A ROMANIAN prodigy once stunned the world by becoming the first gymnast ever to get a perfect 10 at the 1976 Summer Olympics.
With a red ribbon tied in her hair and a face full of grace, the then 14-year-old Nadia Comaneca stole the show at the Montreal Games after achieving perfection.
The teen athlete executed her routine with the utmost precision – so much so that she performed flawlessly even on uneven bars, forcing judges to give her an unprecedented score.
But even the Olympics itself was not prepared to witness a gymnastics routine that was out-and-out the best.
When the judges gave her a perfect 10.00, the Olympics scoreboard broke down and displayed 1.00 instead because there was no way to flash the four-digit score.
Nobody ever thought anyone could score a perfect 10.00 – so the board only had three digits to show scores such as 9.50 or 9.85.
However, Nadia achieved what was once deemed impossible.
She ended up getting a staggering seven perfect scores that summer – and won three gold medals and five medals overall.
The Romanian teen’s triumph in Montreal set new standards – and records – in the field of gymnastics.
She also helped Romania win silver in the team competition and got a bronze medal in the floor exercise event.
The only event where Nadia could not score and win a medal was the vault – lacking just 0.175 points from gold – and was placed fourth.
Nadia, who was selected as the Global Female Athlete of the Year by the Associated Press in 1976, told Times of India: “I am not sure what was the definition of perfection and whatever that meant.
“I think people did not expect a 10 probably, or they did not expect history to be made.
“My goal was not to make a major mistake and hit the ground.”
Her success continued in the Summer Games of Moscow in 1980, where she won two more gold medals and achieved two additional perfect scores.
She ended her Olympic career with a total of nine medals, including five gold.
However, things for a star gymnast got tough after the Moscow Olympics in 1980 especially after she retired from the sport.
She was severely restricted from leaving Romania, although she returned to the 1984 Los Angeles games as a judge.
Five years later, Nadia moved to the US and started working as a coach and a businesswoman.
The star athlete now serves as the honorary president of the Romanian Gymnastics Federation, the honorary president of the Romanian Olympic Committee, and is a member of the International Gymnastics Federation Foundation.
Nadia, along with her husband Bart Conner, also co-founded Bart Conner Gymnastics Academy for young, rising athletes – and has been actively engaged in philanthropy.
WHAT TO WATCH TODAY
TODAY’S BRIT MEDAL HOPES
Keely Hodgkinson is among the favourites to win gold in the women’s 800m final (8.45pm), three years on from silver in Tokyo.
Kimberley Woods, Mallory Franklin and Joe Clarke could secure a triple-header in the maiden Olympic kayak cross finals (3.55pm).
GB will hope to retain their triathlon mixed relay (7am) and the women’s cycling team sprint (6.55pm) offers a real medal chance on the opening day in the velodrome.
BRITS TO WATCH
The sport climbing gets underway with four Brits – Hamish McArthur and 19-year-old sensation Toby Roberts starting with their bouldering in the boulder and lead event (9am).
And the women’s hockey team face a nightmare quarter-final against the all-conquering Dutch (4.30pm).
GLOBAL STARS TODAY
Sweden’s Mondo Duplantis will try and break his own latest world record once again in the men’s paul vault final (6pm).
The men’s football reaches the semi-finals with hosts France facing Egypt (8pm) after Spain vs Morocco (5pm).
And this will be the last we see of Simone Biles in Paris. She is set to go in the women’s balance beam (11.30am) and floor finals (1.20pm).
FANCY SOMETHING DIFFERENT?
It is the final day for both the 3×3 basketball and the surfing.
The 3×3 basketball finishes with the gold medal matches from 9pm at La Concorde.
Over in Tahiti, Gabriel Medina appeared to defy gravity with THAT incredible levitating photo and has a shot at gold today.
STATS MAD
0 – A rule change to the artistic swimming (formerly synchronised swimming) means men are now able to compete in the team event for the first time in Olympics history… but the new legislation only came in 18 months and precisely ZERO males were selected.
Follow all the action as it unfolds with our Paris 2024 Olympics LIVE blog.
