'I was too young to understand': Nadia Comaneci reflects on those game-changing perfect 10s at '76 Games
Comaneci thrilled Artistic Gymnastics World Championships will be held at Big O, where her success began
The darling of the 1976 Olympics was in Montreal Friday to talk about the Artistic Gymnastics World Championships coming up this fall at the Olympic Stadium.
Nadia Comaneci is the spokesperson for the event.
CBC News anchor Debra Arbec sat down with Comaneci, the former gymnast from Romania who was the first woman to ever post a perfect 10 in Olympic history, to talk about the upcoming event, her seven perfect 10s and the challenges facing the world of gymnastics.
No one really knew who you were, but boy they really knew your name after the Olympics. You achieved the first perfect 10 in women's gymnastics, and you didn't do it just once. You did it seven times.
Yeah, just to make it sure. I didn't make a mistake, yeah. I was too young to understand. I was 14 and a half. I didn't come to the Olympics to make history because I didn't even know what it was. I didn't know there was no 10 before me, so the only thing I wanted to do was my best for the team in this big arena
- VIDEO: Nadia Comaneci makes history, July 21, 1976
- CBC Archives: Nadia Comaneci vaults to Olympic history
Forty-one years later, do you feel the tremendous achievement?
Yes I do and I am honoured to see that people still, after 41 years which is a long time, still remember what happened here in Montreal. And not only people who live here, but all over the world. They remember the 10, which was 1.00 because the scoreboard was not ready to show a 10. We live in a world where we tend to forget what happened last year or two years ago. As time went by, I respect more and more what happened in 76.
When you talk about elite, there is so much pressure — so much pressure especially for young girls.
I don't think there is pressure in competition. I think it's the other way around. You don't have pressure when you are a child. You become to [feel] pressure when you are an adult. From my experience, I was 14. I competed, I had no pressure. What kind of pressure can I have? I mean, I just go up and do a routine. I've done thousands of them back home.
When you left Romania, you settled in Montreal for a while before you went on to the United States. Why Montreal?
I have some Romanian friends in Montreal. My friend connected with me and said, Why don't you come back to Montreal? This is where you started, that's where you had your success in history. I lived here for a year and a half. You come where you feel comfortable and safe.
If there is one thing about Montreal that you still remember fondly, what would it be?
To me the biggest connection is the stadium — the Olympic Stadium. It's just something so big and it reminds me of the first thing I saw when I came to Montreal. And the fact that the Worlds will be in the Olympic Stadium, it's such a magnificent thing.
What's that going to be like for you?
It's going to be good. It's too bad I can't compete, I'm too old now. But it's going to be fun.