Romania will officially celebrate 2026 as “The Year of Nadia Comăneci,” marking 50 years since the legendary gymnast scored the first perfect 10 in Olympic history at the 1976 Montreal Games. The initiative was approved by the Romanian Senate on May 14, 2025, and by the Chamber of Deputies on June 11, 2025.
Against this symbolic backdrop, officials in Onești hope the anniversary year will also bring government approval for the long-delayed National Sports Complex “Nadia Comăneci,” a €24 million redevelopment project of the CSM Onești training base where Comăneci began her career.
The project, submitted to the National Investment Company, aims to modernize the aging facilities, which currently face serious operational problems. Plans include a renovated gymnastics hall, weightlifting hall, training annexes, tennis courts, administrative spaces, and the construction of new buildings for athlete accommodation and recovery, a museum, conference hall, and support facilities. Existing hotel and canteen structures would be demolished and rebuilt as part of the new complex.
CSM Onești director Ingrid Istrate said the project design was fully funded by a private sponsor, without state support, and called on the government to back its implementation during the commemorative year. “It would be a gesture of respect for the history of the cradle of Romanian gymnastics,” she said, adding that the investment could benefit generations of young athletes and provide long-term support for Romanian sport.
With July 18, 2026 marking exactly 50 years since Comăneci’s historic achievement, local officials describe the decision as a race against time. For now, the final move rests with the government.
