Nadia Comaneci and the Secret Police

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Nadia Comăneci, the Romanian gymnastics prodigy, escaped the oppressive communist regime of her homeland. At just 14, she made history by becoming the first gymnast to score a perfect 10.0 at the 1976 Montreal Olympics, winning three gold medals and solidifying her status as a sporting legend. However, her rise was shadowed by the Romanian authorities, who closely monitored her and her coaches, Béla and Marta Károlyi, through the Securitate, the secret police. This account utilizes 25,000 pages of secret police archives, intelligence documents, and wiretap recordings to narrate Nadia's life and career, revealing the intense scrutiny she faced. It delves into her tumultuous relationship with her coaches, her mental health struggles, including a suicide attempt in 1978, and her triumphant return to gold at the 1980 Moscow Olympics. The narrative also examines her withdrawal from international competition and the dramatic defection to the United States in November 1989. Questions arise about whether her escape was orchestrated by CIA agents or even President George Bush, or if she received unexpected assistance from Securitate officers. This story of endurance and escape highlights the lengths one of the greatest gymnasts would go for freedom.