| 12. This small article appeared in ‘VIP’ on November 7, 2001, and relates to Mariana Bitang, the Romanian National Team Coach of gymnastics and Ion Tiriac, President of the Romanian Olympic Committee. Ion Tiriac is disturbed by the way the gymnasts of the national team are treated and their behaviour has also come to the attention of the International Federation. The attitude of Octavian Belu and Mariana Bitang, which is extremely hard on the gymnasts, hasn't gone unnoticed during the World Championships in Ghent. Ion Tiriac, the president of the Romanian Olympic Committee, who was in Ghent for a day, was amazed to find out that the stories about the harshness in which the trainers treat the gymnasts, was real. Especially Mariana Bitang was verbally aggressive towards the girls. In Deva, the girls have a strict regime, they can't even use their mobile phones for more than 10 minutes a week and when they are asked for an interview, they have to give the trainers some of the things they are going to say beforehand. Tiriac hadn't noticed the situation up until now but he will schedule a meeting with Mariana Bitang to ask for her explanation about her attitude. |