Cerasela Patrascu Interview

When Cera was kind enough to answer a few questions exclusively for Gymnastics, No ceiling, I was beyond thrilled! Now, I want to share with you what I found out (in English and Romanian)

English version:

Me: Hello Cerasela, How was the year 2010? For many people it was a surprise to see you competing at such a high level. We you surprised?

Cera: Hi! Honestly, I didn’t expect to get to that level so fast after the long series of injuries and disappointments. I owe everything to the coaches that were patient with me.

Me: You went to the 2010 Euros with the girls but you didn’t compete. Was it a role of „psychologist” and supporter? Is it harder to look at a contest from this angle?

Cera: I can say that the role of team leader is much more difficult because you have more things you are responsible of. I liked that position as well, and if the coaches gave me this task it means that they trusted me.

Me: How was Rotterdam, how will you remember those Worlds?

Cera: At the Worlds we were truly a team. We also had new coaches that we became fond of really quickly and we were not nervous in the new circumstances.

Me: What was your favorite apparatus and why?

Cera: Since I was very young I loved the Uneven Bars. I did not have a particular reason. I just liked it.

Me: Why did you decide to retire?

Cera:There was a chain of health problems that I had over the past two years; they determined me to stop here.

Me: What are your plans, now that you are no longer a gymnast?

Cera: After 12 years of gymnastics, of course I would like to stay in the field. I got a few offers for coaching positions abroad but I am not sure I would be prepared for that yet.

Thank you very much, Cerasela, and good luck in your future career!

Romanian version:

Bea: Cum a fost pentru tine anul 2010? Pentru multa lume a fost surprinzator faptul ca ai reusit sa concurezi la un nivel foarte ridicat. Te asteptai sa ajungi acolo?

Cera: Buna, sa fiu sincera nu ma asteptam sa imi revin asa de repede dupa o serie lunga de accidentari si neimpliniri. Totul se datoreaza antrenorilor care au avut rabdare cu mine.

Bea: La Europenele din 2010 ai mers acolo dar nu ai concurat ... ai avut mai mult un rol de psiholog si suporter? A fost mai greu sa vezi concursul din postura asta?

Cera: Pot spune ca rolul de lider este mult mai greu decat pare. Ai mult mai multe lucruri de care esti raspunzator. Mi-a facut placere sa fiu pusa si in aceasta postura; daca antrenorii mi-au dat aceasta sarcina inseamna ca au avut incredere in mine.

Bea: Cum a fost la Rotterdam, ce amintiri ai legate de acele Campionate Mondiale?

Cera: La mondialele de anul trecut am fost intr-adevar o echipa. Am avut si alti antrenori de care ne-am atasat foarte repede si nu am avut emotii in noile imprejurari.

Bea: Care e aparatul tau preferat si de ce? 

Cera: De mica mi-a placut paralelul. Un motiv intemeiat pentru aceasta placere de a concura in special la paralele nu am. Imi placea pur si simplu

Bea: De ce te-ai retras din gimnastica?

Cera:  Din cauza problemelor de sanatate care pe parcursul ultimilor 2 ani s-au tinut lant de mine. Acestea m-au determinat sa spun stop

Bea: Ce planuri de viitor ai?

Cera: Dupa aproape 12 ani de gimnastica binenteles ca tot pe domeniul acesta o sa ma axez. Am primit niste oferte de a antrena in strainatate dar inca nu sunt sigura ca sunt pregatita sa trec la acest capitol.

Multumesc si mult succes in cariera ta viitoare!

part two of the almost lost pics

Mona Lisa smile:

Happy to be leaving smiles:

Diana Chelaru, on the other hand seems very comfortable:

Amelia Racea reminds me a bit of Gina Gogean. (and I also remember Sarah's take on Gina Gogean's serious face: "I'm a doctor, not smiley face". which I would link but her site is not available at the moment)
I have no idea how Amelia really is... she does seem a bit sad at times.
Even when she won the gold at Euros. See this face on the podium?

After this routine:


Maybe when she manages to overcome all injuries and be the best in the world we will see a big smile. But it's not mandatory... Amelia is a champion, not a smiley face :)

Top Gymnasts in 2010 according to FRG and my (not so thorough) attempt at undestanding the rankings

"At the end of a competitive year marked by many successes, both in artistic gymnastics, and aerobics, major international competitions - the World and European Championships, Youth Olympic Games, World Cup, the Romanian International Championships, National Championships and other top contests - a year of important changes regarding the organization and the preparation of the teams, a year that brought dissatisfaction as well, the Romanian Gymnastics Federation drew the line, denoting, according to tradition, the year's top 10 gymnasts 2010 in artistic gymnastics(women and men) and aerobics in the top rankings ranged Ana Porgras, Flavius Koczi and Mircea Zamfir whose performances this year are quite well known."

