august07

For former news see the newsarchive

31 August 2007

Anamaria Tamirjan out of worlds

Bad luck is following the Romanian team yet again. After losing Aluissa Lacusteanu to a bad knee injury at the Europeans in Amsterdam in April, another promising young gymnast got injured during training in Stuttgart.

Prosport reports that Anamaria Tamirjan has injured herself during podium training on Wednesday and has a fracture in her leg. She was training on bars when her hand slipped off the bars and she hit her knee to her mouth and fell really badly. Tamirjan was the fourth gymnast on the team, behind Nistor, Izbasa and Ponor. Andreea Grigore, who too has only just recovered from an injury, will take her place. Forminte explains that it won't be the same routine but they don't have any other choice. He hopes that they will get through qualifications on Saturday ok and then it will be easier for them.
Romania will start their qualification on floor and are in subdivision 4 of 10.

29 August 2007

Cerasela would like to help the team

Still only 14, little Cerasela is about to enter the biggest competition of her life. After having an old injury flare up, the girl from Bals wasn't sure if she would go to Stuttgart but it seems that she has made the team as her talent for bars could help the Romanian team out a lot.
Prosport had a short chat with her and she explains that this is the most important moment for her since she has become a senior as it's her first big competition and because it's a World Championships, it brings along a lot of nerves for her.
Cerasela would love to be able to help out the team but she doesn't think she would have chances in the all-around or finals. She knows that she has to higher her start value on different apparatus and to work on some elements and if things work out, she can think about more than getting a good result with the team.
She hopes to get onto the rostrum with the team, even hope for gold although she knows it's going to be difficult. The team is very united and if they gather their strength, it should be ok.
Cerasela is considered to be the most complete gymnast of all the girls that come from the junior team. Does that motivate her? She explains that it makes her work even harder during training to fulfill the expectation that people have of her.
She thinks that bars and beam are her best apparatus, on the other two apparatus she has to improve her routines.

28 August 2007

The story of the girls in Deva who would like to win gold in Stuttgart

Catalin Novac from Gardianul talks to the members of the National team who will be representing Romania at the World Championships in Stuttgart about how they started gymnastics.

Cerasela Patrascu, a late starter

Steliana Nistor, Cerasela Patrascu and Anamaria Tamirjan are old acquaintances. You could say that they spent their childhood in the junior team and now they have made the step together to the senior team. 'I get along the best with Steliana and Anamaria,' says Cerasela, who can be considered a 'late starter'. Unlike her teammates, she started gymnastics a few years later. 'I started gymnastics when I was 8, in Deva. I wanted to do modern dance and a choreographer there lead me to gymnastics. I have had moments that I wanted to give up but my teammates helped me a lot and I continued and now I have no regrets,' says the debutant at a major competition. In just 7 years, Cerasela Patrascu has grown (progressed) like the others have done in 11 but she doesn't know too much about the future other than that she wants to 'make it'.

Anamaria Tamirjan, luckier than her sister

In the Tamirjan family, gymnastics is a dominant sport. Only a few know that not only Anamaria, but also her twin sister Adriana is a member of the National team that trains in Deva. Only Anamaria will go to Germany with the team, however the twins have got used to being seperated. 'Almost every time that we were seperated was when we had to go to a competition. She had more injuries and has lost a lot of time. I would like to become the Olympic, World and European champion if it's possible,' confesses Anamaria. Stuttgart could be the first stop on the road to success of a gymnast that went into the gym of Petrolul Ploiesti for the first time when she was only 4 years old.

Steliana Nistor wants to go to University

The last one of this group of friends but not the least is Steliana Nistor. She's already used to the video camera, casette recorder and microphone of the reporter. 'The one who took me by the hand and guided me into this sport was my mother, at home in Sibiu, when I was 4 years old. Gymnastics is difficult and dangerous but up and till now it has offered me the biggest satisfactions in my life. After I finish the 12th class, I would like to go to University. Honestly,I would love to coach in another country after I retire,' says Steliana. The best Romanian gymnast on bars says that the most difficult moment in her career was making the mistakes (falling) at Europeans in Amsterdam this year, but she got over the disappointment. 'If I do my job in Stuttgart like I do in training, everything will be ok,' states the main member of the team.

Dana Druncea, a very shy girl

Dana Druncea is from Bucharest and started gymnastics at CSS Triumf at the age of 4 and a half. The one who took the initiative of taking her to the gym was her father. She can say about gymnastics that it has formed her character. 'When I was little, I was really shy. With the help of gymnastics it got better. I am the first in my family to do top sport,' says Dana.
Her parents were in doubt whether their daughter should continue gymnastics when she had a serious elbow injury which required a long recovery time. 'The club in Deva is not a fortress. We have a strict program but through this program we can get there where we dreamt about since we were little. It's true that you sacrifice your childhood but it's worth it if you fulfill your dream. Mine is competing at the Olympics. I will never regret that I started doing top gymnastics,' adds Dana.

