Following a lackluster showing at the qualification round for the World Championships in Rotterdam, Romanian gymnastics coaches Adela Popa, Camelia Voinea, and Nicolae Forminte addressed the media regarding their team’s performance, which fell short of reaching the finals.
The Romanian women’s team, consisting of Sabrina Maneca-Voinea (19), Iris Iordache (16), Alexia Blănaru (16), Ariana Cotu (16), and Anamaria Mihăescu (17), with Daria Tănasă (16) as the reserve, competed in the qualification event on Sunday. They were placed in the first subdivision, scoring a total of 151.996 points, which put them behind the USA and Germany.
Performance Breakdown
- Parallels: Ariana Cotu 13.033; Anamaria Mihăescu 12.166; Alexia Blănaru 11.466; Iris Iordache 11.066
- Beam: Sabrina Voinea 12.466; Alexia Blănaru 12.300; Anamaria Mihăescu 11.866; Iris Iordache 10.766
- Floor: Sabrina Maneca-Voinea 12.900; Anamaria Mihăescu 12.700; Alexia Blănaru 12.700; Iris Iordache 12.500
- Vault: Alexia Blănaru 13.666; Sabrina Maneca-Voinea 13.663; Anamaria Mihăescu 13.100; Iris Iordache 12.700
Currently, after seven subdivisions of qualifications, the Romanian team is ranked 15th and faces competition from Switzerland, Brazil, China, and South Korea, all of which could surpass them.
Due to their performance, marked by errors and hesitations, no Romanian gymnast will advance to the finals. The coaches accompanying the team shared their thoughts on the events that transpired at Ahoy Arena.
“First of all, I want to thank our girls for their efforts. I am confident that they will improve significantly in the near future, given their youth. I believe they will succeed,” said Adela Popa in an interview with International Gymnast magazine.
Nicolae Forminte, who oversees the training in Deva, commented, “Our performance was at least on par with our European Championship level, if not slightly better, despite three errors. The beam was not our ally in this competition. The shortcomings in our other apparatus reflect our artistic preparation, which suffers due to a lack of specialists to guide us. Developing a competitive team in two years for the Olympics is challenging, if not impossible.”
The Romanian team finished 11th in qualifications at the European Championships in Zagreb, with no gymnast qualifying for finals.
Camelia Voinea Criticizes Support Conditions
Camelia Voinea expressed dissatisfaction on Facebook, claiming that gymnasts Sabrina Voinea and Anamaria Mihăescu, who train outside Deva, received minimal support, relying primarily on their clubs.
She noted, “Sabrina had the highest scores in the team; she can do much more, but the beam was a challenge. She faltered on a difficult element and executed a groundbreaking acrobatic move on floor that even the boys do not attempt. The first line was executed with difficulty, and while she recovered on the third line, it affected her overall performance. Her vault was commendable.”
Voinea added, “Time is short, and if the leaders of Romanian sports wish to see gymnasts flying to Los Angeles, there needs to be strategic discussions and greater involvement, not just leaving it to the clubs, as we represent Romania but are not officially part of the national team, which is unjust. Gymnastics does not end here!”
The World Championships continue without Romanian representation, with the men’s team final scheduled for Tuesday and the women’s final on Wednesday, where the top eight from qualifications will compete.
The top teams from these finals will secure their spots for the Los Angeles Olympic Games. Finals for the individual all-around are set for Thursday and Friday, with apparatus finals on Saturday and Sunday.
