Friday, August 18, 2000
Moceanu ends comeback bid
Bad knee dashes gymnast's Olympic hopes
Enquirer news services
BOSTON — With no tears left to cry, Dominique Moceanu started dealing with reality Thursday.
Her hopes of returning to the Olympics are gone. Surgery on the floating bone chip in her right knee is scheduled for next week. The future is uncertain — a lesson she has learned time and again since capturing America's heart while helping the United States to a gold medal four years ago.
Appearing in public for the first time since pulling out of the Olympic trials, Moceanu sat behind the microphone, totally composed. She never came close to crying or showing the emotion that ate her up Wednesday night when her dreams of returning to the Olympics were dashed.
Her comeback in January — which began when she came to train with respected coach Mary Lee Tracy at the Cincinnati Gymnastics Academy — struck some as frivolous. She had grown 9 inches, gained 40 pounds and seen some of her skills deteriorate since her triumph in Atlanta.
But this was more than a return just for fun. Two years ago, Moceanu named her puppy “Sydney.” She had every intention of making it there in September.
“Definitely, it's a hard thing to actually grasp and realize that this is kind of over for now,” Moceanu said. “Maybe I'm not a two-time Olympian, but I've accomplished a lot in my career and my life that I'm very proud of. I wouldn't take anything back.”
She will face a six-week rehabilitation process after the surgery next week. Her goal is to return in time for the post-Olympic tour, an opportunity for all the big names to cash in on their success.
Moceanu, 18, joined Jaycie Phelps as the second of the five 1996 Olympians to halt their comebacks because of injuries. When the women begin competition today, only three of the Magnificent Seven will remain — Shannon Miller, Amy Chow and Dominique Dawes.
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