Dominique Moceanu Interview at Los Angeles Times

Last night, NBC ran a feature segment on the 1996 women's U.S. Olympics team --- mostly about Kerri Strug, and how can you forget her, right?

Okay, but while watching I couldn't remember Dominique Moceanu's name. Turns out she has a new book out, Off Balance: A Memoir.

And she's interviewed at the Times, "5 Questions: Dominique Moceanu on Olympic training":

Dominique Moceanu captured the world's attention as the youngest member of the 1996 U.S. women's Olympic gymnastics team, the first American women's team to ever win gold for the United States. Moceanu was just 14 when she competed that year in Atlanta and quickly became the new face of the sport.

But in her new book, "Off Balance" (Touchstone) the now 30-year-old mother of two describes as cruel the legendary coaches Bela and Martha Karolyi and criticizes the methods they used to create champions. Here, she talks about her experiences.

In your book, you talk about the training methods used by your former coaches, Bela and Martha Karolyi. Do you think that what they did is necessary at the Olympic level, or could it be toned down a bit?

I don't think it's necessary at the elite level. I don't believe that it's ethical for people to use intimidation and humiliation as a method to achieve success.

Weighing your athletes in front of their peers is humiliating. They did that at the 1996 Olympics and at training camp. [Bela Karolyi] was always using me as an example and making me feel insecure. There was name-calling — imagine being a 14-year-old girl and getting called "Easter egg," "piggy," "balloon." They were using these terms when they thought I gained weight.

But they had this success in the sport, so people feel that they were doing something right.

More at that link.

Bela Karolyi and his wife were interviewed at that NBC program last night. He commented on his reputation as being mean and abusive, shrugging it off as what it takes to churn out champions.

A clip of Moceneau from 1996  is here. She was so tiny, like a little pixie.

Her website is here.

PHOTO CREDIT: Wikimedia Commons.

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