Nadia Comaneci was born in
Romania in 1961. She started
gymnastics when she was six. In
1976, at age 14, she competed in
the Montreal Olympics. Comaneci
was the first gymnast to score a
perfect 10 at the Olympics. Then she
scored six more. She won three gold
medals, a silver, and a bronze. In
1980, she competed in the Moscow
Olympics. She earned two gold and
two silver medals.
In 1981, Comaneci and the
Romanian gymnastics team
toured the United States.
During the trip, their coach defected.
Once back in Romania, Comaneci
couldn’t leave again. Romania’s
government wouldn’t allow it.
The government followed Comaneci.
They listened in on her conversations.
One night in 1989, she and six other
gymnasts escaped. They made their
way to Austria. Comaneci climbed
73
Nadia Comaneci’s bib
number at the 1976
Montreal Olympics.
• Comaneci grew up in
communist Romania.
• She was the first gymnast
to score a perfect 10 at
the Olympics.
• She defected to the
United States in 1989.
• Comaneci and her
husband, Bart Conner,
promote gymnastics
around the world.
Nadia Comaneci Shares
Gymnastics with the World
8
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