The FIG website has also been attracting record numbers of visitors. During the recent Trampoline World Age Group Competitions in Metz, which saw the participation of around a thousand young gymnasts representing 34 federations, website hit rates exploded, surpassing the highest figures recorded during the senior trampoline and rhythmic competitions. Only the senior Artistic Gymnastics World Championships attracted more visitors to the website!
Bea posted a translation of a GSP interview with Ecaterina (Kati) Szabo, whose real name (I learned) is Szabó Katalin. She’s an ethnic Hungarian. Like Bela.
… won 20 Olympic, world and continental medals. Although perhaps most notable for winning the all-around silver in the 1984 Olympics after an epic clash with Mary Lou Retton of the US, Szabo won gold medals in three of the individual events (vault, balance beam (tie), and floor exercise) and contributed to the team gold. …
Now age-42, what does she remember most about her Hall of Fame career?
… The hunger! I can say that I truly learnt what suffering from hunger means. If I had to name the most difficult to bare thing from the period when I was an elite athlete, that would be the diet. You must be tough in order to overcome this.
But you were still managing to run away for sweets…
It was very difficult because we were permanently watched but I remember a cute episode that happened in Moscow, i was with Daniela Silivas. After the contest we went to the tribune and started to beg for money: “Please, one rubla”. Anything was good, not just money.
I imagine that you were as well among the ones that were severely punished by Bela Karoly…
I am the type who does not like to live through the memories of 30 years ago. I turned the page and move on. But I do not regret anything that happened! Emilia Eberle called me last year to ask me if I will tell what I endured from Karoly. …
I’ll always remember how skinny the Romanian girls were at the 1979 World Championships, under the Karolyis. Story was that they were locked in a training camp with no way to beg extra food.
So far as I’ve heard, Bela has never answered that particular charge.
Click PLAY or watch her optional Floor from the L.A. Olympics on YouTube.
Zsolt Borkai, the 1987 World Champion and 1988 Olympic Champion on pommel horse, ran unopposed and was elected President of Hungary’s National Olympic Committee. He will take over from Pál Schmitt, who has headed the NOC for nearly 21 years and was elected President of Hungary in August. Borkai is not a stranger to politics, also serving as Mayor of Gyor and as a parliamentary deputy in the government coalition led by the Fidesz party.
Andreea Raducan is the 2000 Women’s Olympic Gymnastics Champion.
That’s what I believe. That’s what everyone believes.
After the meet Andreea tested positive for pseudophedrine. (Her team doctor prescribed Nurofen, a common over-the-counter medication. Amânar took it as well, but did not test positive. There is no performance enhancement for gymnasts.)
The gold was re-awarded to Amânar, Olaru was promoted to silver, and former fourth-place finisher Liu Xuan from China was given the bronze medal.
All three declined to attend the ceremony where the Olympic medals were re-awarded.
It was one of the most distasteful injustices in Olympic history. And I can’t wait to read all about it in Andreea’s new book – “The Other Side of The Medal”
I’ll learn Romanian, if I must. This is going to be a terrific read. (Seems there’s some hold up at the publisher. Something to do with the photos.)
Unfortunately, Andreea says she was too young in Sydney to really know what was happening. She has to rely on coaches and others for the details on that chapter.
But since she’s now a journalist. With media training. I’m thinking it’s going to be excellent.
Vanda Hadarean, former Romanian Olympic gymnast, won another fitness contest, the UFE Nationals. What else is new? … She’s four time Ms. Fitness World.
I’ve seen articles saying she will finally retire from Fitness competition. At the top.
Vanda’s in her mid-30s. But in such superb physical condition, … I wonder what kind of gymnastics she could do, if she tried?
Recall that FIG killed the World Cup Final. But it seems there’s still a ranking system in place. It favours the gymnasts who actually showed up at the meets.
… The end of World Cup season means the 2010 World Cup champions, who are determined based on a points system, has also been announced:
Gymnastics Coaching.com 