Ion Țiriac, the former tennis great, marked the occasion of the inauguration of the “Nadia Comăneci Gymnastics Hall”—exactly 50 years after Nadia’s historic achievement in Montreal, where she became the first gymnast to score a perfect 10.
The 87-year-old former athlete played a pivotal role in this project, with the gym’s construction in Otopeni funded by his foundation. During the ceremony, he delivered a heartfelt speech honoring Nadia’s incredible performance.
Ion Țiriac Reflects on Nadia’s Impact
“A young girl who wasn’t even 15 years old became the queen of the world in less than a minute, after countless hours of hard work. She was not just the queen of sports but of the world itself. She was deemed the perfect athlete, the perfect woman. This gift that the girl from Onești gave us—because she is Romanian and remains Romanian—can never be taken away from us. She was the first to score a 10, the first to achieve perfection. Others have followed, but to be first is to remain first,” said Țiriac.
He emphasized, “At 50 years, we owe you something. Our youth should strive to achieve what you have done. I thank my partners who joined me in creating this gym, and the sponsors for the equipment we have inside. This is an extension of the hockey field that has been active for over 10 years, serving more than 10,000 young people. The pool nearby is complete and follows the same lines.”
Nadia, no one can take away the gift you have given us. Please teach those who look up to you. Thank you for not forgetting where you came from and for standing by us. May you have thousands of girls and boys who follow in your footsteps through this gym. Tomorrow morning, we will have 300 children here. The next time Nadia conducts a selection, we will surely have another 300. – Ion Țiriac
VIDEO: Special Event at the Inauguration of the Nadia Comăneci Gymnastics Hall
