Check out: "What it means to be elite": http://www.gymchat.com/messageboards/viewtopic.php?p=2762#2762

What it means to be elite, from Alexandra Mariscu's (Romanian elite gymnast) book: Romanian journalist Andrei Nourescu wjo is telling Marinescu's story says "What you see on TV or what you read in newspapers is a completely different reality." [quote]It comes at a time when Romanian gymnastics is recovering from a difficult period which culminated in the dismissal of the senior team from[ Read More... ]

Excerpt from Marinescu's book: [quote]After initially starting off as a swimmer, Alexandra was soon spotted for gymnastics and, under the guidance of coach Eliza Stoica, progressed rapidly. Her rise did not go unnoticed, and she says it was mid 1993 when her father was asked to the gym for a talk of a different kind. Coach Stoica and Nicolae Vieru, president of the Romanian Gymnastics[ Read More... ]

Another thing that isn't fair - qualifying for the all-around or event final and then getting replaced by your coach for someone else who he thinks deserves it more or has a better chance of medalling. [quote]In the run-up to the 1996 Olympics, the world seemed to be Alexandra Marinescu's oyster. After winning the European junior title twice and helping her team to the gold medal at the 1995[ Read More... ]

One of the coaches at the gym sometimes uses drinks/snacks as a manipulation tool - like no drink or no snack until you do such and such. He says in his homeland Romania the girls would go without eating - like skipped meals - if they didn't perform something as the coach wanted, for punishment. I think also if they weighed more than they should have at a weigh-in. Really healthy huh. The coach[ Read More... ]