1964 - Starts Kindergarten at age three.
First introduction to gymnastics in school by Marcel Duncan
1967 - joined a newly formed gym club, "The Flame", coaches Marta Karolyi and Valeriu Munteanu
1969 - accepted in the new Gymnastics High School, coached by
Marta Karolyi, assisted by husband, Bela
1970 - competed in her first national competition, as a member
of the Onesti team. The Onesti team won, despite falling three times during
her beam routine (7.25)
1971 and 1972 - wins junior national all-around title
1971 - wins the all-around (38.50) in her first international
competition, Ljubljana, Yugoslavia
October 1974 - participates, with teammate Teodora Ungureanu,
in an exhibition in France. Soviet star and Nadia's idol, Ludmilla Tourisheva,
is also present, but Nadia and Teodora steal the show
January 1975 - becomes eligible to compete at the senior level
May, 1975 - wins the all-around in the European Championship,
in Skien, Norway, beating Ludmilla Tourisheva and the 16-year-old Soviet
rising star, Nelli Kim. Takes gold for Beam, Bars and Vault, as well as silver
for floor
March 1976 - wins 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, 1976 - scores the first ever 10.00 (Bars) in Olympic
competition, at the team compulsory exercises
July 19, 1976 - scores 10.00 (2) on Beam, and Bars (3),
Romania capture the silver medal, at the team optional exercises
July 21, 1976 - the all-around; starting on Bars, scores 10.00
(4), then Beam (5). Takes the gold
July 23, 1976 - 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" and finishes fourth on Vault. Medal take is three gold, one
silver, and one bronze.
Awarded the gold medal of "Hero of Socialist Labor",
Bucharest, Romania
Post Olympics up to 1979 European Championship
September 1976 - an American TV crew, along with comedian Flip
Wilson, arrives 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 - 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 wins 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 and takes gold.
1978 - the Romanian Nationals: Nadia does not compete and
Emilia Eberle becomes the new National Champion.
1979 - Bela is rejoined by Nadia.
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 gold medals in the individual
finals (Beam and Floor), and a silver for Vault.
So, 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 and takes all five gold medals.
1984 - at age 22, officially retires from competition; attends
Los Angeles Olympics as VIP guest of head organizer, Peter Uberoth.
November 1989 - flees to Hungary, with help from Constantin
Panait, whom she paid $5000. Then on to the American Embassy in Vienna,
Austria, where she is granted asylum and arrives in the United States on
December 1. 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.
1999 - finishes the millennium with a host of awards and
citations as one of the great female athletes of the century.
