Neue Banater Zeitung. August 6, 1980. Gertrude Emilia Eberle, the "gymnastics queen of Arad," experienced the 1976 Olympic Games in Montreal only through a television screen. At that time, she could scarcely imagine ever being able to vault her way into the world elite. Yet, just two weeks later, Marta and Bela Karolyi arrived and took the fourteen-year-old girl into their training camp. What followed is surely no secret: medals from Strasbourg, from the European Championships in the all-around competition, from the Yoyogi Gymnasium in Tokyo, from Dallas and Fort Worth, and now from Moscow as well. Medals of gold, silver, and bronze. We are taking her stay in Arad - and her visit, together with her parents, to our editorial office - as the occasion for an exclusive interview.
Q: What thoughts accompanied you in Moscow?
A: To achieve good results.
Q: In an interview you gave to our newspaper, you stated that you wanted to fight for gold. Are you disappointed now?
A: When I fininshed my routine on the uneven bars, I still believed in it. But after it was awarded to Maxi Gnauck...it was in vain.
Q: Do you doubt the judges' decisions?
A: Although I have never had any objections in the past, I feel that this time I was disadvantaged in both floor exercise and on the uneven bars. Five hundredths of a point on the uneven bars would have been enough for gold. I also felt that I had performed well in the floor exercise.
Q: Do you also believe that other female colleagues of yours were disadvantaged?
A: Rodica Dunca on the uneven bars.
Q: Do you believe that the medals brought home by the Romanian women's gymnastics team reflected the level of performance they achieved?
A: Yes. These were also our objectives.
Q: Has a shift in the balance of power in women's gymnastics become apparent between Montreal, the world championships, and Moscow?
A: Hardly. Romania and the Soviet Union still lead the field.
Q: You often admitted that the balance beam was your favorite apparatus. Yet it was precisely this apparatus that thwarted your plans - both at the world championships and in Moscow...
A: This time, I had the greatest chances. The difficulty level of the routine was high. Driven by my desire to do everything perfectly, I staked everything on a single card.
Q: We thought we saw the coaches reprimanding you afterwards...
A: They just told me to concentrate and perform the other routines well.
Q: How do you rate Shaposhnikova's performance on this apparatus? Were the elements she demonstrated two strength elements?
A: These are not strength elements at all. They are light, and she has been demonstrating and practicing them for a long time.
Q: Was your training program structured to be more difficult this time?
A: Exactly. On the uneven bars, I had to execute a free hip with a 360-degree twist; on the floor exercise, I had to perform a back handspring along the diagonal line, also with a 360-degree twist.
Q: Which apparatus do you feel most comfortable mastering?
A: The uneven bars.
Q: So, an about face?
A: I love the balance beam, but today I feel significantly more secure on the uneven bars.
Q: What impressions did you bring back from Moscow?
A: For me, this Olympiad represented the biggest competition, and I am delighted with the medals I won.
Q: How many medals do you own?
A: I couldn't say exactly. I would have to open my display case and count them.
Q: Do you think your world championship gold shines more brightly than your Olympic silver?
A: It does - yes, it does. However, the Olympiad holds greater significance for me. Perhaps next time, at the Olympic Games in Los Angeles, I will succeed in winning gold.
Q: We noticed that you hardly smile during your routine...
A: I only smile during the floor exercise. I know that I should do it on the other apparatuses as well. My coaches advise me to do so, but to no avail. I simply can't.
Q: Were you able to watch the routines of the other competitors?
A: I didn't look; I didn't want to let myself get distracted. That, incidentally, is also what my coach advised me to do. You certainly saw more of it than I did. Nevertheless, I can say that, among the foreign competitors, Maxi Gnauck impressed me the most.
Q: How long will your stay in Arad last?
A: Until August 17, then it's back to Deva. The entrance exams for the second stage of high school lie ahead of me.
Q: How did you finish the 1979-1980 school year?
A: Well. With a 10.
Q: How will you spend your free time until then?
A: First, I have to surrender myself to the dentist. Then I'll go swimming and fishing. It gives me a special sense of satisfaction to eat a fish I've caught myself.
Q: Your favorite dish?
A: Stuffed chicken.
Q: What souvenirs did you bring back from the Olympic city?
A: I brought a Misha mascot for myself and an alarm clock for my brother, Tibi.
Q: Are you interested in boys?
A: No.
Q: Telephone calls and letters from fans will still reach you, though. Or will they?
A: Quite a lot, actually - a great many. Even during the Olympics, letters and telegrams were sent to my home in Arad. I even received a telegram in Moscow from the Arad District Council for Physical Education and Sport. I read every letter addressed to me, though I am unable to reply to them all. They usually read something like this: "My name is so-and-so; I would be grateful if you could drop me a line." Others, meanwhile, ask for three photographs at once.
Q: Are you aware that you brought the first Olympic silver medals to this centuries-old city?
A: Yes. And I am very happy that it was me.
We congratulate you on this and thank you for your remarks.
F. HAYER
J. LEIB