Boboc, Ionescu, Sabou and Ulmeanu Officially Retire

Mariana Bitang celebrated her 40th birthday in style this Saturday. Highlights of the party included a rental plane from Arad flying over Deva with a banner that read “Happy birthday, Mariana!”, and the pilot throwing out bouquets of wild flowers from the cockpit. The party couldn’t end without the compulsory whipped cream fight. Turns out the Romanian team won its first Olympic title shortly after the first whipped cream fight, and now it’s become a superstition the team follows faithfully.

While Bitang celebrated her birthday, it’s been officially announced that Andreea Rãducan, Silvia Stroescu and Sabina Cojocar are the only gymnasts from the 2001 team left at Deva. The other gymnasts, namely Loredana Boboc, Carmen Ionescu, Andreea Ulmeanu and Monica Sabou retired from competitive gymnastics. “I took a relatively long break after Worlds. I went back to Deva on June 2nd, after I signed a paper, saying I can only stay on the team as long as I’m only 1 kilogram [2lbs.] over my optimum weight, that my fitness level is at least even with that of the lowest ranked current national team member, and that all my health problems have been taken care of. That would be it in terms of conditions we had to meet, besides having to do everything at our own risk,” recalls Loredana Boboc. "I gave up because I realized I couldn’t catch up with the other girls.” Carmen Ionescu added that "I had the same problem. After undergoing surgery on my right knee, I started gaining weight. I also went back to Deva, but after 2 weeks, I told the coaches I’m quitting. Maybe it was for the better.” Loredana is 18 years old and she’ll finish high school in Deva. Carmen is only 16 and explained she plans to enroll in a sports high school, and hopes to be admitted to a Sports University in the future.

ProSport sat down with Loredana Boboc and Carmen Ionescu and talked to them about their decision to retire.
PS: Loredana, why did you quit gymnastics?
LB: I felt I couldn’t keep up. And, Mr. Belu told me there was a possibility I could work a whole year for nothing, meaning that other girls could take my spot. He told me I had to be realistic.
PS: We hear life at Deva is not all that harsh anymore.
LB: That’s true. After the press revealed a few things, the coaches mellowed out. I left my teammates getting chocolate as desert for lunch.
PS: It’s a step forward…
LB: Yes. We weren’t yelled at or anything else. We were told something along the lines of “Who wants to do this, go ahead. Who doesn’t want to do this, don’t!” And we had Thursday and Sunday off.
PS: Is it true that at one point you thought about installing a tape recorder in the gym and later on give the tapes to the press?
LB: I don’t know anymore. But I can tell you we planned to do a lot of things, but never went through with any of them.
PS: Is it true you stole butter and cookies from restaurant tables during the World Championships in Gent?
LB: In gymnastics, if you are half a kilogram [1 lb] overweight , it turns into 3 kilograms when you’re airborne. The coaches were stressing over the fact that we had to look good in the competition venue. But when we saw the steaming croissants that smelled so good, what could we do?

PS: Carmen, how many times did you cry during your 3-year stay at Deva?
CI: It was harder at first. I was only 12 years old. I got used to it in time.
PS: You retired at 16…
CI: I know, but I started gaining weight after undergoing surgery on my right knee.
PS: What sort of surgical procedure was it?
CI: One of the tendons had been over used and swelled up. Dr. Filipescu from the Sfantul Ioan hospital operated me. From that standpoint, I don’t have any more problems. Everything’s OK.
PS: How much did you weigh as a gymnast?
CI: 37 kilograms [82 lbs]. Now I’m around 45-46 [100-102 lbs]
PS: Did you also go back to Deva in the spring?
CI: Yes. I took the tests and passed them. I only had somewhat of a hard time on bars.
PS: And?
CI: It was too much to have the coaches wait on me. I had too much catching up to do.
PS: How much money did you make in gymnastics?
CI: I got most of the money after winning Worlds in Gent. I think I have around 500 million lei [$16,700] in my bank account.

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