Gymnastics Protege Fights Through Pain Moceanu Strives To Overcome Injury, Expectation

A bit of Mary Lou and a lot of Nadia is how Dominique Moceanu is usually described. All that was supposed to be left for Bela Karolyi’s latest gymnastics prodigy was showing up in Atlanta to receive her Olympic medal.

But five weeks before the games, Moceanu received devastating news: the pain in her right leg was more than inflammation. It was a 4-inch stress fracture. Moceanu reacted like any 14-year-old. She cried. And cried some more.

Karolyi, the dictatorial and wildly successful coach, refused to let her feel self-pity. Instead, he told her to take inspiration from Mary Lou Retton and Nadia Comaneci.

“Mary Lou competed five weeks after knee surgery. Nadia went into the Olympics after very badly spraining her ankle six weeks before,” Karolyi said. “I think (Moceanu) can do it.

“That’s a very unfortunate link and one I’d prefer not to have. But it has happened before, so we know it can be done.”

A year’s worth of publicity since her surprising national crown at age 13 last year built Moceanu (pronounced Mo-chee-AH-no) into the expected darling of Atlanta.

Through it all, Comaneci has become a friend and mentor to Moceanu, with whom she shares a Romanian heritage and native tongue. “You have to leave her a little space,” Comaneci said. “Know that she is good, but not very good. Let her prove that she’s better than you think.”

Moceanu became the can’t-miss kid of 1996 shortly after her senior national title in ‘95. She proved she wasn’t a fluke five weeks later by finishing fifth at the world championships, best among the Americans. She also won a silver on the balance beam and helped the United States to a team bronze.

The 4-foot-6, 72-pound Moceanu was quickly dubbed “the next Nadia” because of her strong resemblance to a young Comaneci.

The difference, however, is that Comaneci looked so serious while performing. Moceanu’s sparkling smile recalls Retton.

Along with those comparisons, Moceanu’s story is suited for hype.

She was born in Los Angeles to Romanian-born parents who had been gymnasts in their homeland.

When she was only 6 months old, Moceanu was given her first gymnastics aptitude test: hanging from a clothesline her parents had strung across the kitchen.

When Dominique was 3, her father called Karolyi, another Romanian expatriate, to see if he was interested in coaching her. He laughed, suggested local lessons and said to call back in six years.

It took seven, and this time the decision was Dominique’s. She had learned all about Retton, Comaneci and Karolyi, and she wanted to train under him and alongside stars Kim Zmeskal and Betty Okino.

Moceanu’s father moved the family from Florida to Houston.

After overcoming her initial fears and insecurity, Moceanu blossomed into the youngest member of the junior national team within seven months.

These days, her picture is everywhere. She’s been in Vanity Fair, Newsweek and People. She even has an autobiography.

Many feared the publicity would lead to overwhelming pressure, as it did for Zmeskal in ‘92.

But the home stretch to Atlanta instead has been paved with pain.

When Olympic competition in gymnastics begins July 21, Moceanu will have had a little over five weeks to recover.

“The old saying is that to make the steel harder, you first have to put it in the flame, then drop it in the cold water,” Karolyi said.

“I tell her not to get too much down. There is a way to get out of it. You’ll get over this.”