Article by Andra Mocanu – Published Monday, January 12, 2026, 1:59 p.m. / Updated Monday, January 12, 2026 2:32 p.m.
Monica Roșu (38), a former double gold medalist gymnast at the 2004 Athens Olympic Games, spoke about an offer she received following her fantastic results in gymnastics. The great champion revealed that she turned down a million dollars from the United Arab Emirates because of the medical problems she was experiencing.
At the same time, the athlete also stated that she wanted to represent Romania.
PHOTO. Monica Roșu refused the Arabs' money: “Why should I go and make this money for another country?”
After her historic double performance at the 2004 Athens Olympics, when she won two gold medals in the vaulting event and the team event, Monica Roșu was offered the opportunity to represent the United Arab Emirates. This proposal would have come for a significant amount of money, around one million dollars, but the athlete refused.
“He would have wanted us to go and compete for the Emirates. Unfortunately, my back could no longer allow me to do this job. We were offered to go and train there, and at the next Olympic cycle to compete for the United Arab Emirates.”
Asked if she would have accepted this offer, the former gymnast answered with a laugh.
“I don't know, it would have been a challenge, but others intervened, I don't know what would have happened. But I would have liked to win the million dollars here, in Romania. I competed for Romania, I represented my country. Even though he wrote “Monica Roșu”, the Romanian flag was under it, the Romanian anthem was sung, why should I go and make this money for another country?“, said Monica Roșu, according to sport.ro.
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At the Olympic Games in Athens in 2004, Monica Roșu won 2 gold medals, in the jumping and team events
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In 2005, when she was only 18 years old, she had to say goodbye to performance sports. She suffered a painful injury that ended her career in gymnastics
Monica Roșu, in the middle, the 2004 Athens Olympic Games
