Marius Urzica Takes Time Off

After the last competition of 2001, the Glasgow Grand Prix, where he shunned the new COP and proved everyone getting a perfect 10 is still possible, Marius Urzică started an intensive physiotherapy treatment, which will end this month in Germany. “My back and left shoulder are bothering me,” said Urzică. During his 6-day stay in Germany, he will undergo complete tests. “If Marius is determined to do this, we will support him and Sabina Cojocar, who had shoulder surgery this winter,” said RGF Secretary General Adrian Stoica. “We will most likely ask the German federation for help. Not necessarily by giving us money, because the cost [of treatment] shouldn’t be too high, but they should take care of our athletes while they’re there,” added Stoica.

Marius Urzică tore his left bicep muscle in 1998. “When I wanted to go in for surgery, I was told it was too late. The only thing I could take care of was the shoulder capsule that popped every time I made a sudden move. They opened up my shoulder and cleaned out some of the cartilage build-up I had there,” he said. Rehabilitation took over 5 months at that time. “That’s still a sensitive area for me, since that’s my lead arm and I use it more,” he explained. This time he believes surgery will not be necessary. "I tried to take care of my shoulder and my back as best I could. Before New Year’s, I went to physiotherapy, wrapped it in paraffin…”, said the Olympic pommel horse champ.

Due to his rehabilitation, Marius spent Christmas away from his family. He chose to stay home for New Year’s while the rest of his teammates went to training camp in Piatra Arsa, where they did altitude training. “I have to stay with my family once in a while. I only see them a couple of times of year, anyway. I admired my son’s first steps from pictures," he joked. “We had a big family dinner, with our in-laws, and brothers-in-law. We lit off fireworks and happily welcomed the New Year,” he recalled. Urzică will join the rest of the national team on January 10th in Bucharest. He will finalize his plans for his trip to Germany at the same time.

The men’s team spent New Year’s at Piatra Arsă, together with the Youth& Sports Minister, Georgiu Gingăras. "The Minster celebrated New Year’s at a separate table in the restaurant. At midnight, every one of us drank a toast with the minister. Later on, we convinced him to join us in a hora [Romanian folk dance], “ said Ioan Suciu. "We danced until late at night,” concluded the gymnast who said he was about to miss the party on top of the mountains. “We couldn’t get up to Piatra Arsa on December 30th because of a snow storm. We barely made it up the last day of the year. The storms are all gone now and the sun is back out. We can easily train twice a day,” added Suciu. The team will come back to Bucharest on January 10th, when they will resume training at the Lia Manoliu Sports Complex.

The women’s team left Poiana Brasov yesterday, after celebrating the New Year and went back to Deva. “It was great, much better than we expected,” said Andreea Răducan. “We celebrated New Year’s in a restricted area at the Ciucas Hotel where we stayed. We danced, told all sorts of crazy stories and laughed a lot,” she recalled. “The best part was going out at 4 in the morning and getting into a snow fight. I taped everything,” she added. She also remembered the white lamb, named Vasilică, that all the gymnasts took turns in petting –after they paid for it!

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