Mutual Respect
Although the Moscow incident was still fresh in everyone’s mind, Nadia Comăneci still managed to get a gold medal and the respect of her competitors. Nellie Kim of the USSR even kissed and congratulated her on the podium. She tried to dispel the rumors about Nadia being emotionless and came to her defense. This was what Kim said: “She was psychologically prepared, not emotionless.”
Mutual Respect
Escaping The Grip
The Gymnastics Federation launched a tour across the United States called “Nadia 81” in 1981. The tour spanned 11 cities across the country and showed off the Romanian athlete to crowds of adoring fans. This offered Bela a chance to look for safety as well since he defected to the US. Once again, this would leave a negative emotional impact on the young girl.
Escaping The Grip
