Nadia Comaneci praises Cuban gymnastics school

Romanian former gymnast Nadia Comaneci, the first in her discipline to be awarded a perfect score in the Olympics, visited Cuba's national school of gymnastics on Friday, and praised the sport's development in the Caribbean country.

During the visit she met with Manrique Larduet, the island's two-time medalist at the last World Championship, and looked very interested in how Cuban athletes are preparing and aiming for the next Olympics in Rio de Janeiro in August.

"I am very happy to be here, I wanted to see where the world number two trains (Larduet). I could not pass up the opportunity of seeing this place (the school) while in Cuba. You have given a great deal of joy and pride to your people", Comaneci said.

"Having a champion in a small country lets everyone know that you don't have to come from a certain place to be a champion, but that anyone can get there", she added.

Comaneci, 54, considered what Larduet has done to be an inspiration for gymnasts all over the world.

"Already having stars in this sport could motivate younger generations," commented Comaneci who even said the sporting facilities at the Cuban school were similar to the ones she had growing up in Romania. "It is wonderful. I'm so impressed," added the former gymnast.

"I am very happy to talk about the importance of sport; people should practice it for their own health, no one knows how far they can go unless they test themselves", she said.

Larduet and his trainer Carlos Gil confessed being excited because they never thought they would be able to meet the great gymnast one day.

Gil explained to Comaneci the skills and training planned for Larduet in the coming months.

Manrique Larduet recorded the best performance ever by a Cuban in a World Championship when he won two medals in Glasgow, Scotland in 2015. The performance allowed the Cuban to directly qualify for the upcoming Rio de Janeiro Olympic Games in 2016.

This visit is Nadia Comaneci's second time on the Caribbean island. This time, she was invited to Cuba by the president of the International Judo Federation, Marius Vizer, to attend the second Judo Grand Prix to be held in Havana. The tournament got underway on Friday and will end on Sunday.

Comaneci, who has been based in the United States since 1989, announced her desire to invite Cuban teams to the tournament she traditionally organizes in Oklahoma, U.S..

Nadia Comaneci became a gymnastics legend during her Olympic debut at the early age of 14 in Montreal 1976, when she became the first gymnast to receive a perfect score of 10 at an Olympics.

At the time, media described the "perfect 10 girl" as "a bird in flight" after her performance on the uneven bars.

"She was brilliant, and because of her youth a great sense of hope and history was instantly attached to her. There was at once the chance to see greatness," wrote Frank Deford in the prestigious US magazine Sports Illustrated.

Comaneci received the Olympic Order, the highest award given by the International Olympic Committee in 1984 and 2004. She is the only person to have received this honor twice and was also the youngest recipient. The Romanian athlete has also been inducted into the International Gymnastics Hall of Fame.

Comaneci currently lives in the United States with her American husband Bart Connor, also a former gold medalist. She is the Honorary President of the Romanian Gymnastics Federation, and the Vice President of the Board for the Special Olympics. Endit