Andreea Rãducan Interview

Original article by Razvan Ionascu was published on October 1st in Gazeta Sporturilor

Andreea Rãducan agreed to sit down for an interview with reporter Rãzvan Ionascu and talk about her retirement.
GS: Andreea, people have been talking about the weight you gained. How many kilograms did you gain?
AR: I’m three kilograms over my normal [competition] weight.
GS: Is it hard to lose them?
AR: Theoretically, no. However, I have a built that never helped me.
GS: How are you feeling?
AR: My ankle hurts a lot. I went to a doctor in Arad county, and he helped straighten [pop into place] by bones. I felt better, but I had to take a break after this treatment anyway, so the effect was short-lived.
GS: Did your ankle problems make you give up floor?
AR: To a certain extent, yes. After talking to Mr. Belu, I decided to only compete on beam at Worlds.

GS: Did your coaches ever advise you to give up gymnastics?
AR: Not even close. The only discussion I had with them was about Nationals and Worlds. Mr. Belu told me I have to make up my mind. His idea was not to go to Nationals and turn in a good performance in Hungary.
GS: Where there ever any tense moments between you and the two coaches?
AR: When I was younger, they would sometime raise their voice. However, my father explained from the start that if I weren’t talented enough for the sport, they should leave me alone. He didn’t even want to hear about me getting slapped. My parents always told me to respect everyone That’s exactly why, when I grew up I asked to be respected, too. The coaches never yelled at me, nor did they hit me. I explained that if that were to happen, I’d pack my bags and leave the next day.

GS: Was it harder for you to do gymnastics when you were 15, or now when you’re 19?
AR: I was a kid back then. I took things at face value. Things changed. Growing up changed me.
GS: Did you decide to retire due to the monotony that exists in the sport?
AR: I’ll admit gymnastics is a monotonous sport. Every day, you have to train on the same events, and you always have to be in a good mood.
GS: This is the second time you announce your retirement. Is this decision final?
AR: Yes, beyond any doubt. To be honest, I must say this is the third time I make that decision, not the second. I wanted to quit right after Sydney. I was fed up with all the scandal created around me after I was stripped of my all-around gold medal
GS: Did your presence have a negative influence on the other gymnasts on the team?
AR: I was at Deva when both Gina Gogean and later Simona Amînar were leaders of the team. I never looked at how they trained. I had my own schedule. I don’t think the girls can be influenced, for the better or worse, based on my performance.

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