The 1976 Olympic Games saw the uprising of a legendary Romanian gymnast who scored perfect 10s across seven events. Nadia Comaneci made history in gymnastics and is a five-time Olympic champion. In an interview with the official Olympics website, she reminisced about her prime and what’s in store for the sport now that an icon like Simone Biles has held on to the torch.
Comaneci’s perfect score went down in history as the trigger to tweak scoreboards’ display capabilities. During her prime, she recalled how the boards couldn’t display the number ’10’. But now, she believes that gymnasts like Biles have successfully contributed to a larger purpose of the sport.
Of all the athletes who have made a long-lasting impact on gymnastics, the Romanian veteran vouches for the 27-year-old. Biles has been a trailblazer with several skills named after her, along with her ability to pull off some of the toughest maneuvers.
“She’s the gymnast, slash athlete, of this generation…”
What sets the American gold medalist apart is her perseverance towards the goal and her story of tragedy to success. Biles has inspired many young gymnasts to dream big, making a veteran like Comaneci proud.
Both icons have impressed the gymnastics world with their gravity-defying stunts. Separated by decades, they’ve pioneered significant changes in the sport. Comaneci appreciated how Biles started as a champion and ended up empowering many other little girls like her to choose the sport.
“She’s the one to show the power of women and the power of, ‘This is me. This is who I am and nobody’s going to stop me. I want to open doors, I want to show what I can do’.”
Biles has recently made headlines after her return to the arena. She participated in the World Championships at Antwerp and now hopes to appear at the Paris Olympics. Meanwhile, her nomination for the prestigious Laureus Award was the icing on the cake as fans hope for a comeback.
Simone Biles grateful for the 2024 Laureus World Sports Awards nomination
A two-year hiatus did not deter star gymnast Simone Biles, who still holds the hero status in her fans’ hearts. After her grand comeback at Antwerp, she continued to stay humble while preparing for bigger avenues.
Recently, her grand comeback got her a nomination for ‘World Comeback of the Year’ by the Laureus Awards team. Biles shared the announcement on her Instagram story with a heartfelt note in the caption. She expressed her gratitude towards their unconditional love, thanking fans for their support.
