Nadia Comăneci Reveals Her Olympic Nickname: 'When Béla Károlyi Called Me That, I Knew Training Would Be Easier'

Nadia Comăneci, the icon of gymnastics, recently returned to her hometown of Onești, marking 50 years since she achieved the first perfect 10 in Olympic women's gymnastics. During her visit, the legendary athlete reflected on her training days in Onești and shared an anecdote about a special nickname bestowed upon her.

With a smile, Comăneci revealed that coach Béla Károlyi used to call her 'Grigore.' She explained that when Károlyi used this particular nickname, it was a sign that the day's training session would be less rigorous. "When it was a good day and he said 'Grigore, you lead!', I knew it would be a less tough training session," she recalled.

“

Grigore. Bella knew why. When it was a good day and he said 'Grigore, you lead!', I knew it would be a less tough training session.

Comăneci's former teammate, Teodora Ungureanu, who competed alongside her at the 1976 Montreal Olympics, also shared her own nickname story. Ungureanu was called 'Așchiuță,' meaning 'splinter,' a name given to her when she was young and petite, resembling a small piece of wood. "Because I was small, weak. Like a splinter. Then the coaches or one of the boys... gave me the nickname Așchiuță and it stuck," she explained.

During the Montreal Olympics in 1976, Comăneci famously received seven perfect 10s, a groundbreaking achievement. She secured gold medals in the uneven bars, balance beam, and all-around competitions, along with a bronze on floor exercise. Her team also won a silver medal, narrowly missing gold to the dominant Soviet Union. The Romanian team members from that historic event reunited in Onești on May 31st to commemorate their achievements.

“

Because I was small, weak. Like a splinter. Then the coaches or one of the boys... gave me the nickname Așchiuță and it stuck.