Sandra Izbasa got into gymnastics by mistake

Three members of the National team who train in Deva are from Bucharest. Sandra and Andreea Grigore are from Steaua while Dana Druncea started at CSS Triumf.
It can be said that one of the best Romanian gymnasts currently, Sandra, started gymnastics by mistake and the one encouraging her was her father. 'I didn't start doing gymnastics but started with tennis. I didn't like it because they put this racket in my hand that seemed really big and it scared me. After that, my parents took me to fencing, also at Steaua, and I was scared too but now of the sword. In the sport complex there was also a small hall, it wasn't renovated and I went in to see what was there. It was a gym and I saw a lot of girls who performed lots of elements. Funnily enough, I wasn't scared of the beam, I loved it there and stayed. When I was 7, I wanted to quit because I didn't like it anymore but the coaches said that I was good. I loved school more, I stayed at home away from the gym for a while but my father brought me back to gymnastics and told me it would be fine,' remembers the multiple National champion of how she started the sport. Her immediate goal is a floor routine that will win her a medal in Stuttgart and good solid performances on all 4 apparatus to help the team. For future plans she would also like to win a European all-around title and as many medals as possible at the Olympics in Beijing.
'If I will have a daughter, I don't know if I would put her into gymnastics but she would certainly do sport,' concluded Sandra.

Andreea Grigore, another Steaua member

Another member of the Steaua club is Andreea Grigore. She started gymnastics because of her parents, who were desperate because their daughter spent most of her time climbing on fences or anything close by and they considered that gymnastics would be a good method to get rid of her energy and maybe she would even have a talent for the sport. 'Like my teammates, the most difficult time of my career are the injuries. I don't regret anything of what I have done up until now,' reveals Andreea.

27 August 2007

The girls have left and Bitang impressed by Catalina

The girls have left for Stuttgart on Sunday evening, arriving at the airport in Bucharest by mini bus where they waited for Catalina Ponor and Mariana Bitang, who arrived in style being driven by Octavian Belu. Nicolae Forminte said that of course they have their chances and he hopes that everything will go according to plan. Steliana said that it helps a lot to have Catalina on the team and Mariana Bitang mentions that if Catalina performs like she does in training, she will win a medal.
Belu high-fived all the girls, much to the amusement of the girls, and wished everybody good luck.

In Online Sport Mariana Bitang mentioned how surprised she was at the seriousness of Catalina in training. Mariana: 'Ponor will be part of the team for Worlds. I was very surprised at how serious she was during training. The fact is that after a year's break, she got involved so seriously and that has surprised people who hadn't expected her to come back at top level. She will compete on two or three apparatus and I hope that she will make it into the final. The goal is to do as well as possible on these apparatus. We have felt really good during the two months of training, we as well as the boys who train in the same gym.'

Mariana also explains that she will not go onto the podium with the team. Mariana: 'I do not want to go onto the podium with the team because the 5 gymnasts are in a different group and I know how important the two coaches are for the team. Catalina has experience and I hope that I will find a way to communicate with her in the arena.'
Adrian Stoica adds: 'Mariana Bitang will be able to be alongside Catalina whenever she wishes.'

25 August 2007

Bars is priority

In three weeks time Steliana Nistor will turn 18 years old but first she has to compete three full competitions at Worlds. Her biggest wish is that she will be able to win a medal on bars.
Gazeta Sporturilor asked her with what kind of mindset she is leaving for Stuttgart and she replies that she hopes to do well, she knows that she is able to do so and she would like everything to come together as it goes during training.
Of course she hopes to win a medal but on which apparatus? Stela: 'The order would be bars, beam and floor.' On vault she will have to try to perform well.
She explains that she feels she's her only biggest rival, she isn't afraid of anyone and hopes to keep her emotions under control.
Stela still has niggling injuries but she tries to put it behind her and to give everything she has at Worlds.
She also says that she gets along with Catalina Ponor very well and that Catalina helps her during the competition. In Spain, Steliana fell off beam and hit herself very hard, Catalina helped her and is always encouraging her.
For her birthday that's on the 15th of September she wants one thing, a medal at Worlds. The girls and her mother have asked her about her wishes too and she answered that she would like something very special that she will have with her for her entire life. She can't wait until it's her birthday.

