Nadia Comaneci
Biography
Biography
Renowned actress Nadia Comaneci has carved out an amazing career starring in television movies and specials. She appeared in a number of television specials, including "MDA Jerry Lewis Telethon" (1996-97), "The Greatest Sports Moments of All Time" (1996-97) and "Breaking Through: The First Superstars" (1997-98). She also appeared in "Superstar Gymnasts" (1997-98) and "1999 Special Olympics -- World Summer Games" (1998-99). She also worked in television around this time, including a part on "Touched By an Angel" (1994-2003). She also appeared at "2nd Annual World Sports Awards" (). She added roles in "Sports Aside" (2001-02) and "Make It or Break It" (2008-2012) to her body of work around that time. Comaneci last worked on "Skating & Gymnastics Spectacular" (2009-2010).
Filmography
Cast (Feature Film)
Cast (Special)
Life Events
1966
Began gymnastics while in kindergarten
1967
Was chosen to attend Béla and Marta Károlyi's experimental gymnastics school at age six
1969
Landed 13th place in her first Romanian National Championships
1970
Became the youngest gymnast ever to win Romanian Nationals
1975
Won the all-around and gold medals on every event but the floor exercise (in which she placed 2nd) at the European Championships in Skien, Norway
1975
Named the United Press International's "Female Athlete of the Year"
1976
Became first person in Olympic history to score a perfect 10 at Summer Games in Montreal, Canada; she was also the first Romanian gymnast to win the Olympic all-around title and won the team silver, the gold in bars and beam, and the bronze in floor exercise
1977
Romanian Gymnastics Federation removed her from longtime coaches the Károlyis; sent to train in to Bucharest
1980
Competed at the Summer Olympic Games in Moscow, Soviet Union, where she won the silver in all-around and team, and the gold in beam and floor exercise
1981
Retired from gymnastics competition
1981
Participated in a gymnastics exhibition tour in the U.S.
1989
Defected along with other young Romanians; fled to Hungary, then to American Embassy in Vienna
1993
Became the second female athlete (after Olga Korbut) inducted into International Gymnastics Hall of Fame
1996
Married former American gymnast Bart Conner in Bucharest, her first time back in Romania since defecting
2000
Became the first athlete to speak in the United Nations to officially launch the International Year of Volunteers
2001
Received her U.S. naturalization citizenship
2003
Published the memoir and mentoring book "Letters to a Young Gymnast"
2012
Carried the Olympic torch to the roof of the O2 Arena as part of the torch relay for the Summer Olympic Games in London
