remember Adriana Giurca (1982-1993)

From a 1995 article:

Adriana Giurca, is dead — a victim of the same merciless system which turned Comaneci into probably the greatest gymnast of all time, but which makes no allowance for human frailty in its obsessive drive for perfection.

Adriana was beaten to death by her coach…because she failed.

It wasn’t a huge failure. Just a loss of concentration and balance which sent her tumbling from the wooden beam at the elite Dinamo Club in Bucharest, where she trained.

… Romanian officials have vehemently denied suggestions that the country is resorting to the same ruthless techniques used under communism to produce Olympic stars like Comaneci.

But a crime which should have shocked the nation has been largely dismissed as a one-off incident, an accident of fate.

That is, until you speak to Adriana’s parents, Maria and Emile Giurca. Maria, who visits her daughter’s grave every day, refuses to allow the brutal killing to be written off as an act of destiny.

Over and again Adriana had tried to complete the complicated beam routine under the unforgiving gaze of her trainer, Florin Gheorghe. But each time she was less than perfect.

Gheorghe, 25, couldn’t tolerate failure. Adriana, 11 by this time, was his favorite pupil and he demanded success. When the weary youngster faltered again, he snapped.

He grabbed this fragile wisp of a girl and smashed her head against the beam, lashing out with his fists and feet. She begged for mercy. “Please stop, you will kill me!” she screamed. But his attack was relentless. Finally he picked her up and threw her to the floor.

She landed on the padded mats with such force that her spine was pushed into her brain, leaving her in a coma. Two days later she died.

Today the small girl with big dreams lies under a simple white marble cross near her family home in Bucharest, while her mother lights candles and weeps.

Florin Gheorghe was jailed last month for eight years for the savage attack 15 months ago. …

Gymn Forum: The Little Girl Who Died for Gold – Adriana Giurca

source – In Memory of Adriana Giurca

Where is coach Florin Gheorghe today?

Gheorghe spent three and a half years in prison, released on parole for “good behaviour.” Three years after his release, Gheorghe granted an interview with Gazeta Sporturilor. “…I paid a price too high because I was honest and correct,” he told the Romanian newspaper. …

GymnPics.com

Here’s that interview.

But Romanian coaches of that era have told me that Gheorghe had a terrible temper. They did not believe Gheorghe was innocent.

Does it matter?

Guilty or innocent, either way Adriana Giurca is not coming back.

Gheorghe has nothing to do with gymnastics in Romania. But is a free man.

All coaches need vow this never happens again.

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