[24][25][26][1][9][7], Under the Krolyis' guidance, Moceanu won her first U.S. National Team berth in 1992, followed by five medals, four gold and one silver, later that year, at the 1992 Junior Pan American Artistic Gymnastics Championships. [58][59][60][61] Moceanu's parents ultimately decided not to fight her in court, and she was given control over her future earnings and allowed to live independently, though her father remained in charge of her trust. Jennifer was surprised to find out that her actual last name was the same as the gymnast she had looked up to for several years. Many times, she insisted, Dominique was allowed to have ice cream. [18] Dominique has two younger siblings, Jennifer Bricker (born 1987), who was born without legs and adopted shortly after birth by Gerald and Sharon Bricker, and Christina Moceanu Chapman (born 1989). } rcel.async = true; Dominique Moceanu has Life Path Number 22. Whats more, for better or for worse, it is impossible for a young girl to get that shot without parents who push her, who keep her from going to the mall whenever she wishes, and who force her to follow a strict low-fat diet. On 9-30-1981, Dominique Moceanu was born. I call her my adopted aunt. When I met her, I needed her more than I realized. Janice, a masseuse and physical therapist, also served as the Moceanus slice of American pie, introducing and explaining to my family aspects of American culture and traditions that we never understood or even knew about. She also recognized, unlike the rest of the adults in Moceanus life, that she was simply a child. The alleged plot is the latest installment in the stormy relationship between the 17-year-old gymnast and her parents, whom she believes squandered her trust fund earnings in risky investments. . Cant we go out for ice cream? Dumitru and Camelia Moceanu fueled their daughter's Olympic dream starting at age 3. At 14, Dominique Moceanu was the youngest member of the Olympic gold-medal-winning 1996 U.S. women's gymnastics team in Atlanta. I was devastated. [53][54], She now coaches part-time at Gymnastics World in Broadview Heights, Ohio,[13] and conducts clinics and private lessons around the country. [41] She then led a mostly inexperienced U.S. team at the 1997 World Championships in Lausanne, Switzerland,[41] where she qualified for the all-around final but did not medal. 24/7 coverage of breaking news and live events. Let's check, How Rich is She in 2022-2023? I hesitated, wondering what kind of reaction she was expecting. Martha's logic is so false but no one would listen to a 14-year-old. DUMITRUS TALK ABOUT MURDER WAS seemingly just that: talk. Her height is 5 ft 2 in (1.6 m). You are currently not logged in as a member of MyHeritage. Dominique told me a different story. Moceanus father moved the family to Tampa, Fla., to get out of the Chicago cold and to make it possible for Dominique to train at LaFleurs gym, with a team of coaches she soon fell in love with. In 2007, when Dominique found out about her sister, she was nine months pregnant, trying to complete her undergraduate degree, and about to lose her father (he died of cancer in 2008). ", PHOTOS: Dominique Moceanu Through the Years, But in her new memoir, "Off Balance" Dominique Moceanu recounts many painful episodes in her quest for Olympic gold. Born 1961 Spouses. I never held her, never touched her, never even smelled her. DIMITRY MOCEANU Constansa, Romania October 6, 1954-October 12, 2008 Services on: Dimitry Moceanu, 54, a resident of Houston for 17 years, died Sunday night, October 12, 2008, at Odyssey House. I had this sister that was born who was given up for adoption, and I never knew it.'. They enrolled 3-year-old Dominique in gymnastics and soon it became clear that their daughter had a special gift. Her parents, Dimitry and Camelia Moceanu, came to the United States from Romania in the early 1980s to escape the brutal regime of Nicolae Ceausescu. rcel.id = 'rc_' + Math.floor(Math.random() * 1000); One of the members of the gold medal winning United States women's gymnastics team, Dominique Moceanu is a former gymnast. Even when I got older, he thought he had the right to slap me, but it wasnt right, Dominique said. He and his wife were captured and tried for mass murder before being killed by firing squad. Camelia Staicu Moceanu is the mother of Dominique Moceanu. Both had been athletes and had high hopes for their first child. When her teammate, Kerri Strug, landed the final vault perfectly and the Team USA had secured the gold, Moceanu could only think of what her parents reaction to her falls would be: Come on, Dominique! And the gold medal for histrionics goes to . She starred in a Kodak commercial. Watching them hug each other and celebrate, I realized then that no matter how much I wanted to feel happy, my happiness depended on what my coaches and parents thought of my performance and whether or not they were pleased with me. At the Games, her first three rounds went off perfectly, but she fell twice during her final event - the vault - and she knew she would be punished for it. Her parents, Camelia (Staicu) and Dumitru Moceanu, are Romanian-born gymnasts, from Timioara and Constana, respectively. [8] Family problems, coaching changes, and injuries derailed her efforts to make the 2000 Olympics in Sydney, and she retired from the sport in 2000. Gymnast Blends Skill, Personality", "Povestea aromnilor din Banatul Timiean. Although police won't discuss what new information has prompted them to "re-evaluate" attempted murder allegations, Moceanu's publicist and a former lawyer have said a secretly tape-recorded conversation, purportedly between Dumitru Moceanu and private investigator solicited to perform the murder, had been turned over to police. 