[The Medal Factory – episode 7: part 1 and part 2 – (c) Digisport]

Translation:

In the same gym where Nadia used to train, the gymnasts from Onesti and the Moldavian region are still training nowadays.

Their coaches are facing selection problems as kids are not longer into sports and elite gymnastics seems difficult. But regardless of the current situation, tradition must be honored; they are scouting for talent in kinder gardens and they wait for parents and grandparents to bring their kids to the gym.

Andreea Raducan: What is happening with gymnastics in Onesti today? Are the girls still coming to the gym? How do you select them nowadays?

Ileana Hrisca: It´s getting more and more difficult, previously the sport was much more acknowledged, there were less opportunities to have fun at home Nowadays only those that really want to make it are coming to gymnastics.

Andreea Raducan: Do you go to schools and kinder gardens to select the girls or are they coming with their parents and grandparents to the gym because they want to do gymnastics?

Eugen Grosu: Every Autumn when school begins, we normally visit kinder gardens searching for the most talented kids. But throughout the year, we also have kids coming in with their parents and grandparents because they want to practice this sport. Their number is very low, unfortunately…

Andreea Raducan: Is it difficult to work with kids today? Are they more difficult to handle nowadays? Are they willing to make the sacrifices needed in elite gymnastics?

Ileana Hrisca: It’s not more difficult to work with them, the problem relies in the selection number. Previously, you had a large number of kids and you could select the best of them. The difference is that we now have to work with all the kids who want to do gymnastics.

Andreea Raducan: How is your collaboration with the kids going?

Eugen Grosu: It’s pretty difficult, you have to encourage them, but you also have to draw their attention when there is a problem. They are like your own kids, you grow fond of them and they grow fond of you.

Onesti has always been a center for the creation of champions. In the 70s, at the Flacara Club, the gymnastics department already existed and its coaches were very appreciated. Back then, the club from Onesti was the main source of talent for the National Gymnastics team, Nadia being the best example of this. Statistics show that the ¨Nadia Comaneci¨ Sport College has had great results ever since 1975. They have won 12 gold, 11 silver and 5 bronze medals at the Olympic Games; 10 gold, 12 silver and 5 bronze medals at the World Championships and 22 gold, 14 silver and 7 bronze medals at the European Championships. Besides all these, they have won 270 National titles and The Medal Factory at Onesti keeps working on improving these numbers…

Nadia Comaneci: We were used to winning a lot of medals, as if we had a Medal Factory. Do we actually have one? (laughs)

Professor Gheorghe Brasoveanu is happy with the results as the Onesti gymnasts have managed to keep the performance at a high level throughout the years: “It seems that in this area of Moldavia, there are many gymnastics talents which makes me happy. We are trying to keep this up. Fortunately, we can still offer the girls who train here good conditions: housing, food, training facilities. Nowadays parents can´t afford to pay a large sum of money, so the girls are coming here. The club has 2 girls in the Junior teams: Silvia Zarzu is working with the Deva Juniors and Andreea Puiu with the Onesti Juniors and we also have a couple of very good 9-10 years old. We feel lucky that the club´s manager, Ingrid Istrate is supporting us a lot. And not only us, other sports as well…

Andreea Raducan: This is exactly what I wanted to ask you. Gymnastics has always been at a very high level here, but what other sports do you have here?

Gheorghe Brasoveanu: We have very good Athletics results thorugh Mirela Lavric, 800m National team member, we have good weightlifters from whom we are expecting results at the World Championships and tennis is also important. We have around 8 outstanding departments which are honoring not only the club, but also the town and the country in the end.

Andreea Raducan: The Onesti gymnasts have always had good results. What can we expect from the new generation?

Simo Martin: Onesti hosted the most important center for women´s gymnastics in Romania. I used to work with the guys, but I know this center from its very beginnings. They wanted me to work with the girls, but I prefered the men. This was everything there was before Deva came in and later on your town, Barlad, Focsani and Constanta but we cannot call them very important centers. Deva and Onesti are greenhouses for Romanian gymnastics.

Andreea Raducan: How old are the kids you are training now?

Simo Martin: From 6 to 11. We only have one 12 year old.

Andreea Raducan: Have they already been in competitions?

Doinita Vulcan: Yes, we’ve already been at the Junior National Championships with them.

