Timpul. November 16, 1990. Taking advantage of the fact that, at the end of last wek, the multiple gymnastics champion Daniela Silivas was in Resita, I asked her to grant us an interview.
Q: How many times have you been to Resita and for what purpose?
A: I'm coming here for the third time. I was at the Romanian Nationals in 1985 and last year at the "Semenicul" Cup. This time I wanted to see my friends again, so let me tell you that I feel at home in Resita and that whenever the opportunity arises, I will do it.
Q: I know that you have an impressive number of medals obtained in world and Olympic competitions. I would like to ask you to list the most important ones.
A: I would not like you to think that I am modest, but there are many, I don't know if they are of interest and that we will have enough space in the magazine.
Q: We will find space for an athlete of such stature...
A: Okay. However, I will not go through the results obtained in the years 1982-1984 and I will start with my participation in a senior competition. It is about the 1985 Worlds, in Montreal, where I won the beam and came in second with the team, along with Kati Szabo, Laura Cutina, Camelia Voinea, Celestina Popa, and Eugenia Golea. At the World Cup, held in Beijing, I took second place in the all-around competition and the beam and third on the uneven bars. At the European Championships in Moscow in 1987 I won the all-around, uneven bars, beam and floor, and was second on the vault. The same year, the Rotterdam World Championships followed, where I won the uneven bars and floor exercise, third place in the individual all-around, and became champion with the team which was the same as the previous one (except minus Laura Cutina, who was replaced by Aurelia Dobre).
In 1988, I participated in the Seoul Olympics. There, I came second in the all-around and won beam, uneven bars, and floor exercise. Finally, last year's European Championships in Brussels brought me second place in the all-around, first place on the floor, second on the uneven bars, and third on the beam. At the World Championships in Stuttgart I won the beam, uneven bars, and floor exercise, while with the team I became world vice-champion.
Q: What a track record! Without a doubt, all these successes would not have been possible without a special talent and hard work and, last but not least, many great sacrifices. That's why, Daniela, I would like to ask you to tell me how and with whom you worked, how you reached your performance level?
A: I was in kindergarten. I lived in Deva. In fact, this is where I was born. I was only five years old when coaches Ulpia Barbu and Petre Serbu (my first coaches) came to make a selection. At first, there were a lot of us. I was among the few who remained. From the first grade, I had Ioan Carpinisan as my coach until the sixth grade, when I was included in the junior group that was being trained in Onesti. I returned to Deva, the center where the Olympic team was training, in 1984. I was training together with Ecaterina Szabo, Lavinia Agache, Cristina Grigoras, Aurelia Dobre, and Camelia Voinea, under the leadership of a group of coaches led by Adrian Goreac. This was until February of this year, when a curious decision, by someone else, led to the closure of the training center. Thus, all the girls returned to their clubs. After about a month, I went to France for knee surgery. I returned home and, although the surgery was successful, I gave up on competition.
Q: Suddenly, just like that? What was the reason?
A: After a fairly long period of interruption, the team reunited in Onesti, with other coaches, and I didn't want to go there anymore. That's on the one hand. On the other hand, you know, I had gotten used to Goreac. The same thing happened with Aurelia Dobre and Gabriela Potorac.
Q: You gave us sad news. Of course, you know best what to do. Tell us something about what you are doing now and in the future.
A: I am currently a student at the Faculty of Physical Education and Sports at the Ecological University of Bucharest. The expenses are borne by the federation and the ministry: 40,000 lei per year, so 200,000 lei for the five years of training. As for the future, I want to return to Deva, to become a coach. What more can I tell you?
Q: What are your interests in your free time, because now, giving up performance, you don't have to worry about that problem?
A: I'm a young woman like any other and it's natural that I like to read (but only crime books!), listen to music, dance...
Q: Daniela, you told me at the beginning that you don't like giving interviews and yet you told me interesting things...
A: I made an exception, and now I confess that I also enjoyed it.
Q: In that case, when will we see you again to continue the dialogue?
A: Maybe on New Year's Eve. I would like to do it in Resita.
Q: You are welcome!
MARIUS MORARU