nadia Comaneci

Nadia Comaneci, a Romanian gymnast and Olympic champion, has made history by achieving a perfect score in gymnastics. She was born in Onesti, Romania. Comaneci developed an interest in gymnastics at a young age and enrolled in the Bela Karolyi Gymnastics School when she was six years old. At the age of eight, she competed in the Romanian National Championships and secured the 13th position. The following year, Comaneci became the youngest gymnast to win the National Championships in her hometown.

In 1971, Comaneci made her debut on the international stage at the Junior Championships of Romania and Yugoslavia, where she won the all-around medal and helped the team secure gold. She excelled at the European Championships and dominated the competition, winning gold in almost all disciplines except for floor exercise, where she earned silver.

In 1976, Comaneci achieved the impossible at the Summer Olympics in Montreal. She flawlessly performed on the balance beam, earning the maximum score of 10. This marked the first time in modern gymnastics history that a perfect score was achieved. The scoreboards were not designed for such a high score, so her "10.00" was displayed as "1.00". However, the audience quickly understood the significance of her score and greeted her with applause. Throughout the Olympics, Comaneci won three gold medals, one bronze, and a silver as part of the team event. She secured first place in the all-around, balance beam, and uneven bars, becoming the youngest-ever all-around Olympic champion.

In 1980, Comaneci competed in the Summer Olympics in Moscow, where she finished second in the all-around, behind Elena Davydova. She won gold on the balance beam and shared the gold in the floor exercise with Russian gymnast Nellie Kim. After the Olympics, Comaneci retired from competitive gymnastics in 1981 and was officially honored in a ceremony in Bucharest. During a group trip to the United States in 1981, her coaches, Bela and Martha Karolyi, defected and decided to stay in the country. Comaneci faced strict control by the Romanian authorities, and at one point, she was even prohibited from leaving the country.

In November 1989, Comaneci followed in her coaches' footsteps and defected to the United States. After facing various challenges, she arrived in the U.S. and became a naturalized citizen on June 29, 2001. She still retains her Romanian citizenship. Comaneci has been actively involved in various charitable organizations and sports projects of different levels. In December 2003, she published a book called 'Letters to a Young Gymnast,' which serves as a combination of a textbook and memoirs. Despite several unofficial biographies, Comaneci remains an iconic figure in the gymnastics world.