Unfair Scoring
What followed her performance would change her career. Her lifelong coach, Béla Károlyi, felt that the scoring of his trainee was unfair and protested while being televised. His protests allegedly humiliated Romania’s honor and he began to worry for his safety. He knew that he needed to protect himself.
Respect From Peers
Despite the fiasco at the games in Moscow, Nadia still gained gold and even respect from fellow competitors. Nellie Kim from the Soviet Union congratulated Nadia on the podium in front of a huge crowd. Regardless of the rumors about Nadia’s lack of emotion, even Nellie Kim stood up for her, “She was psychologically prepared, not emotionless.”