Nadia Comaneci, the Romanian gymnast who made history at the 1976 Montreal Olympics, was honored at the Laureus World Sports Awards with a career achievement award. The Laureus Awards are often referred to as the Oscars of sports.
In her emotional speech, Comaneci highlighted the significance of sports in her life, and praised Simone Biles as the current representative of the gymnastics dynasty.
"We didn’t tremble as much when climbing the parallel bars," Comaneci said on stage, visibly moved.
"I want to say that it’s the fiftieth anniversary of five perfect tens, as fifty seems so many to me. I was just a girl pursuing her passion. Those 17 seconds at the Olympics changed everything. Without sports, I would have been a boat drifting without direction. I realize how much I've learned by being involved in sports. Sports mean education. They teach children to get back up when they fall, to manage their lives when they are sad, to be responsible for their teammates, and to leave a good impression, even on the days they don’t feel well," she explained.
"Every half-century, a new representative figure emerges in every sport, and Simone, you are amazing," Comaneci addressed the American gymnast. "Not only for what you’ve done in this sport, but also for drawing attention to a topic no one talks about: mental health. Everyone goes through such issues. It's very important to have people who help us manage them, and sports do that for us."
Historical Fragments
This tribute comes 50 years after Nadia received the first perfect 10 score in the history of Olympic gymnastics at the 1976 Montreal Games. Comaneci won three gold medals at the 1976 Olympics and two more at the 1980 Moscow Games. She became a founding member of the Laureus World Sports Academy in 2000 and played a crucial role in the movement, promoting programs around the world to support various communities using sports to improve outcomes and opportunities for at-risk youth.
Comaneci is the 20th Laureus Career Achievement Award recipient and the first gymnast to be honored with this distinction.
On July 10, 2025, President Nicușor Dan signed the decree establishing 2026 as the "Nadia Comaneci Year" to mark the 50th anniversary of the Romanian gymnast's legendary performance at the XXI Summer Olympics in Montreal. Throughout 2026, several events will be organized, with the Romanian Olympic and Sports Committee coordinating them.
