Romania legend's homecoming inspires hope

In the small Romanian town of Onesti on May 31, people chanted Nadia Comaneci's name as the gymnast, who received the first perfect 10 in Olympic history, returned home 50 years after the feat.

Dozens of people congregated at the apartment building where she used to live for a chance to take a photo of the 64-year-old, some of them calling her "our neighbor".

The former athlete recounted her life as a kid who had to wake up early and train hard to become a champion.

"It's an important year for everyone to push a restart button for movement, sport, health, independence, to learn how to navigate through life and to discover your limits," Comaneci told some 150 kids earlier in the day at a gymnastics competition, which she attended.

Comaneci — who received seven perfect scores at the 1976 Olympic Games in Montreal to become a hero in Romania — showed them how to do some stretches and encouraged the adults present to move as well.

In stark contrast to its glory days, Romania has sent a vastly reduced number of gymnasts to recent Olympics.

The results have reflected this, as the country went 12 years without an Olympic medal — its athletes returned home with three from London in 2012 and garnered a bronze in Paris in 2024.

Hopes for a revival of the sport in Onesti have been rekindled with celebrations of the 50-year anniversary of the first perfect 10 and Comaneci's visit.

In May, the central government approved an investment of 23 million euros ($26.7m) into the town's gymnastics club, where Comaneci started her career.

The project includes new accommodation for the gymnasts, fresh and salt water pools and a gymnastics museum.