Sawt Falasteen - Romania eyes first Olympic gymnastics medals after 12 years

Voinea, who just turned 17, is Romania's best hope for medals in Paris, to revive the reputation of the eastern European country's once-powerful gymnastics programme 12 years after last taking part in the Olympics.

"I really want medals on beam and floor," Voinea, who won bronze and two silvers at the European championships in 2023 and 2024 respectively, told AFP ahead of the Paris Olympics women's artistic gymnastics competition on Sunday.

Gymnastics stars such as Nadia Comaneci have brought the former communist country 72 Olympic medals -- more than any other discipline -- but the last team gold dates back to 2004, after gold in 1984 and 2000.

While Voinea could now end the drought, the goal in the teams category is less ambitious: being among the top eight nations to reach the final would already be a success, according to the country's gymnastics federation.

- 'Still quite big' gap -

"We have been very happy because we brought Romania to the Olympics again after 12 years. And that's why we spend every day in the gymnastics hall and we work hard," said Voinea.

Voinea credits mum Camelia, who also trains her, for instilling in her the strength and desire to win since she was little -- and a hunger to surpass her mum in Olympic medals.

Camelia Voinea -- who herself won team silver at the 1988 Olympics -- admits "a lot of catching up" remains to be done to again reach "results, as we were used to in my time".

"But step-by-step I believe that we will overcome these difficult moments," said the 54-year-old.

Sportswriter Andreea Giuclea blames a lack of strategy, coaches leaving abroad, poor infrastructure, a shallow selection pool, and outdated "very tough and strict" training methods for the decline, noting a "still quite big" gap between Romania and other countries.

In late 2023, the gymnastics federation even made an appeal for donations due to lack of funding, attracting 300,000 euros ($330,000) from companies for new equipment for the team's main training gym, north of Bucharest.

The facility -- with holes in the parquet at the entrance -- will be renovated after the Olympics.

- 'Come on! Come on!' -

When Dutchman Patrick Kiens took over as head coach of Romania in January 2023, he discovered "there were a lot of girls injured, facilities that needed to be renovated, the medical department was not good".

Climbing back to the top now needs small steps, "never from zero to 100," the 53-year-old told AFP, hitting back at what he thinks is unjust criticism and defending his team who worked "their ass off under the circumstances they were in".

Ahead of the Paris Olympics, the members of the team, whose average age is 17, encourage each other -- quite unlike the icy silence in which the team used to practise.

"Come on! Come on!" they shout while one of them spins and jumps on parallel bars. "Bravo!"

The team recently received a visit from the legendary Comaneci, giving them "extra confidence."

In 1976 in Montreal, Comaneci scored a perfect 10 out of 10, an Olympic first, at the age of 14 years and eight months.

Voinea is determined not to miss the Games, resuming training in early July after suffering from inflammation in her leg.

"I grit my teeth and move on," she said.

According to her mum, Voinea stunned the doctor when she told him she's definitely not skipping the Olympics, saying "If I need to compete in one leg, I will."

B.AbuZeid--SF-PST