[The Medal Factory Episode 14 – part 1 & part 2 – (c)DigiSport]

TRANSLATION

Catalina Ponor: “We are a stronger team every day and I hope it can go back to where it was before, up there on the podium hearing the anthem. This is what we want and this is what we work for.”

Octavian Bellu: “I think this competition was useful for everyone, the girls showed us the level they are at before Worlds. For obvious reasons, they did not show their complete routines, just like the British gymnasts. No one wants to risk seeing something bad happening, any mistake or injury would pull the gymnast out of the World Championships at this moment and, in case of a serious injury, even from the Olympic team. We were really careful with any possible health issue but there were a couple of achievements, one of them being Catalina’s comeback to competition after a 4 year break. she did well and the other girls also tried to do well, we still have a lot to do but as our final goal is the Olympics, Worlds is something necessary as a qualifying stage. I hope this competition was a wake up call for the girls, not necessarily because they competed against Great Britain. We did not neglect this competitor, we respect them as in big competitions where you come from is not important anymore. Everyone wants to medal, anyone can medal, including British gymnasts. The competition is high and let’s hope we do well at Worlds and achieve our goals for the Olympic Games.”

If beam is her favorite apparatus, bars represents the opposite for Catalina Ponor. Even if she is not really passionate about the apparatus that made history for Nadia, Catalina is really trying to surprise us again. she is training every day on bars and her palms are feeling it.

Catalina Ponor: “I will hopefully compete on bars in the near future, but not at the World Championships as I still have a lot of work to do. I’ve barely started and I need my palms to get used to it so that I can keep training.

Andreea Raducan: Catalina is in an impressive shape, she’s been training bars too besides the apparatus we’ve seen her on today. Can she be competitive at Worlds?

Lucian Sandu: I don’t think she will be ready for Worlds on bars, she’s training but I don’t think she will be competitive in one month. For the Olympic Games we hope to do better, including a bars routine from Catalina.

Andreea Raducan: Did you change you floor routine, with new music?

Catalina Ponor: Yes, I have new music and I’m glad the public received it well. It gives me strength and self confidence.

Andreea Raducan: Do you have any health issues or physical problems?

Catalina Ponor: No, not right now and let’s hope it stays like this.

Andreea Raducan: You were part of a gold medal team at the Olympics. Are you able to build a team with your new colleagues, are you able to communicate, will you be able to reach the highest level together? Everyone expects a lot from you and this is normal….

Catalina Ponor: I believe that every day we are a stronger team and I hope that this new team – for me, it’s new – can go back to where it was before, up there on the podium hearing the anthem. This is what we want and this is what we work for.

Andreea Raducan: Your only problem since you came back has been that you have not been able to compete a lot. The elements are there but you couldn’t go back to competition. Will we be able to watch you perform at the next 2 competitions, in switzerland and England?

Catalina Ponor: Yes, I will be there but I ‘m not yet allowed to compete officially. I will compete only for myself, outside the official competition and my score will not be considered. The more competitions I go to, the better. I’ve been away for 3 and a half years and it’s difficult for me now.

Andreea Raducan: Catalina is in good shape and today she’s had a very good competition. Can she be one of the main team members?

Octavian Bellu: From what she showed today, she is on the right path. she still has to complete her beam and floor routines and do a more difficult vault. But, as she proved today, she gave us hope that in one month time she will reach the level required by her status as Olympic Champion. she cannot compete in any shape, she must be very well prepared. Looking forward from this competition, I think she has different expectations now and I’m glad she proved to those who had doubts that you can do gymnastics also at 24.

Andreea Raducan: she is also back on vault, do you think she can also be competitive on bars? I know she’s been training….

Octavian Bellu: she is trying to do it, she’s never been a bar worker, not even in her best days. she’s been a 3 apparatus gymnast at Euros, Worlds and Olympics but anything is possible. Of course, her bars routine must be competitive, she cannot show two or three elements with an easy dismount because this would be useless.

Florin Cotutiu: she came to One?ti very confirdent but with some nerves….she’s done really well, the nerves helped her. I did not get to watch her beam routine, I was with the other girls, but I think it went really well.

