Sandra Izbasa and Catalina Ponor have both returned to training in hopes of making the 2016 Olympics in Rio.
Sandra herself confirmed this in an article on Pro Sport. She said she discussed with her coaches and first, her goal is to see if she can regain her London skill level. Despite first appearances, this isn't because the Romanian team is floundering without Sandra (which I will admit was my first thought), this comeback is for Sandra. This is the same reason Nastia Liukin, Alicia Sacramone, Chellsie Memmel etc made their comeback after Olympic success, she wants to leave no stone unturned, to speak figuratively,
"I am aware that it will be difficult and will have to work for ten times more than the girls on the team, but are motivated and want to try to do this because I do not want to have regrets over several years that I could help the team and I have tried. I do not want to take anybody's place the team do not want to prove anything because I have nothing to prove, I want to get into the gym and I enjoy gymnastics "
Sandra won the vault gold medal at the London Olympics in 2012 in 2008 in Beijing, Sandra took home the gold medal for the floor exercise as well as a team bronze medal in both 2008 and 2012. She went to the World Championships in Antwerp where she made floor finals but fell on one of her tumbling passes and did not medal.
Sandra stated she was inspired to make a comeback by her teammate, Catalina, who per NBC News, entered herself in a drug testing pool in February. She talked to the Romanian press about her comeback as she was either going to or leaving the airport. (The video is posted belowI don't speak Romanian, so I'm not sure what she says)
Catalina took three gold medals in Athens in 2004, a team gold, balance beam gold and floor exercise gold. She didn't compete in the 2008 Games, but she came back in 2011 and competed for Romania in the 2012 Olympics and took home a bronze medal for the team and a silver on floor exercise.
If both Catalina and Sandra make this Olympic team, this will be the third Olympics for both of them.
Sandra herself confirmed this in an article on Pro Sport. She said she discussed with her coaches and first, her goal is to see if she can regain her London skill level. Despite first appearances, this isn't because the Romanian team is floundering without Sandra (which I will admit was my first thought), this comeback is for Sandra. This is the same reason Nastia Liukin, Alicia Sacramone, Chellsie Memmel etc made their comeback after Olympic success, she wants to leave no stone unturned, to speak figuratively,
"I am aware that it will be difficult and will have to work for ten times more than the girls on the team, but are motivated and want to try to do this because I do not want to have regrets over several years that I could help the team and I have tried. I do not want to take anybody's place the team do not want to prove anything because I have nothing to prove, I want to get into the gym and I enjoy gymnastics "
Sandra won the vault gold medal at the London Olympics in 2012 in 2008 in Beijing, Sandra took home the gold medal for the floor exercise as well as a team bronze medal in both 2008 and 2012. She went to the World Championships in Antwerp where she made floor finals but fell on one of her tumbling passes and did not medal.
Sandra stated she was inspired to make a comeback by her teammate, Catalina, who per NBC News, entered herself in a drug testing pool in February. She talked to the Romanian press about her comeback as she was either going to or leaving the airport. (The video is posted belowI don't speak Romanian, so I'm not sure what she says)
Catalina took three gold medals in Athens in 2004, a team gold, balance beam gold and floor exercise gold. She didn't compete in the 2008 Games, but she came back in 2011 and competed for Romania in the 2012 Olympics and took home a bronze medal for the team and a silver on floor exercise.
If both Catalina and Sandra make this Olympic team, this will be the third Olympics for both of them.
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