Growing Up
Gymnastics, a sport that favors smaller bodies, often witness its greatest triumphs just before puberty. Nadia Comăneci was no exception, and when her body finally began to change, the Romanian government encouraged her to take a break. Upon her return to major competitions, Comăneci found herself “seven inches taller and a stone and a half heavier.”
She continued to excel, securing gold on the balance beam and silver on the vault. However, her performances on the uneven bars and floor exercises fell short of her earlier achievements, marking the challenges of transitioning into adulthood. As she matured, rumors about her personal life began circulating, with one false claim suggesting she was involved with Nicu Ceaușescu, the son of Romanian dictator Nicolae Ceaușescu. Despite the falsehood of the rumor, it tarnished Comăneci’s reputation.