24 August 2007

Modest objective and operation for Aluissa

Hunedoreanul reports that the objective at Worlds is modest, maybe one or two medals. Nicolae Forminte hopes that he won't have to make any more changes to the team because that would mean that another girl was injured. He also mentions that the girls are aware of their responsibility and they will do everything to achieve their goal.

Cotidianul reports that the Romanian Gymnastics Federation has a partnership with the insurance company Euroins.
Even though Aluissa Lacusteanu got injured during the Europeans in Amsterdam, before this partnership existed, Euroins has agreed to support the knee operation of Aluissa at the famous medical clinic in Bologna, Italy in September.

21 August 2007

Main problem is getting the girls healthy

Romania Libera reports that 4 days before leaving for the World Championships, Steliana Nistor, Sandra Izbasa, Andreea Grigore and Cerasela Patrascu are still struggling with health problems. Nicolae Forminte explains that Steliana and Sandra can't train at maximum level because of old injuries and Grigore and Patrascu are still recovering but he still has hope that he can count on them for the competition. Forminte hopes that nothing else will happen like all the bad luck they had to cope with during the Europeans. (Lacusteanu getting injured and Sandra breaking her metatarsal)
He continues to explain that Steliana and Sandra are the main gymnasts as they have the most experience at competitions and both will compete on 4 apparatus. He wishes that they will achieve a lot of high marks for the team which will be helped a lot with the routines of Catalina Ponor.
Sandra has recovered well after her injury but is in a state of tiredness and Forminte is afraid that she is going to get exhausted. They count on her for the team but Forminte said it would be difficult for Sandra in the all-around as her adversaries have upgraded their routines and Sandra is competing the same routines as she did at Europeans.
About medal hopes Forminte says that the objective stays the same because the team has potential, indifferent of who will be competing he will have faith in their capacity. Everything will depend on the day of the competition.
(It would appear from the report that the condition of Cerasela Patrascu is not as serious as first reported.)

15 August 2007

On loan

Gazeta Sporturilor reports that for a month and a half, on loan through the German Gymnastics Federation, the girls have been training on the same apparatus that will be used at the World Championships in Stuttgart next month. Nicolae Forminte explains that the feel of the Spieth apparatus is different so it's necessary that they get used to it. He is not sure that the floor they are using now is exactly the one that will be used on the podium or that it will be put in one of the training halls. The apparatus was assembled at the start of July and will be taken apart
at the end of this week and then sent back to Stuttgart.

13 August 2007

Forminte is worried

In Prosport Nicolae Forminte expressed his feelings of worry after Madalina Gutu injured herself during a landing. As Sandra Izbasa has not fully recovered from her metatarsal injury, there is not much time left for her to recover in a different way to be able to fight for a medal in the apparatus finals. She will however have a big contribution to the team.
Steliana had another successful competition and had the following to say: 'At worlds I will have stronger adversaries than here. I feel well and I hope to battle for a medal in the all-around. I won't promise anything because I want to answer through facts.

12 August 2007

Injury misery

More bad news on the injury front for the Romanian team. It would appear according to a report from Irivz that Cerasela Patrascu has broken her arm. She will be in plaster for at least 3 weeks so will therefore miss the World Championships in Stuttgart, which start September 1st. Cerasela was expected to compete on Uneven Bars which has always been a weak spot in the past. Andreea Grigore who was listed in the 7 girls for the Championships has only returned to training this week following an injury and is expected to take her place in the team.
It has been a bad week for head coach Nicolae Forminte with Madalina Gutu also picking up a leg injury this weekend. Aluissa Lacusteanu was also injured a few months ago leaving him very short of options for his Worlds team.

Medal for Floarea

On a brighter note it was a day for a very big smile from Floarea Leonida who picked up a bronze medal on beam at the Universiade event finals in Thailand. Floarea did not place near the podium in her other two finals but saved her best performance for the beam.
Scores were as follows:

Vault
1. Olga Shcherbatykh UKR 14.700
2. Deng Ying CHN 14.362
3. Leysira Gabdrakhmanova RUS 14.287
(8. Floarea Leonida ROM 13.600)

Uneven Bars
1. Dariya Zgoba UKR 15.750
2. Zhou Zhuoru CHI 15.55
3. Fan Ye CHN 14.650

Beam
1. Fan Ye CHN 15.150
2. Zhou Zhuoru CHN 14.575
3. Florea Leonida ROM 14.450

Floor
1. Alena Polyan RUS 14.900
2. Fan Ye CHN 14.875
3. Elena Zamolodchikova RUS 14.800
(7. Floarea Leonida 14.235)

