Throwing In The Towel
In 1984, Nadia decided that it was time to retire from competition. She went on to become a coach for the Romanian team and shared her expertise with the young budding gymnasts of her motherland. It was also the first time that she saw her former coach.
The New Girl
Even though Nadia was not a competitor at the Olympic Games of 1984, she was an observer. What she saw at the games, gave her heart a jolt of pain. Her former coach, Béla Károlyi, and his new gymnast protégé, Mary Lou Retton were attending the games too, but for team USA. It hurt her to see it, but she wanted him to be happy and knew it was unsafe for him in Romania.