Last week in Bucharest Mariana Bitang, Octavian Bellu and Sandra Izbasa participated together in a public event, a first meet for the young girls that have started training last year after being selected in the “We want champions” project with Petrom. Although they tried to divert the focus on the gymnasts and the project, the burning questions could not be avoided.
Questions about the big Rio come-back stories.
Mariana Bitang managed to be diplomatic whilst maintaining her matter of fact style: (about Sandra Izbasa) “I think only her can best answer to this question; as a coach, I can tell you that she is present in the training gym, that she has qualities, qualities we wish any other athlete, that is in the team or will be in the team, had; but regarding the capacity to return, about when and whether she will take part in the next big competition, it all depends on her.
Does Romania need her?
Romania needs any good gymnast and any gymnast with a competitive technical potential.
Could Catalina Ponor help Romania at Worlds?
Catalina Ponor wishes very much that she could help Romania at Worlds, she has been present at camp for a longer period of time; Catalina continues to surprise me through her tenacity and ambition, she is at her third come-back attempt but in a bit over a month she recovered fantastically well. She is a great example of want but also of ability at the same time (edited) despite the fact that she is 27 now, performance is the thing she desires the most.
Could Romania have a team with Catalina Ponor and Sandra Izbasa at the Olympics?
(shrugs) It could… but… it could, but I can’t answer for this one. It’s still them who have to answer, regarding how much they want this, about whether their health will help or not and their desire to participate in a new competition (that is) extremely tough.”
Here is the interview:
While I do believe Romania would benefit tremendously from having a London-shape Sandra Izbasa for the team competition, will the team well-being be enough to convince her return? Without the added bonus of a shot at an individual medal, will Sandra consider that it’s worth to go through this? Competition on vault is now tougher than ever, with the top gymnasts throwing Chengs and Amanars. While on floor, Simone seems to have ran with the top D-score, Aly Raisman is looking like she will have all her London difficulty back and possibly more while others (Iordache, Ferrari, Mustafina, Fragapane) all have 6+ difficulty scores. Tough competition could be discouraging.
But then again, there is nothing predictable about an Olympic final (and Sandra knows all too well, remember the London vault final). She will likely not base her decision to return on other gymnasts’ D scores or performances but rather on her own capacity to regain a level she will be proud to showcase. If she can re-become her best self, we will see her again.
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In the meantime Catalina Ponor has zero doubts whether this is the right thing to do. In her own words she returned “because she wanted to”. She has already started training three events, as reported by the Romanian press. After a minor set-back in training due to a foot injury she is now back and trowing DTYs into the pit, round-off layouts onto the low beam and taking selfies with her team mates. Her social media accounts show a happy and very determined Catalina, enjoying every step of the way.
But it’s not all about her personal accomplishments, she tries to have a positive impact on the team as well. According to this article “Almost weekly, Catalina Ponor discusses privately with her younger colleagues” trying to lifts the spirits and motivate them. “I talked to them. I explained how I came to the great performance. I have said that we can discuss any issue. I want to be an older friend and help them as much as I can “
Translation by by: Bea Gheorghisor
Photo Cover: Brigid McCarthy
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