Nadia Comaneci

            When Nadia Comaneci was 13 years old when she won the 1975 European Gymnastic Championships.  She became famous for winning the championship because she received the highest scores on four of the five events. 

             A year later, Nadia joined the 1976 Romanian [gymnastics] Olympic team who competed in Montreal, Canada.  Although Nadia had an unbelievably flawless performance, Romania still came in second behind the Soviet women.  Despite the fact that Romania had not won the title, their 14-year old team member (Nadia Comaneci) had amazed millions of people.  Suddenly, the number one flashed on the scoreboard and shocked everyone.  However, the one was really meant to be a ten, which is a perfect score.  (The scoring system had not been programmed to register ten or a perfect score).    Nadia had received a perfect score for the uneven bar segment of the team competition.  That day Nadia went on to receive two more perfect tens in the uneven bars, and the balance beam.

             By the end of the week, Nadia had received seven “tens” and was awarded three gold medals.  She became the first Romanian in history to win an Olympic, gymnastic gold medal.

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