11 August 2007

Tri-meet SUI-GER-ROM

The Romanian team came out on top in the SUI-GER-ROM tri-meet held today. They were pushed all the way by a strong German team who placed close behind less than 1.5 points adrift. There were changes to the expected team, Cerasela Patrascu and Andreea Grigore were replaced by Andreea Acatrinei and Madalina Gutu.
The All-around competition was won by Steliana Nistor who continued her impressive form topping 60 points yet again, closely followed by team-mate Sandra Izbasa with veteran Oksana Chusovitina placing third. Catalina Ponor competed on two apparatus scoring 14.95 on vault and a 16.30 on beam. On a sad note it would seem that Madalina Gutu badly injured her leg during the competition and had trouble walking on it.

Team result:

ROM 238.150
GER 236.700
SUI 221.750

All-around:

1. Steliana Nistor ROM 13.500 15.750 15.900 14.950 60.100
2. Sandra Izbasa ROM 14.450 14.400 15.450 15.100 59.400
3. Oksana Chusovitina GER 15.450 14.200 14.900 14.550 59.100
4. Marie Hindermann GER 14.300 15.550 14.500 14.600 58.950
5. Anamaria Tamarjan ROM 13.800 14.050 15.450 14.650 57.950
6. Anja Brinker GER 13.900 15.700 13.550 14.700 57.850
7. Katya Abel GER 14.700 14.650 14.700 13.550 57.600
8. Ariella Kaeslin SUI 13.500 14.750 14.900 14.200 57.350
9. Daniela Druncea ROM 14.550 13.600 13.700 14.800 56.650
10. Andreea Acatrinei ROM 13.750 13.250 14.900 14.200 56.100

Universiade Thailand

Floarea Leonida finished a creditable 8th in the Universiade All-around competition today, the top six placings went to Chinese, Russian and Ukrainian gymnasts all of whom will probably feature in the forthcoming World Championships in Stuttgart.
(Photo by Rin from Thailand)

Scores were as follows:

1. Zhou Zhuoru CHN 14.250 15.550 15.600 14.800 60.200
2. Olga Shcherbatykh UKR 14.450 13.900 15.100 14.900 58.350
3. Fan Ye CHN 13.800 14.550 15.050 14.750 58.150
4. Elena Zamolodchikova RUS 14.800 14.050 13.550 14.900 57.300
5. Alina Kosich UKR 14.650 13.000 14.950 14.600 57.200
6. Alena Polyan RUS 13.950 14.000 14.050 14.850 56.850
7. Manami Ishizaka JPN 12.800 13.750 14.100 14.050 54.700
8. Floarea Leonida ROM 13.650 12.650 14.000 14.200 54.500

10 August 2007

Floarea makes 4 finals

The Romanian team will be travelling to Schaffhausen in Switzerland this coming weekend to take part in a tri-meet between SUI-GER-ROM. The team will be Steliana Nistor, Catalina Ponor, Sandra Izbasa, Cerasela Patrascu, Anamaria Tamarjan, Daniela Druncea and Andreea Grigore.

Meanwhile on the other side of the world at the Impact Arena in Bangkok, Thailand, the Universiade is taking place. Over 20 countries are featured in the Gymnastics competitions.
Floarea Leonida (20) is Romania's sole participant at these games and is doing well.
Floarea has qualified in 8th place for the All-around competition (Saturday) and has booked a place in the final of 3 of the 4 event finals which are held on Sunday.
Floarea's scores:

Vault 13.700 (6th)
Bars 13.500 (10th)
Beam 13.900 (8th)
Floor 14.250 (8th)
AA total 55.350 (8th)

6 August 2007

Catalina news

Mariana Bitang talked to Prosport about Catalina Ponor in which she explains that Catalina has made a spectacular come-back. Mariana says that when Catalina asked her help she answered: 'From now on everything depends on you, but when I see that you don't want this anymore, there is no point in both losing time.' So far Catalina hasn't disappointed Mariana at all, even when times were very difficult.
People should not forget that Catalina has only been training at a high level for 3 months and to want to win medals, you need a lot more training. You can't expect her to win a medal at Worlds, even though Catalina and Mariana want that more than anything but at the Olympics she will be at peak form again. When they return from Worlds, they will start working on a second vault that could get her into the final so she can battle for a medal on this apparatus too.

3 August 2007

Worlds Team

The team for Worlds has been announced but could still change though. For now the following names have been mentioned:
Steliana Nistor, Sandra Izbasa, Catalina Ponor, Anamaria Tamarjan, Cerasela Patrascu, Daniela Druncea and Andreea Grigore.