Marius Urzica Takes Time Off

After the last competition of 2001, the Glasgow Grand Prix, where he shunned the new COP and proved everyone getting a perfect 10 is still possible, Marius Urzic� started an intensive physiotherapy treatment, which will end this month in Germany. �My back and left shoulder are bothering me,� said Urzic�. During his 6-day stay in Germany, he will undergo complete tests. �If Marius is determined to do this, we will support him and Sabina Cojocar, who had shoulder surgery this winter,� said RGF Secretary General Adrian Stoica. �We will most likely ask the German federation for help. Not necessarily by giving us money, because the cost [of treatment] shouldn�t be too high, but they should take care of our athletes while they�re there,� added Stoica.

Marius Urzic� tore his left bicep muscle in 1998. �When I wanted to go in for surgery, I was told it was too late. The only thing I could take care of was the shoulder capsule that popped every time I made a sudden move. They opened up my shoulder and cleaned out some of the cartilage build-up I had there,� he said. Rehabilitation took over 5 months at that time. �That�s still a sensitive area for me, since that�s my lead arm and I use it more,� he explained. This time he believes surgery will not be necessary. "I tried to take care of my shoulder and my back as best I could. Before New Year�s, I went to physiotherapy, wrapped it in paraffin��, said the Olympic pommel horse champ.

Due to his rehabilitation, Marius spent Christmas away from his family. He chose to stay home for New Year�s while the rest of his teammates went to training camp in Piatra Arsa, where they did altitude training. �I have to stay with my family once in a while. I only see them a couple of times of year, anyway. I admired my son�s first steps from pictures," he joked. �We had a big family dinner, with our in-laws, and brothers-in-law. We lit off fireworks and happily welcomed the New Year,� he recalled. Urzic� will join the rest of the national team on January 10th in Bucharest. He will finalize his plans for his trip to Germany at the same time.

The men�s team spent New Year�s at Piatra Ars�, together with the Youth& Sports Minister, Georgiu Ging�ras. "The Minster celebrated New Year�s at a separate table in the restaurant. At midnight, every one of us drank a toast with the minister. Later on, we convinced him to join us in a hora [Romanian folk dance], � said Ioan Suciu. "We danced until late at night,� concluded the gymnast who said he was about to miss the party on top of the mountains. �We couldn�t get up to Piatra Arsa on December 30th because of a snow storm. We barely made it up the last day of the year. The storms are all gone now and the sun is back out. We can easily train twice a day,� added Suciu. The team will come back to Bucharest on January 10th, when they will resume training at the Lia Manoliu Sports Complex.

The women�s team left Poiana Brasov yesterday, after celebrating the New Year and went back to Deva. �It was great, much better than we expected,� said Andreea R�ducan. �We celebrated New Year�s in a restricted area at the Ciucas Hotel where we stayed. We danced, told all sorts of crazy stories and laughed a lot,� she recalled. �The best part was going out at 4 in the morning and getting into a snow fight. I taped everything,� she added. She also remembered the white lamb, named Vasilic�, that all the gymnasts took turns in petting �after they paid for it!

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