The Gold Factory Has Disappeared

Some last minute news messed up the Romanian sport yesterday. Incredible, the Romanian Gymnastics Federation (RGF) has decided the annulment of the present women’s Olympic team, the one that made the national hymn to be heard at the most important competitions. The champions have been announced on the phone and were made sport of by the Federation president himself.

Instead of celebrating the champions, the officials decided to close the medals factory.

Yesterday, the champions of the Romanian gymnastics have been announced on the phone by Anca Grigoras, technical director of RGF, that they are not part of the Olympic lot any more. The decision shocked everyone. "It is the decision of the Executive Committee of the Federation. The girls have weight problems, but this is a problem that could be fixed. Monica Rusu, Catalina Ponor, Alexandra Eremia and Floarea Leonida have been sent back to their clubs. The only girls welcomed at Deva were Dana Sofronie and Andreea Munteanu", Mariana Bitang stated for us. Moreover, the assistant coach of the team also said that the "entire environment of the gymnastics in the last period of time had negative repercussions. I came back to the team due to the request of these girls without having any deal with the Federation".

HISTORY. The scandal inside the women’s gymnastics team has started during the last autumn, when former gymnast Oana Petrovschi accused Octavian Belu and Mariana Bitang of asking her money in exchange of her taking part in several competitions. Petrovschi sued them and demanded moral compensations with a total value of 1.5 billion lei, for inhuman treatments.

In the same lawsuit, during the examination, Octavian Belu admitted that he was given 3,000 euros by Petrovschi, adding that the money were to be a gift thanking him for his work. In the same time, the coach said that this is a common practice in the world of gymnastics, in the case of the private competitions, where the sportsmen are rewarded and the state dose not support these competitions. Based on these statements, the Prosecutor’s Office in Bucharest has opened a case against Belu for a possible fraud. The prosecutors’ method determined Octavian Belu and Mariana Bitang to give up on their jobs as coaches of the women’s gymnastics team. After more weeks of hearings and investigations, the prosecutors decided to finish the case and not start the prosecution.

AT THE HAIRDRESSER
"We didn’t take this too well. We received phone calls; all our achievements have been wiped out. Mr. President Vieru made sport of us, he sent us to the hairdresser’s" -
Alexandra Eremia.

HEALTH
"They sent Andreea Munteanu to Deva. She has more srious health problems than we do. As I know, she suffers from disc hernia. We have been sent to the hairdresser’s. This is not possible" -
Dana Sofronie

STUPEFIED
"We couldn’t believe our ears. I don’t know what we are going to do from now on. Me being a world champion seems not to have mattered. I put on 3 kilograms, but I could solve this problem very fast. They sent us to the World Championships, even though I was weighing a little over the limit. Now, they don’t need me anymore, they trashed us. I don’t know what decision to take. I am confused. Me and the girls stay and don’t know what to do" -
Catalina Ponor.