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Born: Nadia Elena Comaneci

Date: November 12, 1961

Born in Onesti (official name, Gheorghe Gheorghiu-Dej), Romania.

Named after "Nadezhda" (the heroine of a Russian film), which means "Hope".

Parents: Gheorghe and Stefania-Alexandrina Comaneci

One brother, Adrian, born 1967.

Kindergarten up to 1976 Olympics

Starts Kindergarten at age three.

1st introduction to gymnastics in school by Marcel Duncan

Joined a newly formed gym club, "The Flame," in 1967; coaches are Marta Karolyi and Valeriu Munteanu.

Accepted in the new Gymnastics High School in 1969. Coached by Marta Karolyi, assisted by husband, Bela.

Competed in her first national competition in 1970, as a member of the Onesti team.  The Onesti team won, despite falling three times during her beam routine (7.25); a major turning point in her attitude towards the sport.

1971 and 1972, wins jr. national all-around title.

1971, wins the all-around (38.50) in her first international competition, Ljubljana, Yugoslavia.

October 1974, with teammate Teodora Ungureanu, participate in an exhibition in France. Soviet Union star, and Nadia's idol, Ludmilla Tourisheva, is present.  Nadia and Teodora steal the show.

Becomes eligible to compete at the senior level in January, 1975.

May, 1975, wins the all-around in the European Championship, in Skien, Norway, beating  Ludmilla Tourisheva and 16-year-old Soviet rising star, Nelli Kim.  Nadia takes gold for Beam, Bars, and Vault, and silver for floor.

1975 Associated Press Athlete of the Year.

March 1976, win the first American Cup competition, held in New York City.  Scores two 10's (Vault and Floor),  Winner of the men's competition is her future husband, American Bart Conner. 

XXI Olympiad, Montreal, Canada

July 18; the team compulsory exercises; scores the first ever 10.00 (Bars) in Olympic competition.

July 19; the team optional exercises; scores 10.00 (2) on Beam, and Bars (3), Romania capture the silver medal.

July 21; the all-around; starting on Bars, scores 10.00 (4), then Beam (5).  Nadia takes the gold.

July 23; the individual finals; scores 10.00 (6) on Bars, for a perfect maximum score of 20.00 Ditto for Beam, 10.00 (7) for a max of 20.00.

Places third on Floor, set to, "Yes Sir, That's My Baby" (not "Nadia's Theme" as some get confused).

Finishes fourth on Vault.  Medal take is three gold, one silver, and one bronze.

Post Olympics up to 1979 European Championship

Awarded the gold medal of a Hero of the Socialist Party, the youngest Romanian to do so. 

September 1976, an American TV crew, along with comedian Flip Wilson, arrive in Onesti to film a one hour special on Nadia, which premiered on CBS in November.

December 1976, competes in the Chunichi Cup, in Japan.  Uses the same routines from Montreal; already shows signs of growth and slight weight gain; scores two 10.00's (Bars and Floor). 

1977, Nadia's parents divorce

1977 European Championship, Prague, Czechoslovakia; successfully defends All-Around title.  During the individual round, ties with Elena Mukhina (USSR) for the Bars.  In vault, following a protest by the Soviets over scoring, Nelli Kim is awarded the gold over Nadia. The Romanian team leaves in protest, is disqualified from the individual competition, and Nadia must return her gold from the Bars.

Fall, 1977, the Romanian team tours Mexico and US; Nadia's body growth and weight gains are more apparent, but still pleases the crowd.  During the Romanian vs. US competition, Nadia win comfortably.

Later, 1977; Bela Karolyi is removed as Nadia's coach and transferred.   Nadia is put under the direction of Gheorghe Condovici, Iosif Hidi, and Antanasia.

1978, hospitalized for poisoning after drinking some bleach; exact details, and motive (if any) remain a mystery.  Several stories, attributed to Nadia by various sources and rumors, abound.

November, 1978; The World Championships, Strasbourg, France;  estimated four inches taller, and twenty pounds heavier.  Tied for second going into the Bars, falls to the floor, and out of the all-around medal race...

...after the pressure of the all-around passes, has a brief come-back during the individual beam competition; takes gold.

1978; the Romanian Nationals; Nadia does not compete, sits in the stands as a spectator.  Emilia Eberle becomes the new National Champion.

1979; Bela is rejoined by Nadia.  Different stories tell who did what, and why.

Competitive Comeback through Moscow Olympics

1979, the European Championships; biggest comeback in gymnastics history; takes the all-around gold for the third straight time.

December, 1979; World Championships, Ft. Worth, Texas; frail looking and boney; many fear her drive to trim down has gone too far...

...recouping from an illness and nursing an infected and swelling left wrist, is forced to withdraw from the competition after the team finals.  Romania took the gold.

Summer, 1980; The 22nd Olympiad; Moscow; loses the all-around by the slightest of margins, after a 27 minute heated debate by judges results in gold to Yelena Davydova (USSR)...

...wins two golds in the individual finals (Beam and Floor), and a silver for Vault.

Career Olympic medal take is five gold, three silver, and one bronze.

1981 - 2000

Early 1981, Romanian team tours US again.  After final show, Bela and Marta Karolyi decide to stay in the United States (defect).

Later 1981; competes in her last major competition, the World University Games, held in Romania; takes all five gold medals.

1984; age 22, officially retires from competition; attends Los Angeles Olympics as VIP guest of head organizer, Peter Uberoth.

1984; graduates Institute of Physical Education and Sports in Bucharest.

1984-89; work for Romanian Gymnastics Federation and coaches Jr. National team.

November 1989; flees to Hungary, then on to the American Embassy in Vienna, Austria, where she is granted asylum in the United States; arrives December 1.

Fled Romania with help from Constantin Panait, whom she paid $5000.  Panait maintains control of Nadia's life. Rumors of abuse abound. Today, Nadia speaks little of this time.

1990-91; resides in Canada with Alexandru Stefu (Romanian rugby coach) and wife; gets back into shape, joins some gymnastics exhibitions, reacquaints herself with Bart Conner. 

1991; Alexandru Stefu dies in freak drowning incident.  Bart Conner, who had become a close phone pal with Nadia, invites her to live in Norman, Oklahoma, where he owns a gymnastics academy.

November 12, 1994; 33rd birthday, Bart proposes at the Amsteel International Hotel, in Amsterdam.

November 1994; makes her first visit back to Romania, taking Bart with her.  Nadia's father consents to Bart's request for Nadia's hand in marriage.

April 26, 1996; married in a Civil Ceremony in Romania, followed by a church wedding the next day.

1999; finishes the millennium with a host of awards and citations as one of the great female athletes of the century.

November 12, 2000; Nadia turns 39.  One assumes she'll remain 39 until the year 2010.

December 2000, spokes person for UN to launch the International Year of Volunteers

2001-2010

November, 2005, Ranked fourth in the Top 20 of the most important athletic achievements of the last 150 years, after a survey published on the Forbes.com site.

June 3, 2006, born, Dylan Paul Conner, 4 lbs. 10 oz.

July 7, 2006, PEOPLE magazine publishes first public photos of Dylan.

August, 2006, named Most Admired Sports Personality in Romania.