23. Januar 2006  
Bucharest / Romania  
Artistic Gymnastics

Catalina Ponor considers circus career

Ponor goes for Cirque
in the future...?

Rumanian Olympic champion Catalina Ponor said in an interview for Rumanian Mediafax News Agency that she would be tempted to be part of the 'Cirque du Soleil' circus group, as she received a proposal in this respect while she was participating in last year's European Gymnastics Championships in Debrecen, Hungary....

Coach Matei Stanei and Catalina Ponor

'I do not dislike the idea. On the contrary, I am quite tempted by the idea and do not exclude this option. I also saw some tape recordings of them and I think the whole thing is very beautiful. And there is also a lot of money that can come out of this,' Ponor said.
If she accepts the proposal, Ponor will be a colleague with two former Romanian gymnasts who were members of the Olympic team, Rares Orzata and Dorin Petcu.
However, Ponor said that for the moment she wants to go on with sports competitions and said she intends to train in Bucharest but with her coach at the club where she is now training in Constanta, Matei Stanei.

... but target 2006: European Champs!
She said she hopes the Romanian Gymnastics Federation accepts her conditions, without imposing on her a centralized method of training as it was when there was a national Olympic team.
'My objective is to participate successfully in the European Championships,' Ponor said. The European championships will take place in April in Vlosos, Greece.
Ponor and the other two gymnasts who were part of the Olympic team were excluded from the team at the moment it was dissolved by the federation. That decision was made after the gymnasts were accused of indiscipline by the former two coaches, Octavian Belu and Mariana Bitang. As a consequence, the gymnasts went to train with their clubs.
Sopurce: Rumanian press; photos: gymmedia