Andreea Raducan: Ana-Maria, you did gymnastics and you know the importance of a good communication with your coach. How is your collaboration with the girls today?

Ana-Maria Zaharia: Yes, communication is extremely important but today´s generation is more complicated than the ones before. It´s a bit more difficult to work with them, they are spoilt….but we manage.

Andreea Raducan: Are the kids coming to the gym or are you going to kinder garden and schools?

Simo Martin: Most of our kids have been brought here by their parents, very few were selected. We don’t have a selection process, but Doina is trying to go to kinder gardens. Our best kids were sent from Focsani or northern Moldavia.

Even though they are 7, the little gymnasts are already working on their careers. They have already won medals in important competitions.

Nadia is also the inspiration for this generation.

Andreea Raducan: What’s your name and how old are you?

Madalina: My name is Elena Madalina Achison and I´m 7.

Andreea Raducan: What does Nadia mean to you, what do you know about her?

Madalina: I know she is a great gymnast, she has won many medals.

Andreea Raducan: Were you nervous?

Little gymnast: Yes, I was too nervous…

Andreea Raducan: How did you start gymnastics?

Little gymnast: I liked it from the beginning, I didn´t want to stop.

Andreea Raducan: What do you expect from the future?

Little gymnast: I want to be a great gymnast. Just like Nadia.

Andreea Raducan: So Nadia is an example to you?

Little gymnast: Yes.

Andreea Raducan: Did your parents take you to gymnastics?

Little gymnast: No, it was me.

Andreea Raducan: You came to the gym by yourself?

Little gymnast: Yes.

Andreea Raducan: Didn´t you get selected at your kinder garden?

Little gymnast: Yes, I did.

Andreea Raducan: What´s your name and how old are you?

Gabriela: I´m Gabriela and I´ll be 10 soon.

Andreea Raducan: Did you see Nadia today in the gym?

Gabriela: Yes.

Andreea Raducan: And were you nervous?

Gabriela: Yes.

Andreea Raducan: What do you want to be in the future?

Little gymnast: I want to be a great gymnast, just like her. Everything that comes out wrong motivates me to go on.

Andreea Raducan: And how do you motivate yourself when things don´t go well and you want to repeat the routine?

Little gymnast: I don´t do the same mistakes, I try to do better.

Andreea Raducan: Why did you choose gymnastics?

Little gymnast: My mum sent me here, she told me about many gymnasts and I wanted to do what they did. I started at 6 and I liked it.

Andreea Raducan: Do you have a favorite apparatus?

Little gymnast: Yes, vault.

Andreea Raducan: How old are you girls?

Little gymnasts: I´m 6. I´m 7.

Andreea Raducan: How did you choose gymnastics? Who brought you here?

Little gymnast: My parents brought me.

Andreea Raducan: Do you like gymnastics?

Little gymnast: Yes,

Andreea Raducan: What gymnast do you like?

Little gymnast: Nadia Comaneci.

Andreea Raducan: Did you see Nadia today in the arena?

Little gymnast: Yes.

Andreea Raducan: And were you nervous?

Little gymnast: Yes.

Andreea Raducan: Have you been to any competition?

Little gymnast: Yes, here in Onesti.

Andreea Raducan: And did you win anything?

Little gymnast: Yes, silver.

Andreea Raducan: What do you want to do? Who would you want to be like?

Little gymnast: Like Nadia.

Andreea Raducan: Do you like any particular apparatus?

Little gymnast: Bars.

Andreea Raducan: You know that Romanian gymnasts have had problems with it. You want to medal at this apparatus?

Little gymnast: Yes, I won silver at bars.

Andreea Raducan: Congratulations.

Andreea Raducan: What does Nadia mean to you?

Little gymnast: She is a great gymnast and an example to us.

Andreea Raducan: Have you been to any competition so far?

Little gymnast: I´ve been in the Schools competition, the National championships…

Andreea Raducan: All the National competitions then…

Little gymnast: Yes.

Andreea Raducan: Do you like any particular apparatus?

Little gymnast: All of them.

Andreea Raducan: And you?

Little gymnast: Bars.

Andreea Raducan: We have many bar workers here…I know you are getting ready for vacation, how will your schedule look like? Will you still be doing gymnastics?

