Ana, tears and revenge

At the end of the European Championships in Leipzig, Ana Maria Bărbosu stands on the first step of the ground podium with the gold medal. The agreements of the Romanian anthem are heard in the background, and the eyes of the color of a quiet sea shine and moisten. This is the moment Ana has been waiting for so many years, a moment that came after many storms.

Junioara who won six European gold medals in Mărăin took time to become today's gymnast. “Delicate and powerful”, like his soil exercise, as the British commentators characterized him, Ana had to overcome the tumult in Romanian gymnastics also reflected in the preparation of the female lot, various complicated and tense situations, all culminating with the episode of the Paris Olympic Games.

Ana Maria Barbosu with the gold medal Imago Images

Then, after climbing on the podium of the competition, with the tricolor on his shoulders, believing that he took the bronze, being sent by an appeal to the fourth place, Ana came to the press area in the competition costume with the backpack, with the bandages and with the tears ready to burst. The big people told him not to cry. However, what could a 17 -year -old child do in the face of such a situation? He listened to him, but in every word the frustration and disappointment felt.

After a few days, the bronze would reach it following a decision of TAS, a case that has not yet reached a conclusion after the appeals at the Swiss Federal Court. It is an episode that has left deep traces in the Romanian team, some visible at this edition of the European Championships in Leipzig.

Ana Maria Barbosu on a list of huge names from Romanian gymnastics

Before the German contest, his only senior medal was the bronze in Paris. Now, that distinction was added to four others: one gold, one silver and two bronzes. Each with his story. The individual compound fell from the beam and it was eight when only one rotation remained, but a safe evolution on the ground brought it to the last step of the podium. At the parallels it was a reserve, but the injury of a qualification propelled it in the last act, where it brought the bronze medal, a distinction coming after seventeen years to this device. And on Sunday, although he had qualified with the fourth score on the beam, Ana ended two, and floated like a cloud.

With this last performance it has passed its name on a list that contains Nadia Comăneci, Ecaterina Szabo, Daniela Silivaș, Gina Gogean, Lavinia Miloșovici, Corina Ungureanu, Cătălina Ponor, Sandra Izbașa and Larisa Iordache, all European champions on this device.

Since 2020, from Mărin, an atypical edition of European Championships, where many countries have not sent their representatives, Romania had not conquered a European gold medal. Larisa Iordache then gathered four distinctions, two gold, on the beam and soil, and two silver, with the team and jumps. Sometimes history repeats and rewards those who do not give up and rise.

Picture from the end of the Imago Images photo exercise

The problems of the Romanian gymnastics were not solved with these medals, but what a beautiful revenge for Ana Băbosu from the gymnastics!