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She was a featured performer on the Britney Spears Circus Tour (2009) and was the first handicapped high school Camelia, a beautiful woman with long, flowing dark hair, carried home-cooked meals to her daughter at Karolyis gym. 1998 SportsLine USA, Inc. All rights reserved I was in extreme disbelief, and my immediate thought was that I wanted to meet you and let you know.'. In 1991, at the age of 10, she moved to Houston, Texas, where she became one of the last gymnasts to be trained by the legendary Romanian coaches Marta and Bla Krolyi. [57], On October 27, 1998, Moceanu was emancipated by a Houston court, eleven months prior to her 18th birthday. Romania; Profession. 'I had this sister that was born who was given up for adoption, and I never knew it.'. I was always the tiniest kid on my street and in my classes at school The gym was the one place I didnt have to worry about feeling awkward for being so petite. She wrote an autobiography, Dominique Moceanu: An American Champion, in which she described the sacrifices made by her Romanian-born parents. Only a few people knew it, she said, but she often lived in fear of her father. [39] She finished the exercise and went on to a strong performance in the floor finals later that day, finishing fourth and just missing a medal. Not long after, the family moved to Houston. Like any father, Dumitru may have wanted to put his hands around the neck of that young man and tell him to go back to his wife and child, Scardino says. [12][44][45], In the fall of 2000, Moceanu participated in a post-Olympics national exhibition tour. [3] [4] [11], Moceanu's last major success in gymnastics was at the 1998 Goodwill Games, where she became the first American to win the all-around gold medal. She was the all-around silver medalist at the 1992 Junior Pan American Games and the 1994 junior national champion. She was a member of the gold-medal-winning United States women's gymnastics team (the "Magnificent Seven") at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta. DOMINIQUE MOCEANU SUCCESSFULLY EMANCIPATED, Shortly after the former gymnast filed the lawsuit, her father pointed out that he and Camelia loved her "very much" and that they hoped Dominique would change her mind, return home, and "start training again.". Although the police found no evidence of a murder plot, Dominique decided to go to court once again, this time to get a protective order against her fatherone that prohibited him from contacting her or coming within five hundred feet of her school, workout facility, or residence for at least one year. Although she is seven inches taller and 28 pounds heavier than in her Olympic days and is not in competitive shapeshe hasnt trained since early last fallshe believes she can recover quickly, make the 2000 Olympic team, and prove to everyone that I can come back., I wondered aloud if she could really do itif she could make a comeback on her own, without much family support. Her spouse is Michael Canales (m. 2006). In interviews Dumitru said that his daughter was making up stories about him because she had fallen under the influence of Huggins, an ex-Marine who drives a red Corvette and had discussed with Dominique the possibility of running another gym with him. Jennifer Bricker, who knew she was adopted, grew up as a gymnast unaware of who her famous sister was, but that changed when she turned 16, and asked her mother about the adoption. "Camelia Staicu Moceanu." Dumitru and Camelia Moceanu, who moved from their native Romania in the 1980s and had both been keen athletes, told her the baby girl was born the day after her sixth birthday. You need to have that discipline to be at the top.. 1 May 2023. And forget about dating. During the summer, the brutal coaches brought their gymnasts to their ranch outside Houston, where they would exercise for hours in the heat, with no air conditioning and no food. Camelia Staicu Moceanu Gymnast, Person 1961 - 258 Views. After Moceanu was contacted by Jennifer in the 2007 letter, she was so furious with her father that she could not bring herself to confront him for weeks - even though he was suffering from the cancer which would kill him the next year. [9] In the months leading up to the 1996 Olympics, she was one of the most recognizable faces of USA Gymnastics, eclipsing more decorated teammates such as Shannon Miller and Dominique Dawes.
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