Tămîrjan Pulled Out of American Cup; Racea to Go Instead

The American Cup news just keeps on coming...

ProSport just announced that Ana Maria Tămîrjan will not be going to Chicago after all. The European bronze medalist on floor will be replaced by a junior who has only been in Deva for a few months, Amelia Racea. Racea was second on beam and third on floor at the 2008 Junior Europeans. She was also Romania's highest AA qualifier after the team competition, placing fourth, well behind Tatiana Nabiyeva, Aliya Mustafina and Youna Dufournet.


Amelia Racea (photo: Iris van den Broek/Gymnasticsphotography)

Head coach Nicolae Forminte had this to say about his decision to send a junior rather than the senior who sacrificed her Christmas break to prepare for the American Cup: "We have decided to spare Ana, who has returned to training after a long break. Ever since she resumed training, she has worked very hard with an eye to going to the American Cup. However, she is now suffering mild discomforts in her tibia and we don't want to take any risks, so we are giving her some rest. Racea will go to see what it's like to compete at a competition of this scope, and to get used to the atmosphere. She is a promising junior and we think she will do well."

We are mildly baffled by the fact that Forminte seems to think the American Cup is a bigger deal than the Junior Europeans, but we guess the competition does attract more spectators and media attention. So in that respect he's right - Racea will be in for something new. It will be interesting to see how she holds up against Jordyn Wieber, the other junior competing in Chicago,

As for Tămîrjan, we guess she should have enjoyed a nice Christmas break after all.

View Racea's performances at the 2008 Junior Europeans: beam and floor.

Druncea, Grigore, and Izbaşa Scheduled to Compete in Oklahoma Next Month

ProSport just posted another update on the Deva girls, this time with news about competition assignments (at the bottom of the article). Here you are!

Girls Training Normally

Having finished a ten-day training camp in the mountains during the holiday period, the members of the national gymnastics team have re-entered their regular training program, with two workouts a day.

"We can already see the effects of the conditioning work done in the mountains. The girls, especially the juniors, are better able to withstand exertion and constant training now. So far everything is going well. Things are back to normal now. Sandra has returned to the team as well, after we let her spend a few days at home. We're not having any particular problems," coach Nicolae Forminte said.

The technical staff and Federation officials will soon determine in which competitions the girls will compete this year. "We'll have a meeting to establish our competitive calendar and to commit to paper the training plan we have thought up for this year," explained coach Nicolae Forminte.

The competitive schedule has not been finalized yet, but the head coach did say the first competition of the year would take place in Oklahoma next month, at an international competition organized by Nadia Comăneci.

"It's a club competition, and the Steaua girls have been invited. Dana Druncea, Andreea Grigore, and Sandra Izbaşa will be going. After that, on February 21, we hope to send Ana Tămîrjan to the American Cup, also in the United States. Those will be our competitions in the near future. In addition, we'd like to send some juniors to test competitions. One such competition will be held in March, in either England or Italy. The exact place is still to be determined," the coach said.


Dana Druncea, scheduled to compete in Oklahoma in February
(photo: Jasmin Schneebeli-Wochner/Gymbox)

Could this be a junior ROM-ITA-GBR tri-meet in March? Cool. We look forward to that! Also, the Nadia meet should be fun, what with Dana Druncea, Andreea Grigore, and Sandra Izbaşa attending.

External link: Nadia Comăneci International Invitational

Ana Maria Tamirjan to Skip Winter Break to Prepare for American Cup

A while ago, Romanian head coach Nicolae Forminte complained about the lack of motivation in his team. Well, he can't complain about Ana Maria Tămîrjan. According to this ProSport article, Tămîrjan is skipping the holidays to prepare for next year's American Cup. How's that for motivation?


(photo: ProSport)

Ana Tămîrjan Wishes to Skip Over the Holidays

European champion with the team and European bronze medalist on floor Ana Maria Tămîrjan is recuperating from the femur fracture she sustained a little while before departing for the Olympic Games in Beijing. In Beijing, Ana made a decisive contribution to Romania's team effort, helping the team to finish third.

After a few months' rest, the tiny gymnast from Ploieşti has returned to the gym, and she wants to make up as quickly as possible for the time she lost while unable to train.

"Ana is doing very well, she's very motivated. She has begun training, and what's more, she's refusing to go on her winter break. Instead she wants to stay here [in Deva] to train. She wants to go to the American Cup, and as the American Cup is only two months away, she wants to work as hard as possible so that she can get back on the apparatus. Hers is the return which pleases us most. At her own request, she won't go home over the holidays. She'll only have one single day with her family. Other than that, she'll be training," head coach Nicolae Forminte told ProSport.

The American Cup will be held in Chicago on February 21.

From December 19 to 28, the national women's team will be on its training camp in the mountains, in Poiana Braşov.