Octavian Belu Interview

The interview was conducted by Antonia Avram for the Transylvanian edition of Evenimentul Zilei.

EZ: What are the major events set to take place this year and which gymnasts will be on Romania’s team?
OB: The next major event will be the European Championships, hosted by Patras, Greece from April 18th-21st. The Individual World Championships will be held in Debrecen in November. The team is almost the same as it was last year: Andreea Raducan, Andreea Ulmeanu, Sabina Cojocaru, Oana Petrovschi, Oana Ban, Florica Leonida, Ana Maria Gavojdea, Alexandra Eremia, Larisa Apostol and Elena Velicu. Three gymnasts from Onesti, Monica Rosu, Madalina Rapeanu and Iuliana Chindea are also training at Deva and trying out for the team. I didn’t mention Melina Druta, Carmen Ionescu, Silvia Stroescu and Loredana Boboc, who are recovering after arthroscopic surgeries. Silvia Stroescu’s condition is by far the most serious, since doctors in Germany recommended she should take a 6 months break for a full recovery [from her back injuries].
EZ: So, the team is faced with a number of health problems?
OB: Most of the gymnasts have some health problem, starting with minor injuries –hyperextended muscles, or bruises- all the way to the afore-mentioned arthroscopic surgeries that I already talked about. The good thing is all these injuries are happening now, because 2002 is a transition year, and not next year, when we will try to qualify for the Olympic games in 2004.
EZ: What are your goals for this year?
OB: We’ll try to prepare for all the events on the fly, even though I for one don’t put much emphasis on any of them. I always looked at the Junior and Senior Europeans as nothing more than a stepping stone. The 2002 World Championships will have a special format, where only event final medals will be awarded, so it won’t be necessary to field a full team, just a few individual gymnasts who have a shot at medalling on their event. Moreover, the major events will be held in Patras, and Debrecen, respectively, which means we don’t have to commute too far away [from Romania], so transportation and getting accustomed to a different time zone won’t be an issue for us.
EZ: Are there any problems besides the ones dealing strictly with gymnastics?
OB: The main problem is we still doesn’t have a team doctor. We just got a second nurse, and we’re yet to find a choreographer. But these issues have been up on our ‘bulletin board’ for at least 10 years. The distance between Bucharest and Deva must be to blame [i.e., the RGF isn’t listening…]
EZ: Are the uneven bars a problem for the Romanian team?
OB: No, they’re not a problem area. It’s an event that requires a different technical approach, and we need to find a different approach to the event. Let’s not forget Milosovici won Worlds and Amanar won Europeans on this event. We’ll try to look into the try-out procedures because generation after generation, gymnasts come in with the wrong approach [basics] on the event. I just can’t believe there are no gymnasts with an aptitude to do bars in Romania.
EZ: Is there anyone who could dominate the world gymnastics scene in the near future?
OB: Women’s gymnastics doesn’t have any outstanding athletes right now. The complete gymnast-type disappeared a long time ago. I don’t think there have been any gymnasts [on the Romanian team] who could consistently challenge the best in the world for a long period of time since Gina Gogean and Simona Amanar. There are no true all-arounders. The requirements for every event are so strict right now, most gymnasts only focus their attention on one event, two at most. For example, world AA champion Svetlana Khorkina is a major factor only on two events, bars and vault, and that’s all she needs. In my book, there have only been 4 “super-gymnasts”, who had notable showings in two Olympiads: Nadia Comaneci, Lavinia Milosovici, Gina Gogean and Simona Amanar.

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