Comaneci Visits Montreal, Might Take Job There

Romanian gymnast Nadia Comaneci has returned to Montreal, the scene of her triumph in the 1976 Olympics, and reports said she will be offered a job with a Quebec government agency.

Comaneci, who defected from Romania last December, was 14 when she enthralled the world at the Montreal Olympics, drawing the first perfect score in Olympic gymnastics history and winning three gold medals, one silver and one bronze.

Reports in Montreal newspapers said the Olympic Installations Board, a provincial government agency that operates the Olympic stadium, is considering hiring the 28-year-old athlete to work in public relations.

The board said it has not yet offered Comaneci a job, but said the door was not closed to an offer.

“I am very happy to be back in Montreal, here where I won my first Olympic medals. Thank you very much,” Comaneci said after her arrival Wednesday night, according to the Canadian Press news agency.

Accompanying her was Constatin Panait, a self-employed roofer who engineered her escape from Romania last December. Panait, a 36-year-old Romanian immigrant, lives in Florida.

Comaneci said last week she intends to marry a 30-year-old Romanian when he arrives in the United States later this year.

Alexandre Stefu, a former coach of the Romanian national rugby team who invited Comaneci to Montreal, said whether she settled in Montreal depended on how she liked her visit.

Stefu, who works for the Olympic Installations Board, said Comaneci needs time to adjust to the West.

Stefu said Comaneci was upset by a recent magazine article which referred to her “fall from grace” and detailed abuse she allegedly suffered at the hands of Nicu Ceausescu, son of the ex-Romanian dictator, and her relationship with Panait.