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Ivan
Tsanov’s swim interview
With
one of the greatest Romanian Swim Star ever...
C.Bunaciu: I still like to swim…
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Mrs. Bunaciu, when and why did you start swimming?
- In my
hometown Sibiu, I've started swimming in 1968, when I was 7 years old. My
parents wanted me to know how to swim. I didn't like it in the beginning,
but after my firsts national medals, I really enjoy it. Our coach was
Nicolae Dembitchi, who trained me carrefully till 1974 when I moved to
Dinamo Bucharest under the guidance of Cristina Balaban-Sopterian, former
swimmer, our first medalist in the European Championships, bronze in
1966-100 m backstroke! She really helped me to reach my potential, she saw
in me a possible champion and she was very patient, waiting for the
results. It took me 2 whole years to break her national record and another
one to placed third in Jonkoping (Sweden) European Championships, when I
was almost 16 years old.
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Carmen
Bunaciu
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* Where
do you work now?
- In
1986 I retired from swimming and I worked as a coach at Dinamo Sport Club,
for the junior and senior-team until a few years ago, when I decided to
stop coaching and I became a member of the staff in the club, being
responsible of swimming and three other sports (weightlifting, judo and
boxing). My need for the big atmosphere in the swim – meets is
accomplished now, during the transmissions on the pan European channel
Eurosport – Romania, where I work as an expert for 8 years.
* Do you still swim?
- I
still like to swim, I have swimming-groups during the summer, that's what
I like most, to teach little kids how to swim and after those hours I do
a few laps from time to time. I don't participate in the masters
competitions, because of some health problems I have to manage my back.
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* What are your thoughts on the state of Romanian
swimming today?
- Romania,
today, has a strong swimming team led by Camelia Potec, the Olympic
champion and Razvan Florea our first Olympic-medalists for men, sustained
by two other veterans now, Dragos Coman and Ioan Gherghel, all of them very
experienced and incredible valuable swimmers.
* Please, your expert opinion who are the new raising
Romanian swimming stars?
- In my
opinion, 3 are the raising stars of our team, Ionela Cozma the Youth world champion this summer, Norbert Trandafir double
medalist , gold and silver in Palma de Mallorca, our first junior European
champion for the fastest event ( 50 m freestyle) and Valentin Preda the
breastroker, all have the potential
to reach the podium in the years to come.
* In comparison with times you swam, how do you think
technology and nutrition have helped the competition break Romanian and
Balkans records?
- Today
our coaches work in a strong team, helped by the metodist, psychologist,
physiotherapist or the biomechanical engineer. They have training-camps at
high altitude more often then decades ago and the prize money for the big
results are a very strong motivation for keeping up the hard-work. Some of
them are students in the States and I think that, it helped them a lot to
improve their attitude and technique also.
* What are your personal expectation regarding the
Olympic Games’2008 in Beijing (China)?
- It's great to see the improvement and the
huge steps made around the world in swimming, with lots of new faces and
more nations among the medalists, making big surprises at the end of the
races or former champion achieving another sweet victory. That's the beauty
of sport, isn't it? It's difficult to predict whose gonna be the number one
nation for 2008 Olympics, it will be a tough competition with the Americans
and the Australians trying to win the most gold medals. My hope is that the
Europeans will be able to be among the big names again, like always, but we
should not forget the power and the ambition of the Chinese, the
host-nation who are very eager to prove their values and efforts.
* Did you remember some Bulgarians swimmers?
- Of course I do remember the Bulgarian
swimmers, we met al least once every summer for the international major
meets or for the Balkan Games. I have witnessed Tania Bogomilova becoming
European champion in 1985 and I was very happy for her and for your
incredible Seoul Olympics gold medal! Is my pleasure also to remember the
results of Sonia Dangalakova and her brother Gheorghi (sorry, I'm not sure
of his name), or the freestyler Peter Kochanov (we had the best
performances in 1978 Balkan games held in Kranj). You too have some raising
stars now, Mike Alexandrov and the young Ana Dangalakova can be among the
finalists for the next Olympics, which will fulfill your expectations.
* What do you think about the First Bulgarian
Swimming Site?
- It's
great what you achieved in those years, your site is full results or
interesting interviews and what I like most is the fact that, the swimmers
from different generations have the same respect and the attention from
you, too bad I don't understand Bulgarian to get more inspiration and news
for Eurosport. Keep on going this good work!
* What do you think about the Balkan swimming
cooperation?
- I must
confess that I don't know too much about this but I'm sure there is room
for a better cooperation, it's all about communication and putting the
things all together, after a developing programme for it is sustained by
all the parts involved.
* What will you wish to the wide Balkans swimming
audience?
- For the swimming audience best wishes
of good luck and happiness for them and their families, hoping to see again
someday in the top of the world rankings more swimmers from the Balkans!
Carmen
Bunaciu swim portrait and exclusive interview
by Ivan Tsanov
Mrs.
Carmen Bunaciu is a Romanian swimming legend. Her first steps in swimming
this glorious athlete made in the town of Sibiu (ROM). Then she moved to
the Swim Club Dinamo (Bucharest) where she was coached by the well-known
swim specialist Mrs. Cristina Balaban-Sopterian. First ROM women's
swimmer under 1 minute barrier in 100 m Free – 0:59.90 set on 17.12.1977 in
the town of Baya Mare (ROM). Holder of many medals, titles and records.
Among them: 70 ROM national titles, 39 ROM national records, 30 Balkan
titles, ranked the 3rd in 200 m Back at FINA World Championships
in Ecuador (1982). Now Mrs.Bunaciu is working as an expert of the Eurosport
– Romania. The FBSS presents a swim portrait of Mrs. Carmen Bunaciu with an
exclusive interview especially for the wide Bulgarian as well as the Balkan
swim audience.
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