SPORT

by Craig Turp
November 2005

Catalina Ponor was one of the stars of the Athens Olympics, picking up three gold medals. What are the chances of her feats being repeated?

There are some jobs that are best left to others. Collecting rubbish, picking strawberries, acting, doing any kind of paperwork in Romania and of course – the lowest of the low – editing city guides. But if there is one thing that bin men, strawberry pickers, bureaucrats and editors have in common, it is that even though they might not have the most sought-after jobs in the world, they are never given more than a curious look when they answer the question “And what do you do?” Such indifference is never on offer when the answer to the question is “gymnastics coach.”

Now, let me say first and foremost that I am certain every gymnastics coach in the world is an upstanding member of his community, with an impeccable sense of proper behaviour and the welfare of the children he coaches paramount. At the same time it should also be said that it just doesn’t seem right: grown men with large moustaches spending all day and all night supervising the childhoods of nubile, pre-pubescent girls. For 30 years Romania’s gymnasts were the world’s best: for the simple reason that they were most strictly controlled.

It is no coincidence that the world’s leading gymnastics nations are all totalitarian (or quasi-totalitarian) states: Russia, China and Belarus. Romania of course, for years the world’s number one gymnastics nation, no longer features on the list. Such is the price of democracy: the national girls’ squad was disbanded this summer after three of its key members partied the night away – without their coach’s permission – at a Bucharest nightclub.

This scandal came not long after the girls’ former coaches, Marian Bitang and Octavian Belu, were accused (though the charges were not proven) of taking a cut of the girls’ prize and appearance money. This in turn after three of Romania’s former Olympic champions reduxed their routines – only this time in the buff – for a Japanese soft-porn video, and several billion yen.

Such indiscipline would have been unthinkable in Romania not two years ago. It is still unthinkable in China. With that country preparing to host the most spectacular and successful Olympic Games in history in three years time, you can be certain that nightclubbing and prancing around naked is the furthest thing from the minds of the country’s gymnasts, who will be expected to sweep the board. On current form Romania may not even be able to muster a full quota of six for the team event. Only Russia and Belarus will be able to give the Chinese a run for their money.

It took a long time for Romanian democracy to trickle down to the world of female gymnastics. Now that it has done it will be difficult, perhaps even impossible, for the country to regain its status as the world’s leading gymnastics nation. Romania’s golden generation of gymnasts, who over 30 years ago brought more gold into the country than the central bank could cope with, has ended. This is no bad thing. These champions were the product of a corrupt, totalitarian system that used them and their bodies to further the despotic ambitions of its leaders.

There will be Romanian champion gymnasts in the future, I am sure. But these future champions will have to show the personal drive and determination present in other sports. They will have to choose to dedicate their childhoods to gymnastics, and they will be similarly free to give up whenever they like. The conveyor belt has been switched off.

Craig Turp edits Bucharest in your Pocket.