#NadiaYear Nadia Comaneci to attend Sports Festival 2026
Former gymnastics great Nadia Comaneci will attend this year's Sports Festival 2026 on June 14 at BTarena, taking part in a masterclass organised in partnership with the Romanian Olympic and Sports Committee, according to a press release sent to AGERPRES on Tuesday.
'Nadia Comaneci is the special guest of the Sports Festival 2026 edition. The champion who changed the history of sport by achieving the first perfect 10 at the Olympic Games will hold a masterclass on Sunday, June 14, at BTarena. The event is organised by Sports Festival in partnership with the Romanian Olympic and Sports Committee, in a symbolic year marking 50 years since the historic achievement at the 1976 Summer Olympics. Her presence at Sports Festival 2026 marks one of the highlights of this year's edition and comes shortly after another major international recognition: she recently received the Laureus Lifetime Achievement Award at the Laureus World Sports Awards, reaffirming her place among the world's sporting elite.
Widely regarded as one of the most important figures in the history of sport, Nadia returns to the attention of the Romanian public in an anniversary context of special significance, half a century after the moment that forever redefined performance in gymnastics,' the organisers' press release reads.
The former champion promised those attending at BTarena an open and honest dialogue, intended as a source of inspiration.
'Sometimes it takes just a few seconds to change a life. Seventeen seconds. That is how long the routine that changed my life and the history of world gymnastics lasted. But behind those 17 seconds were millions of seconds of training. For me, sport meant more than the first 10, more than the medals I won. It was about discipline, courage and the desire to become better every day. I look forward to seeing you at the Sports Festival masterclass, where I will share many more moments, lessons and insights from sport and my personal experience, which can be applied in any field. It will be a sincere meeting, an open dialogue and, I hope, a source of inspiration and motivation for all those who believe in the power of dreams built through hard work and passion,' said Nadia Comaneci.
The masterclass scheduled in Cluj-Napoca will give the public the opportunity to meet directly the athlete who became a landmark in international gymnastics. The event will focus on themes such as discipline, the pressure of major competitions, balance, motivation and the journey behind a career built at the highest level.
'For us, this masterclass is more than just a special event in the Sports Festival 2026 programme. It is a rare opportunity to listen to Nadia Comaneci beyond the iconic image known worldwide, to discover the story behind the performance - the discipline, the pressure, the choices and the less visible moments that shaped the path of a great champion. We believe the public will have a truly valuable, sincere and memorable encounter,' said Mirel Alexa, Executive Director of Sports Festival.
Organised by Sports Festival in partnership with the Romanian Olympic and Sports Committee, the event is part of a series of special moments dedicated to 2026, a year celebrating the legacy left by Nadia Comaneci to world sport. In 1976, in Montreal, her performance became one of the most iconic milestones in the history of the Olympic Games and turned her name into a symbol of excellence.
'For Romania and for the entire world, the moment at the 1976 Summer Olympics remains a living lesson in what it means to achieve perfection. Not yet 15, Nadia Comaneci achieved not only the first 10 in Olympic gymnastics history, but the impossible, offering humanity pure emotion, perfection in sport and a benchmark that continues to inspire generations of children. In those moments, we all understood that excellence is not an abstract ideal, but a reality built through passion, discipline and courage. Nadia embodied Olympic values in their most authentic form: passion, fair play, national pride, resilience and the extraordinary power to inspire through achievement. It is our duty to carry forward this legacy and to show young people that, through hard work, confidence, courage and ambition, they can reach their goals,' said the President of the Romanian Olympic and Sports Committee, Mihai Covaliu.
The masterclass will take place on Sunday, June 14, 2026, at BTarena.
On July 10, 2025, President Nicusor Dan signed the decree promulgating the law designating 2026 as the 'Year of Nadia Comaneci', marking 50 years since the gymnast's legendary performances at the 1976 Summer Olympics, when the first perfect 10 in world gymnastics was awarded. A series of events will be organised throughout 2026 as part of this project, coordinated by the Romanian Olympic and Sports Committee. AGERPRES (RO - writing by: Adrian Tone; EN - writing by: Cristina Zaharia)
The content of the www.agerpres.ro website has the exclusive purpose of public informing.
All the information published on this website by AGERPRES is protected by relevant legal dispositions.
It is forbidden to copy, reproduce, recompile, decompile, distribute, publish, display, modify, create derived components or products or full services, as well as any exploitation of the site's content.
Details in the section Terms of Use. If you are interested in picking up AGERPRES news items, please contact the Marketing Department – marketing@agerpres.ro.
The use of the Comments section entails your obligation to respect the AGERPRES terms and conditions in regards to the publishing of comments on the www.agerpres.ro.
