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Nadia Elena Comăneci (born November 12, 1961) is former Romanian gymnast. She is most notable for becoming the first woman to score a perfect 10 in an Olympic gymnastics event in 1976 when she was only 14 years old. Nadia Comăneci is one of the best-known gymnasts in the world.

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Greatest Sporting Achievements

Nadia Comăneci was the first person in Olympic history to score a perfect ten for her performance on the un-even bars, which caused confusion as the computerized scoreboard could not register her perfect 10 mark but only able to show 1.00 point. Comăneci won three gold medals at the 1976 Montreal Summer Olympics. In 1980, she also won two gold medals at the Summer Olympics in Moscow.

In 2000, the Romanian gymnast was named one of the Athletes of the Century by the Laureus World Sports Academy. Comăneci won a total of nine gold medals, two silver medals and one bronze medal at the European Championships. In 1975, she was United Press International’s “Female Athlete of the Year”.

Why Was She So Good?

Nadia Comăneci was recognized and remembered for her polished performance, original and complex ability, her cool character during competitions. She always performed her own moves that later, the skill was named her. Nobody would name a skill after you unless you’re practically the best at what you do. Comăneci deserved it because she’s extremely talented and she had always loved what she was doing.  

What You May Not Know

• Comăneci wan the inaugural American Cup in 1976.
• She retired in 1984, when she was only 22 years old.
• Nadia graduated from the Physical Education and Sports in Bucharest in 1984.
• Nadia Comăneci was named after “Nadezhda” meaning, “hope” – a heroine of a Russian film.

Was she a legend?

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Related Pages

• More Gymnastics athletes
• About Gymnastics
• Athlete Database home