Sovetsky Sport. April 30, 1980. The International Championships of Romania ended the other day. It was attended by a correspondent of the GDR newspaper Deutsches Sportecho, Hans-Jurgen Zeume, who interviewed the Romanian coach Bela Karolyi for Sovetsky Sport.
In what competitions will Romanian gymnasts take part before the Olympics in Moscow?
Karolyi: We have already competed in tournaments in New York, London, and now Bucharest. After a break, the national championship will take place in June in the city of Deva, and a match with the Swiss team will also take place there. Tickets for 2,000 seats in the local gym are already sold out.
What criteria will you use when determining the composition of the Olympic team?
Karolyi: To clarify: the main thing for us is the team, which needs six girls who can show good or very good results in all four events. In this service, the chances of the Romanian gymnasts in the individual all-around and apparatus finals will also increase.
How are the team members today?
Karolyi: Among the six girls from Fort Worth who made our dream for many years come true - they achieved a team victory - Comaneci, Eberle, Turner, Vladarau, Ruhn and Dunca - we can also add Kiss (currently injured) and Neacsu. It's a pity, however, that at the beginning of April Nadia Comaneci again left our gymnastic center in Deva and now lives in Bucharest. She will be preparing for the competition in Moscow with a group of the strongest gymnasts from Bucharest with whom the secretary general of the gymnastics federation, Nicolae Vieru, is working.
Who will take care of the Olympic team in Moscow?
Karolyi: The head coach will be my wife, Marta. I will be doing silent directing from the stands.
Will your girls' programs change significantly compared to Fort Worth?
Karolyi: My main hopes in Moscow are now placed on Melita Ruhn. I think that she will go far ahead and can take the place of Comaneci. Melita prepared a new program on bars, beam, and floor. We can expect a new program on the bars and floor from Dumitrita Turner, and a new vault from Eberle. Naturally, some novelties will be introduced in other exercises. For example, Eberle will begin her floor with a double pike back somersault, and perhaps will perform a back somersault with a half turn on the beam.
A few words about the medal contenders?
Karolyi: Only the USSR, GDR, and Romanian gymnasts can get a team medal, and for the gold medal in the all-round - Nelli Kim, Elena Davydova, Maxi Gnauck, Steffi Kraker, as well as our two girls Melita and Nadia.
What about the apparatus?
Karolyi: I think that only the gymnasts from the USSR, GDR and Romania will compete for medals here. The Olympic Games provide the greatest chances for those who have tested themselves in the most difficult competitions. Therefore, apart from Davydova, I do not foresee the appearance of new faces here.
What can affect the distribution of medals?
Karolyi: The physical and mental stability of the athlete and, of course, her form on that day and at that moment. A gymnast can achieve something only if she performs at competitions with the same calmness as in training, if she is confident in herself and knows what she is capable of.
Where will the Romanian gymnasts meet before leaving for Moscow?
Karolyi: With us, in Deva. Deva is a small town of 70,000 people where I moved two years ago. Now we have a beautiful gym, wonderful mountains, lakes and forests, and very few industrial enterprises. There we will gain strength before the trip to the Olympics in Moscow, and look for peace and quiet before the competition.
What are your personal impressions of Moscow?
Karolyi: I will be in Moscow for the first time at the Olympics. But some of our girls are full of good memories of this city. Emilia Eberle was in Moscow and Riga at the famous international tournaments in 1977 and was delighted with the Moscow spectators and the care that the athletes were surrounded by.
Hans-Jurgen Zeume, Deutsches Sportecho