Bucharest; November 2026: Nadia Comaneci, the "Goddess of Montreal", multiple Olympic, world and European champion who made history in world gymnastics by achieving the first perfect 10, has turned 65 years.
In a Facebook message, Nadia has said: "Thank you so much for the messages and wishes. You made my day beautiful. I am grateful to everyone".
In 2026, the celebration of the "Nadia Comaneci Year" takes place in Romania. 2026 marked the 50th anniversary of the Montreal Olympic Games - an edition of the Games that went down in sports history as the "Nadia Comaneci Olympics", after Nadia received seven 10s (the first in the history of official gymnastics competitions!) and set an "absolute record": 20 points, on uneven bars (according to the scoring code at the time).
Nadia Comaneci won five medals in Montreal, three gold medals in the all-around, beam and parallel bars, one silver medal with the Romanian team, and one bronze medal on floor.
Nadia Comaneci, was born on November 12, 1961 in Oneşti, began gymnastics at the age of 5, being selected by coach Marcel Duncan and enrolled at AS Flacara Oneşti. From 1971 she was trained by Bela and Martha Karolyi, and at the age of 11 she won her first absolute national champion title. Six (06) months later she participated in the masters category, where she took third place.
In 1974, she achieved her first great success abroad, winning first place in the all-around, at the Friendship Cup competition in Gera (German Democratic Republic). A rapid rise followed, culminating in the results obtained in 1976, at the Montreal Olympics - an edition of the Games that entered the history of sports as the "Nadia Comaneci Olympics", after Nadia received seven 10s (the first in the history of official gymnastics competitions!) and set an "absolute record": 20 points, on uneven bars (according to the scoring code at the time), writes cosr.ro. Nadia Comaneci won five medals in Montreal, three gold, on all-around, beam and parallel bars, one silver, with the Romanian team, and one bronze, on floor.
After 1977, Nadia trained in Bucharest, with coaches Iosif Hidi, Gheorghe Condovici, Atanasia Albu (September 1977 - August 1988), Gheorghe Gorgoi, Anca Grigoraş (April 1980 - August 1981). Nadia Comaneci won the first world title on beam for Romanian gymnastics and two silver medals, on vault and with the team, at the 1978 World Championships in Strasbourg. In 1979, at the World Championships in Fort Worth (USA), Nadia was part of the Romanian gymnastics team that won the first world team championship title (389.550 points) in the history of gymnastics.
She won the title of continental champion three times in a row and definitively took possession of the "European Cup", being the first gymnast to achieve this feat. In 1975 she won the "Champions Trophy" in London, and in 1979, at the "World Cup" held in Tokyo, she ranked first in floor exercise and vault, second in beam and third in all-around. In 1981, at the Universiade in Bucharest, Nadia won five gold medals.
She had retired from competitive activity in 1984, having won 25 medals at the Olympic Games, World Championships and European Championships, of which 16 were gold.
In the International Gymnastics Federation (FIG) scoring code, two elements called "Comaneci descent" and "Comaneci leap" are included in the uneven bars.
In November 1989, Nadia emigrated to the United States, then to Canada, then returned to the US and settled in Oklahoma. She married Bart Conner, a US gymnastics champion and Olympic champion. The couple has a son, Dylan Paul, born in 2006.
In 1996 she was elected honorary president of the Romanian Gymnastics Federation (FRG). The American Women's Sports Foundation (WSF), which annually awards women with outstanding achievements in sports, awarded her the "Flo Hyman Award" in 1998. Nadia and her remarkable performances were also included in the "Hall of Fame" of world gymnastics.
After the Montreal Olympics, he became an Emeritus Master of Sports. In 1984, the International Olympic Committee awarded him the "Silver Olympic Order" for his outstanding merits in the field of sports and outstanding services to the Olympic cause. From the Romanian Olympic Committee, he received the "Olympic Collar". In 2000, he was awarded the national Order "Star of Romania" in the rank of Commander.
On May 30, 2026, Nadia Comaneci was decorated by the Romanian President Nicuşor Dan with the National Order "Star of Romania" in the rank of Grand Cross.
Team Maverick.