Adrian Stoica: I’m really happy about Catalina’s comeback, I think she will be good for the team. We could see the girls had the desire to compete, they were all smiling despite the difficulty in their elements. so they are at the right level right now.

Doina Melinte: You came to this beautiful One?ti arena which took a long time to build, where Romanian gymnastics was born. I’m glad the Town Hall, the Federation and many other sponsors contributed to the competition’s success. As you can see, here there are many supporters who are familiar with gymnastics. I was impressed by Catalina’s presentation, she is a great gymnast and she proved that after a long break she could get back in shape really quick. she is as flexible, beautiful and competitive as before.

Nicolae Vieru, former RGF president and FIG vice president, believes that the success of the Romanian team is also due to their team spirit. Besides the centralized training, famous coaches and talented gymnasts, collaboration is also very important. “I have to highlight something that has been and still is the strength of this team, the team spirit, the way they help each other, their friendship and collaboration. You can see them here congratulating one another, Ponor together with Racea and Porgras. I’ve always liked this atmosphere and this is their strength in competition.”

Before the October Worlds, the Romanian team will take part in two verification meetings, in Germany and Britain.

Lucian Sandu: Overall, I am happy. I think both Mr Bellu and my colleagues are happy with how the girls did. Catalina has had a good comeback after 4 years in retirement. And not only Catalina, Ana Porgras and Amelia Racea as well. Overall, most of them did well but we still have work to do.

Andreea Raducan: For me, this was a good stage, there will be 2 more competitions in Germany and England. Are the girls adding more elements into their routines?

Lucian Sandu: No, the routines are settled, we are working on the execution now with a focus on the team competition.

Andreea Raducan: Can you name a few of the girls that will be in the Tokyo team?

Lucian sandu: After today’s competition, Catalina, Amelia, Ana Porgras. We’re also waiting for sandra, Diana Chelaru. Basically, this is it.

Andreea Raducan: Are you happy with how the girls did overall?

Raluca Bugner: Overall yes, but there are a few cases I’m not at all happy about. They had mistakes and being beautiful is not enough, they must have good execution. They did not show this today.

Andreea Raducan: Then they need more competitions, they probably do their routines perfectly in training and could not control their nerves today in competition…

Raluca Bugner: This is why I’m so upset, they do very well in training….We come here to show we are good and we end up showing something very different. They certainly need more competitions.

Mariana Ristea: It was a good competition, one of the first steps in our preparation for Worlds. For an artistic point of view, it was a good chance to understand how the artistic elements fit in with the acrobatics on floor. Overall we are happy, but there is room for improvement.

Andreea Raducan: Are there any more elements or new things the girls want to add to their routines for Worlds?

Mariana Ristea: Artistically, yes. There are elements where we want to increase difficulty, to add in more twists and we hope they will be executed well at Worlds.

Sandra Izba?a and Diana Chelaru, two main team members, could not compete because of health issues.

Andreea Raducan: Sandra Izba?a, Diana Chelaru, Larisa Iordache are all injured. Did you decide not to take chances at this competition to be back in shape at Worlds?

Lucian Sandu: Yes, the coordinators decided not to take chances in order to have them completely fit at Worlds.

Andreea Raducan: What can you tell me about sandra? We did not see her compete today, she prefered not to come here to be completely fit at Worlds.

Mariana Ristea: From an artistic point of view, I like working with her. she´s an artist, I think that comes through in her floor routine.

Andreea Raducan: Can you tell us at this moment who will be in the World team?

Octavian Bellu: No, there are basically 9 girls and we need to pick 7. If I were to name a team, the 8^th and the 9^th gymnast would think they are not being considered and will not get to compete. There are a couple of weeks before Worlds, many things happen in gymnastics, good and bad so it would be a pity to discourage one or two or three girls just because we want to theoretically name a World team. I hope all of them want to go to Worlds especially since this team, if successful, will probably be the one going to the Olympics as well. Miracles don’t happen overnight. Even if we seem to have time between Worlds and the Olympics, time flies by and those gymnasts who have made the World team are candidates for the Olympic team.

RGF