Last time we checked on Romania, Mariana Bitang and Octavian Bellu were supporting the team from the shadow, in the preparation for and during the 2014 Worlds in Nanning. The “interims” – Lucian Sandu, Lacramioara Moldovan and Cristian Moldovan- had done a decent job leading the team though an excruciating World Championships. But by the end of October time had come to appoint a new official head coach. Fast forward four months later and Bellu and Bitang are back in the gym on a full time basis.
via Lotul Feminin de Gimnastica al Romaniei on Facebook
We now know from multiple sources that the Romanian gymnasts are working hard at Izvorani to prepare for a new season. The powers that be also support the team though the means at hand: five gymnasts of age were promoted to the senior team, two from the Izvorani traning centre (Laura Jurca and Andreea Iridon) and three gymnasts from Deva (Emanuela Parva, Dora Vulcan, Ioana Nicoara).
Speaking of promotions, on the junior side, two other gymnasts from the Deva training centre have moved to the Olympic centre at Izvorani – Denisa Stanciu and Maria Holbură. As a consequence four new gymnasts took the remaining spots and are now training with the Deva juniors: Denisa Golgota, Denisa Florea, Nica Ivănuş şi Alisia Botnaru.
The members of the senior team have worked during January and February on new floor choreography, first with Maria Fumea and then with Adriana Pop. So we can start getting excited for the new routines.
Health-wise it seems that there are minor issues but nothing out of ordinary. In an interview with Mediafax, Octavian Bellu said that seven gymnasts traveled to Vienna this month, for a check-up: “I was (a few) days (ago) with seven girls to a medical examination in Vienna, the accuse compression, small fissures and so on, they are children with problems and who are forced to work with their foot on the brake, they have no endurance and we try to make out of them the best they can, but also protecting them. There are increasingly fewer girls who can do four apparatuses at a high level.“
“Diana (Bulimar) recovered. There are still some small details to be worked out. She will soon enter the competition situation. Larisa (Iordache) is also good. Until the European Championship, she will climb, but she needs to reach a peak form at the World Championships in autumn, it is decided Rio qualification and then at the Olympics. As for Andreea Munteanu, another athlete that has had health problems, we have patience with her. We try to help as we can.”
As per the meets we should expect to see the Romanians this spring, unfortunately the standards should not be set too high for the first half of the year. “We have invitations to Cottbus, Doha, Ljubljana and other competitions. We need to manage the situation very well. To choose carefully. This year is very busy. “
“At the Europeans, which are individual we will send girls that have something to say there, I hope we will behave as usual, honorably. Then, also for the seniors, will be the first edition of the European Games, a new competition here both Olympic sports and non-Olympic will meet up. We will try, depending on the strategy for Worlds, to send girls that will make a nice showing.”
But Larisa Iordache will not be going to Baku for the European Games. Larisa has her baccalaureate examination this June and will not defer.
“Thus, we will most likely send to the European Games three girls, two of which will score, but again, our focus will be for the World (Championships). You can not force anyone to be in top form then, we must be able to face the competition, but without forcing.”
“World Championships are especially important because they are qualifications for the Olympics. We passed through an alarming situation last year when we were near 8th place, but now it’s clear that you can no longer can afford any weakness. Compared to last year’s World Championships, when 24 teams qualified, now only eight go further, meaning to the Olympic Games in 2016 and the other teams will hold a pre-Olympic tournament in January 2016. I do not want to think of something like that for the Romanian team, I am optimistic but reserved and hope we will not have problems qualifying.
The key is that girls stay healthy, so as to impose a position and a form that give us hope for the Olympics. I mean Larisa Iordache and Diana Bulimar, and the other girls, without giving names, that will make it into the team, because everybody wants to reach the World and Olympic Games. Therefore essential in this preparation stage is health, that still creates problems, because beyond the daily effort, girls have previous issues that worsen.“
Regarding the recent sings of a come back from Catalina Ponor, both Octavian Bellu and Mariana Bitang share their support and encouragements but also make a point from highlighting that it’s early to anticipate an outcome:
Octavian Bellu: “Catalina has come back before, in 2011, we all saw her good results at London Olympics, but I can discuss her return only when I see her in the gym and I hope she will start training with perseverance she did in 2011. For now, we are in stand-by, I understood that she back in the country at the end of the month, we see her state of health, her levels of energy, she is an ambitious girl. We must be very careful with her, she will need special attention and careful pacing, not sudden (training), because although she wants this fervently, we must think she has many years of gymnastics behind her and it is important to avoid any injury or to regret she returned.”
Mariana Bitang: “Ponor’s desire to return is crucial. When you want to do something, you manage (to do it) and Catalina has shown that in London. She is only one able to decide anything about her return in the gym. I do not want to talk about this subject, when we see her in the gym we can talk. Any return is a huge win for the team. I keep in touch by email with Ponor, but do not want to put pressure on her. It is their decision (No – Catalina Ponor and Sandra) if they return, it seems natural to let them decide “
“If gymnasts making a come back is healthy, and now we are talking of two gymnasts who have physical and mental potential, it will not take them long to snap back. In 2007, Catalina, after three months of preparation, with everything started from zero, she went to the World Championships.”
Catalina herself, in an interview with FullTwist, avoids even to acknowledge her come back “I know I have a lot of fans and probably if I will decide to come back in gymnastics it will start a controversial topic, but I just want to let everybody know that I’m not taking any place of [anyone] from the team! If I will be prepared and good I will make the team, if not I will stay home! So I just want them to support me like they did before; it will mean a lot to me.“
In conclusion, things are starting to pick up at Izvorani. 2015 will be a busy year but, with 12 seniors in the team, not as tough as 2014.
Sources for the quotes and information:
prosport, mediafax, fulltwist.net, zvj.ro, sportnews
Edited by: Bea Gheorghisor
Photo Cover: Nadia Boyce