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Former great Romanian sportswoman Catalina Ponor will be included in the 2022 promotion of the world gallery of gymnastics' legends, International Gymnastics Hall of Fame, the organization announced on its Facebook page on Tuesday.
Six prominent people in the history of gymnastics will be honored on June 4 at the Petroleum Club in Oklahoma City on the occasion of the 25th annual International Gymnastics Hall of Fame (IGHOF).
Ponor won five Olympic medals, three of which were gold in 2004, in Athens, in the beam, floor and with the team, her record including five medals at the World Championships, as well as eight at the European Championships.
Along with Catalina Ponor, in the 2022 promotion were also nominated the Ukrainian Tatiana Gutu, quadruple Olympic medalist, champion in 1992 in Barcelona, and triple medalist at the World Championships, the German Fabian Hambuechen, whose record includes three Olympic medals (gold in 2016 at high bar), nine at the World Championships and 11 at the European Championships, as well as former American gymnast Chellsie Memmel, who won three medals at the World Championships, including the 2005 individual title, and the 2008 Olympic runner-up with the United States team.
The Order of Merit will be awarded to the family of the American George Nissen, the founder of the gymnastics equipment company of the same name, and a special recognition will be received by gymnastics historian Rome Milan (USA, posthumously).
Ponor is not the first Romanian sportswoman included in the International Gymnastics Hall of Fame. Before her the following were received in the gallery of gymnastics legends: Nadia Comaneci (1993), Bela Karolyi (1997), Ecaterina Szabo (2000), Teodora Ungureanu (2001), Daniela Silivas (2002), Simona Amanar (2007), Octavian Bellu (2009), Lavinia Milosovici (2011), Gina Gogean (2013), Aurelia Dobre (2016) and Andreea Raducan (2018), Agerpres informs.
