Marius Urzică & Marian Drăgulescu Interviews
Original article was published on Nov. 27th in Gazeta Sporturilor
Marius Urzică and Marian Drăgulescu, the two recently crowned world champions agreed to sit down for interviews with reporters Răzvan Ionascu and Mihai Morcovescu, respectively.
GS: Marius, how did you start doing gymnastics?
MU: In Gheorgheni, the city where I grew up, I could have done either gymnastics or hockey. My brother was already doing gymnastics, and since my parents didn’t have anyone to take care of me when they were away from home [while they worked], they took me to the gym, too. Even thought it was all fun and games at first, I started taking things very seriously later on. I also took hockey lesson, just to give it a try. I still like skating.
GS: Was pommel horse your favorite event from the very beginning?
MU: Surprisingly, I liked the high bar more. But, in 1995 when I literally flew off the bar and had my first serious injury with pinched nerves in my back, I started to focus on the pommel horse.
GS: When did you have your first notable results?
MU: In 1986, when I was a gymnast in Category IV (first competitive level), I managed to win the all-around and several event finals. Since then, I started working hard in the gym day in and day out.
GS: How much did this sport change your life?
MU: It’s almost like a full-time job. In fact, that’s what it is. I spend around 6 hours in the gym every day. Even when we have a long break, I feel the need to turn back flips.
GS: What was the happiest moment of your gymnastics career?
MU: Every successful competition is a happy memory. My biggest accomplishment is the gold medal I won at the Sydney Olympics.
GS: What about the saddest memory?
MU: There were many injuries, some mistakes, but that’s life. For example, I regret missing my parallel bars routine at these World Championships when everyone talked about my routine.
GS: Did you think about what you want to do with the prize money you won?
MU: I don’t have as much money as people might think. I’ll think about it after I retire.
One interesting tidbit about Marius would be that he has a collection of alcoholic beverage bottles in his house, brought home from all the countries where he’s competed. His prized possession is a bottle of strong liquor [tequila, I would think] with a worm inside. Not that he ever has any plans to drink any of them, because he has an allergic reaction to alcohol.
Marius added that he also likes to help his wife around the house, especially with cooking. “Sometimes I’m in over my head, but I can cook easy dishes like breaded meat.” And, whenever he goes back home, he’s not afraid to pick up the vacuum and clean the house.
At the other side of the spectrum is his passion for driving, especially the new Mercedes C-Class he bought 3 months ago. “I love driving. It’s so much fun! I need to fix the Ford I received after the Olympic Games for this winter. It’s the one car I’ll never part with,” he explained.
He added skiing is another on of his hobbies, although he admits that “unfortunately, I didn’t go skiing much lately for fear of getting injured. Being on a slope is an unbelievable feeling!” He likes to relax reading and says he likes easy listening music. He also listed playing with his son as a hobby, saying Andrei is the best “award” he ever won. “Whenever I’m around him, I turn into a big kid.”
GS: Marian, how did you start doing gymnastics?
MD: It was my choice, although my parents would have wanted me to take martial arts classes. I was ‘drafted’ from my elementary school by the Triumf club, where I was coached by Dumitru Varvare.
GS: What does gymnastics mean to you?
MD: It’s my biggest accomplishment thus far. I do gymnastics because that’s what I do best.
GS: How did gymnastics change your life?
MD: I don’t know what my life would have been like without this sport. Even if I reached the top now, I don’t like to come out in front, punch my chest and act like ‘look everyone! See how great I am.’ When people point at me in the street I don’t feel at ease at all. That doesn’t mean that if someone were to ask for an autograph, I’d refuse.
GS: What was the happiest moment of your gymnastics career?
MS: My first medals, bronze with the team and in the floor finals, silver on vault at the 1998 Europeans in St. Petersburg, my first European Championships.
GS: What about the saddest?
MD: Lat year I thought I was done with gymnastics, after I came very close to breaking my back. I was doing a vault in training and I fell on my head. I had to sit on the sidelines for 4 months, and I missed out on a lot of things because of it.
GS: How would you describe your performance in Debrecen?
MD: I’m surprise I handled it because I had to do 3 floor routines in 3 days and I had the highest score every time. I think that if it weren’t for that injury, I could done even better at Worlds, but also at Europeans in March. I’m a little disappointed with my fall on vault, but my goal was to make the final on vault and floor and win a medal, which I already did.
Marian bought a summer house in the village of Hulubesti and his parents Toni and Vasilica take care of it for him. “I go to my parents’ house whenever I have time and I like helping them do the housework or yard work. Besides, I love riding and I wanted to buy a horse for a long time, but I never managed to find time for it. I’ve only been riding a couple of times and that’s why I want my own horse, so I can ride it whenever I feel like it.”
Besides his passion for horses, Marian also listed cooking as a hobby of his, but said he doesn’t really have time for that [either]. “I think cooking is interesting but, unfortunately I don’t have time to do it. Whenever we would go on training camps with the junior team I would always make scrambled eggs and French fries. I won’t even try making real food because I don’t know how, but if I did, I’d venture into cooking them.”
The world champ has been driving a Cielo Daewoo, but he’d like a different car in the future. “I’m happy with the car I have, but my dream is to drive a Volvo S 40. I’ve been obsessing over this car for about a year, but I don’t have enough money yet. But I still have patience…”
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