Other news in category
President signs into law acts related to NRRP milestones, SAFE Agreement ratification
President Nicusor Dan announced on Tuesday that he has promulgated a series of laws needed to meet NRRP milestones and for the ratification of the SAFE Agreement. 'This evening I promulgated a series of laws required for fulfilling critical NRRP milestones, as well as for the ratification of the SAFE Agreement - regulatory acts that relate to the state'
Senate adopts Biodiversity Strategy
On Tuesday, the Senate—acting as the first legislative chamber to review the matter—adopted the National Strategy and Action Plan for Biodiversity Conservation (2026-2030), a milestone under the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR), with amendments proposed by the PSD being approved. There were 82 votes in favor, 33 against, and 9 abstentio
Danube low level gridlocks Corabia's tourist and commercial ports
The tourist port and the commercial port of Corabia are blocked due to the low Danube levels, said the town's public administrator, Daniel Albu. He told AGERPRES on Tuesday that neither tourist boats nor the Corabia City Hall vessel can operate, as for dozens of metres from the shore outward there is no water left, but only a sand beach.
Finance minister: Romania preparing for Moody's next rating test, aiming to regain stable outlook
Finance Minister Alexandru Nazare said that the Ministry is preparing for Moody's upcoming assessment, Romania's next rating test after last week's favourable dialogue with Fitch, with the goal of regaining a stable outlook. 'Moody's, the next rating test for Romania. After the favourable result obtained last week in the dialogue with Fitch
Supermarkets curtailing air conditioning usage, turning off advertising lighting at night
The members of the Association of Romania's Large Commercial Networks (AMRCR) have put into practice a series of measures after a state of alert was declared in terms of carrying out commercial activities, curtailing the use of air conditioning and turning off advertising lighting during the night, the organisation announced on Tuesday in a statement. Othe
U.S. Under Secretary of War Colby appreciates Romania's proactive approach to NATO
U.S. Under Secretary of War Elbridge Colby said on Tuesday that he appreciates Romania's proactive approach to burden shifting inside NATO, after a meeting at the Pentagon with Romanian national security presidential adviser Marius Lazurca. ' On July 29, I hosted Romanian National Security Advisor MariusLazurca at the Pentagon. I previewed our approach
President Dan promulgates laws on fuel market crisis, reduced VAT on housing
President Nicușor Dan announced on Tuesday having signed decrees promulgating the laws declaring the crisis situation on the oil products market and extending the deadline for applying the reduced VAT rate on real estate transactions. 'I've signed today promulgation decrees for two important pieces of legislation for the economic stability of the count
Memorandum of Understanding between Romanian Academy and Berlin-Brandenburg Academy of Sciences
The Romanian Academy and the Berlin-Brandenburg Academy of Sciences and Humanities are developing their multidisciplinary cooperation based on a Memorandum of Understanding signed on Monday, in the attendance of interim Foreign Affairs Minister Oana Toiu and Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Germany to Bucharest Angela Ganninger. According to a Foreign Aff
FEATURE/Brancusi retrospective in Berlin marks sculptor's 150th anniversary with landmark exhibition
A major retrospective dedicated to Romanian sculptor Constantin Brancusi, organised to mark the 150th anniversary of his birth and hosted by Berlin's Neue Nationalgalerie, offers visitors a rare opportunity to discover the work and creative universe of one of the artists who revolutionised modern sculpture. Organised in collaboration with the Centre Pompid
Code Orange heatwave warnings in more than half of country over next two days
Meteorologists issued new Code Orange heatwave warnings on Tuesday, affecting areas across more than half of the country until Thursday morning, where temperatures are expected to reach 39 degrees. According to the National Meteorological Administration (ANM), a first Code Orange warning for exceptionally hot weather will be in force from 4 August, 10:00, to 5
Romanian firefighters from second module deployed to France return home
The second rotation of the Romanian specialised forest firefighting module (Ground Forest Fire Fighting using Vehicles - GFFF-V), deployed to the French Republic between 16 and 31 July, returned to Romania on Monday evening. 'During the two-week mission, the Romanian firefighters were integrated into the operational deployment coordinated by the French aut
Hydrologists estimate that Danube flow could fall to 1,350 cubic metres per second by 10 August
The Danube flow at the country's entry point (Bazias section) will decline slightly to 1,350 cubic metres per second, below the historic minimum of 1,400 cubic metres per second recorded in 1985, according to the National Institute of Hydrology and Water Management (INHGA) data. The multiannual average for August is 3,900 cubic metres per second.
Tennis: Gabriela Ruse qualifies for the second round of the tournament in Toronto (WTA)
Romanian tennis player Gabriela Ruse defeated American Peyton Stearns, 6-0, 7-5, on Monday in the first round of the WTA 1,000 tournament in Toronto, which offers total prize money of 7,433,076 US dollars. Ruse, 28, ranked 77th in the WTA rankings, sealed her victory after one hour and 40 minutes. The Romanian now leads Stearns, 24, ranked 57th
Bucharest hosts first International Business and Finance Olympiad
Bucharest is hosting between 3 and 6 August the first International Business and Finance Olympiad (IBFO) from 3 to 6 August, organised by the Romanian Excellence Centre in Economics. A total of 40 students and 16 team leaders from eight countries will take part in the competition in person: Greece, Hong Kong, India, Japan, Macao, New Zealand, Poland and Romani
Voluntary power savings cannot cover Romania's potential electricity shortfall - energy expert
Voluntary reductions in electricity consumption could save at most 100-200 MW, far below a potential peak-hour shortfall of up to 2,500 MW, according to Dumitru Chisalita, president of the Intelligent Energy Association (AEI). His comments come after the Romanian government declared a nationwide energy alert for August due to declining electricity production c