12. April 2006  
Bucharest / Romania  
Artistic Gymnastics

Catalina Ponor plans Retirement

Ponor, Stanei

The Rumanian press reports that Olympic Champion Catalina Ponor's coach, Matei Stanei, said that he will quit coaching and return to his old passion which is yachting.
According to Stanei, Ponor supposedly is determined to quit gymnastics after the Women's European Championship in Volos, Greece between April 27 and April 30.
'Catalina quit gymnastics but reconsidered her decision,' said Stanei to the Rumanian press....
Ponor's long time coach also mentioned that she changed her mind about quitting competing because she wanted to help the Romanian team at the European Championship 'I didn't think it would be so hard, many people accused me of being too patient,' Stanei said when talking about his decision of coaching Catalina Ponor, after the Romanian Gymnastics team was dissolved and each one of the gymnasts continued their careers at various clubs.
Catalina Ponor suggested that the Romanian team coaches at the time, Mariana Bitang and Octavian Belu, were too harsh to the gymnasts during the training sessions.
'Even now she has physical and psychological traumas' said her present coach referring to his gymnast's previous experiences. 'In Constanta people know me as 'Captain' more than 'Coach', said Stanei when he talked about his future plans of retiring and taking up yachting. The coach said that he wants Ponor to get a medal during the European Championship.
Rumanians Volos Team...
The President of the Romanian Gymnastics Federation, Adrian Stoica, said on Tuesday that the names of the gymnasts who are to participate at the European Championship are to be decided within a week's time.
Catalina Ponor, Sandra Izbasa and Steliana Nistor are already part of the European Championship team, as other gymnasts are to be announced.
source: Rumanian press