Rankings and some facts:

1) Ana Porgras

Most notable results: BB World Champion, 1st on BB in Ghent World Cup, 3rd with the team at Euros, 1st in the AA, 1st on Beam, 3rd on Floor at Romanian Nationals etc.

or watch here

2) Diana Chelaru

Most important results: silver on floor at 2010 Worlds, bronze on floor at Euros, 2nd on Floor at the nationals etc.

or watch here

3) Amelia Racea

Most important results: gold on BB at Euros, 3rd with the team at Euros 2010

or watch here

4) Sandra Izbasa

Most notable results of the year: 1st on Floor at Ghent World Cup, 1st on Vault and Floor at Romanian Nationals, 2nd on BB at Nationals, 2nd at the Arthur Gander Memorial

or watch here

5) Raluca Haidu

Most notable results: 3rd on beam and 3rd with the team at Europeans, 1st AA at Romanian International, 9th all around at the Worlds

or watch here

6) Gabriela Dragoi

3rd on BB at Romanian Nationals, 4th with the Team at Worlds

or watch here

7) Diana Bulimar

Notable results: 2nd on FX at Youth Olympic Games, 3rd on UB and 2nd with the team at Jr Euros

or watch here

8) Larisa Iordache

Notable Results: gold on FX, bronze AA and silver with the team at Jr. Euros, 1st AA and in all EF's at Jr. Nationals

or watch here

9) Cerasela Patrascu

4th with the team at Worlds, 3rd on Vault, 2nd on UB at Romanian Nationals

or watch here

10) Dana Andrei

Most notable results: 3rd on UB at Romanian Nationals

or watch here

So, according to FRG, 1st place in the World Cup beats Jr. European Gold AND Youth Olympic silver... wich is surprising for me. I would have had Ana, Diana and Amelia on first 3 spots as well... on 4th maybe Diana Bulimar (for her YOG silver), 5th Larisa Iordache (because of her Gold at Euros), 6th Raluca Haidu, 7th Sandra Izbasa, 8th Gabriela Dragoi, 9th Cerasela Patrascu and 10th Dana Andrei.

Sad news from Izvorani

Tamarjan and Patrascu have retired! 


In an interview for Prosport, Mariana Bitang said it was Cerasela's decision to retire, she simply didn't want to continue; while in Anamaria's case it was a decision influenced by her parents and the coaches because she has some back problems.

Asked whether there are any health problems among the gymnasts in the national team, Bitang said that the only injury is Diana Bulimar's but she underwent a knee arthroscopy and she is recovering well. Bitang also said that 6 juniors have started to train with the big girls (probably Bulimar, Madalina Neagu, Larisa Iordache, Diana Rusu, Beatrice Margarit and Maria Balea), some of them will become seniors next year, some in 2012.

About Sandra Izbasa's desire to continue: "She is a boost for the other girls. Sandra is also motivated by the progress she sees in others, and she is constantly improving her routines; she has reached a maturity that allows to realise that she can be rewarded for all the hard work she has done for years".

Six months have passed since Bellu and Bitang have returned to the national team, the period of adjustment is over "Now we know each other and we finally speak the same language.".

Read the entire interview in Prosport.

and more videos: beam from Gymboost

Ana Porgras, Raluca Haidu and Cerasela Patrascu: does this sound like a high scoring beam rotation?

Raluca Haidu, with her pretty form and choreo, still has a lot of wobbles... the 8.95 she got for execution is too high.

or watch here.

As I have previously said, Cerasela Patrascu looks like a good option: she has good execution and consistency, the things Bellu likes most.

More videos can be found on Gymboost's channel.

First training in Resita

(Ana Porgras, Diana Trenca, Diana Chelaru and probably Cerasela Patrascu)

(Cerasela Patrascu)

These pictures have been published in the on line issue of the newspaper Adevarul de Resita. For more pictures, you can visit their website.

Cera and Gabi really mean business

(image from Prosport)

wooooow Cerasela Patrascu and Gabi Dragoi are training 4 apparatuses. This is what Octavian Bellu says in this press release (on Fangymnastics via Romanian Gymnastics Federation).

I would have never hoped to see them in such a good shape, training on all four events.

I've read before that for a gymnast to make the team, the essential condition was for her to be able to contribute on at least three events. The next step is to see Gabi and Cera competing at Euros in Berlin, if not at the upcoming Worlds. I know that their D scores are not as good as the other's for the moment... but they are both good at uneven bars and balance beam which are the best rewarded events, both of them being capable of routines with high difficulty (around 6.0) . The team that could use two gymnasts like that.

Via Fangymnastics

and Romanian Gymnastics Federation