Five years after her dramatic escape from this former Communist country, Romanians are divided over the return of gymnastics star Nadia Comaneci.
Her fans think she's still golden. Her critics say she wasn't committed enough to her sport. Her mom just hopes she'll get a friendly welcome when she gets home this week.Whether they call her difficult or a diva, they all remember the shining talent of the 14-year-old girl who scored the world's first "perfect 10," in the Montreal 1976 Olympic games.
Isolated by her talent - which earned her three gold medals in 1976 and two more in 1980, Nadia almost dropped out of sight when she was given a job in the Sports Ministry when she retired in 1982.
All the average Romanian heard about her was a friendship with Nicu Ceausescu, the son of dictator Nicolae Ceausescu.
Then, in 1989, she escaped. "It was a slap in the face for the Ceausescu regime," said architect Mircea Lupan. The escape was so secret that Nadia didn't even tell her family.
"That was really hard. It was lucky the revolution came, or else we would have had trouble," said Stefania Comaneci, Nadia's mother. A month later Ceausescu and his wife Elena were executed after a summary trial.
Mrs. Comaneci was eagerly awaiting the return of her daughter, who was arriving on a 10-day visit with her fiance Bart Connor, an American who also won a gold medal in gymnastics.
"I am so glad she has found emotional happiness. She suffered a lot before," said Mrs Comaneci.