Little gymnast: Yes, I really love gymnastics and I can´t be without it.

Andreea Raducan: So your coaches have not made any program for you, right?

Little gymnast: No.

Andreea Raducan: How did you start doing gymnastics?

Little gymnast: My parents brought me here.

Andreea Raducan: And you like it?

Little gymnast: Yes.

Andreea Raducan: How do you motivate the kids when they are having a bad day?

Ana-Maria Zaharia: Because I started doing gymnastics when I was very little, I´ve learned how to play with the girls, joke with them….When I see they are having a bad day I try to change the program, to not be as strict as always. They respond to this, we start playing and end up doing serious work.

Andreea Raducan: What´s your name?

Little gymnast: Maria Magdalena.

Andreea Raducan: And yours?

Little gymnast: Carla Andreea.

Andreea Raducan: How old are you and how did you start doing gymnastics?

Little gymnast: I´m 8. My parents took me to the gym.

Andreea Raducan: And you, why did you choose gymnastics?

Little gymnast: Because I wanted to practice it.

Andreea Raducan: Did you know what gymnastics was? How old were you when you started?

Little gymnast: I was 5 or 6.

Andreea Raducan: You´re not sure….

Little gymnast: No…

Andreea Raducan: What´s your favorite apparatus?

Little gymnast: Floor and vault.

Andreea Raducan: And yours?

Little gymnast: Floor.

Andreea Raducan: Today you´ve been in a nice competition, with a big audience. What did it mean to you seeing an arena full of people and Nadia among them? Were you nervous?

Little gymnast: Yes, very….

Andreea Raducan: What do you want to do in the future?

Little gymnast: I want to be like Nadia.

Andreea Raducan: Do you watch gymnastics on TV?

Little gymnast: Yes.

Andreea Raducan: Do you have a favorite gymnast from the National team?

Little gymnast: Yes, I like Andreea Puiu.

Andreea Raducan: Who is your favorite gymnast?

Andreea Puiu: Nadia Comaneci, Sandra Izbasa, Larisa Iordache, Andreea Raducan…

Andreea Raducan: And yours?

Gymnast: Sandra Izbasa, Nadia Comaneci and Diana Chelaru.

Andreea Raducan: Andreea, you´re an experienced gymnast already, part of the Junior team. What are your most important results so far?

Andreea Puiu: I´ve won all kinds of medals….

Andreea Raducan: What´s your favorite apparatus?

Andreea Puiu: All of them.

Andreea Raducan: So your are an all-arounder….

Andreea Puiu: Yes.

Andreea Raducan: What´s your favorite apparatus?

Little gymnast: Floor.

Andreea Raducan: What are your results so far?

Little gymnast: I´ve won many medals…

Andreea Raducan: Is gymnastics difficult, Andreea?

Andreea Puiu: No, if you can do the elements well, it´s not difficult.

Andreea Raducan: When you are about to get on the apparatus and you get nervous, how do you manage your emotions?

Andreea Puiu: I imagine I am alone while doing the routine.

Andreea Raducan: You also have nerves?

Little gymnast: A bit.

Andreea Raducan: And what do you do then?

Little gymnast: I imagine I am training.

Andreea Raducan: How did you start gymnastics?

Gymnast: I went to the gym, I really liked it and I stayed.

Andreea Raducan: At the Onesti gym?

Gymnast: Right.

Andreea Raducan: And you?

Gymnast: My parents brought me here, I liked it and here I am.

Gymnast: I was selected by Mr. Eugen and after two weeks he took me to the elite group where I met Silvia and Stefana.

Andreea Raducan: Today Nadia was in the gym, watching you. What did this mean to you?

Gymnast: It´s an honour, I was very happy to see Nadia.

Gymnast: It was a very important event.

Andreea Raducan: What does Nadia mean to you?

Gymnast: She is a great gymnast, I´d really like to be like her….

Andreea Raducan: Can you tell us a bit about your results?

Gymnast: I´ve won all kinds of medals, from first place to third….

Gymnast: I won vault at Nationals.

Andreea Raducan: Is this your favorite apparatus?

Gymnast: No, it´s floor,

Andreea Raducan: How about your results? And what is your favorite apparatus?

Gymnast: I´ve won 3 gold medals, one silver and 2 bronze. I like floor most.

Romanian Gymnastics Fans