Sydney Medallists Update

ProSport published an article talking about how Romania’s World and Olympic medallists spent their prize money, including a piece on the gymnasts from Sydney.

Simona Amânar’s prize money totaled almost $115,000, making her one of the top money makers after Sydney. She was rewarded for her two gold medals and the silver she won in Sydney. An apartment in Constanta should have been added to the list, but Constanta mayor Radu Mazăre did not live up to his promise. She currently lives in a two room apartment with a lease contract that runs out in 2004. The former gymnast only spent enough money to buy an apartment in Timisoara and furnish it, meaning around $15,000. “The rest of the money will stay in my bank account until I get married,” said Simona.

Maria Olaru’s $68.000 prize is also in a bank account. “I thought about going into business, but I'm planning on to taking a management class first,” said Olaru. She’s also considering using the money to build a house. “I didn’t settle down yet and there’s no point in starting to work on it right now," she adds. She does use part of the prize she was given after the silver and gold medals she won in Sydney –the Ford Ka car. She got her driver’s license in March, and for a while, she was afraid of driving and only used the car for short distances. “Now I’m comfortable driving from Timisoara to Bucharest. I don’t worry about it any more. “

Unlike Maria Olaru, her teammates who are still at Deva, Andreea Răducan, Andreea Isărescu and Loredana Boboc, did not get their prize money yet. They are still minors and will receive the money only after they turn 18. “We can only take the interest rate, but I don’t think any us did that yet,” said Andreea Isărescu.

Olympic pommel horse champion Marius Urzică used the $45,000 he won after Sydney to build a house in Bistrita. “It has two stories. We started building it right after I got back from Australia and right now we’re in the stage of picking doors and windows,” he said. He added that a significant part of the prize money was spent on buying things for his newborn son. “We buy him toys and clothes wherever we go,” confessed the gymnast.

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