National Pride
When Nadia Comăneci returned to her home in Romania, she was greeted as a national hero. No other Romanian athlete in the country’s history had ever done what she had. The president at the time, Nicolae Ceaușescu, awarded her the “Sickle and Hammer Gold Medal”, heralding her as a hero of “Socialist Labor.” There were even rumors spread that the government had given her family a car and even a full month off of work.
National Pride
Dedications To Nadia Comăneci
On the tailwind of Nadia’s success, Cinematographer Robert Riger put together a video montage of Nadia’s performance during the 1976 Olympic Games. He paired the footage with a hit song from the year 1971, called “Cotton’s Dream”. The song was composed by Barry De Vorzon and Perry Botkin, Jr, and quickly become synonymous with Nadia and her success. The song rose to the top of the top ten charts and was eventually renamed “Nadia’s Theme.”
Dedications To Nadia Comăneci