Andreea Munteanu wins the all-around title at Nationals

Original article was published on July 6th ProSport

When she was only a toddler Andreea Munteanu said �if I won�t do gymnastics, I won�t do anything else!� As of Friday night, she is the new Romanian all-around champion.

At 15 years old, Constanta native Andreea Munteanu weighs only 30 kilograms and is only 1.45 meters tall [4�9�� & 66 lbs]. Despite her frail frame, the National team member managed to win against other gymnasts credited with a much better chance. With a total of 37.638 points, Andreea won the all-around title Friday night in Bacau. In the third rotation, the gymnast from Dobrogea province was graceful and self-assured on floor expercise, managing to impress the judging panel. The high score reflected the quality of the routine �9.525. In the pervious rotation, the �grain of a girl�, as the coaches at Deva call her, scored a 9.512 on beam. A very good score, especially for a gymnast without a lot of experience.

Andreea�s story started nine years ago, when her parents brought her to the Constanta gym. �I liked the sport since I was little. I saw the girls on television and I told my mother that if I don�t do gymnastics, I don�t want to do anything. When she saw me flipping around the house, my mother relented,� said the new champion, When she got to the gym, she was a bit baffled at first. �I didn�t understand how you could stay on the beam so easily. I started training and I realized it wasn�t all that hard,� continued the talkative gymnast. She explained that if she had the time, she would tell stories all day long. "I don�t like being quiet."
Whenever she�s not busy with training or school, she listens to music �all kinds. Unlike most of her teammates, Andreea doesn�t like dolls [stuffed animals?]. �I prefer reading or doing something useful,� she added, sounding very mature.

Andreea Munteanu
Birthday: September 20th, 1988
Hometown: Constanta
Stared gymnastics: CSS Farul Constanta, at the age of 6
Member of the National team since August 2002
She�s a 9th grade student in Deva
Hobbies: reading

Like any other gymnast who�s just starting her career, Andreea has a role model, namely former champion Simona Am�nar. "I know all her results. I would like to equal her, at least in terms of performances,� said Andreea who almost refuses to leave Simona�s side any time she has a chance to meet her.

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