Psychologically Prepared, Not Emotionless
Despite the Moscow scandal still being fresh, Nadia won a gold medal with no disputing how much she deserved it. There was a fresh feeling of respect and admiration from her competitors and fans alike. A USSR gymnast, Nellie Kim, embraced her on the podium, congratulating her, also stating that contrary to the myth that arose; Nadia is not without feeling and emotions in any way, but rather “She was psychologically prepared, not emotionless”.
Psychologically Prepared, Not Emotionless
“Nadia 81”
In 1981 the Romanian Gymnastics Federation decided to set up an official tour to promote Nadia across eleven cities in the US, called “Nadia 81”, to be led by her coaches Márta and Béla Károlyi. On the final day of the tour, Márta and Béla, along with the Romanian team choreographer, Géza Pozsár, defected to the United States to escape the increasingly unsettling feeling they had in Romania at the time. Béla had hinted to Nadia during the tour that they may do so, and even suggested she might join them. But she didn’t have a problem with Romania at the time, and wanted to go home.
“Nadia 81”
