Shocking training clips released by Golazo.ro last week involving Romanian gymnastics coach Camelia Voinea have been making widespread rounds on the internet. Since then, the clips had sparked outrage among the gymnastics community and become fodder for intense debate about athlete treatment and coaching culture. The footage seemed to have been recorded at least a few years ago, yet social media has taken up arms against Camelia Voinea. While the situation has only intensified since then, Sabrina Voinea has now come forth to set right the allegations against her mom.

The young gymnast, who spoke to Euronews.ro with raw emotion and clarity, firmly rejected the allegations. Standing next to a towering shelf of accolades, the young gymnast read, “I am very sad when I see that untrue things appear in the world of gymnastics about me and my mother and that the press follows them without asking us anything or asking our opinion first. No one forced me to do anything. I was never coerced or abused.” She gestured at the trophies behind her, claiming that they were won with the “go back and do one more repetition” approach. 

These trophies are the results that Sabrina Voinea takes pride in. She admitted that these victories might not have been possible without “sacrifices, broken palms, tears…” Her training routines were built on one strong belief, “My mother is the only one who knows the way, has the training and the knowledge necessary to keep me among the best gymnasts on the planet.” Meanwhile, Camelia Voinea, in a message sent to Euronews Romania, expressed her regret over her angry outbursts. She called it a “part of the life of high performance.”

In the message, the former gymnast admitted that she read the press articles that detailed the allegations with decade-old visuals with bitterness. Camelia Voinea insisted that it was a “coordinated campaign against,” which could harm Romanian gymnastics. But she also reminded the world that Romania leads the gymnastics world at the moment. She stated in an as-a-matter-of-fact tone that, “It should be known that these images were presented to the federation’s leadership 2 years ago, so it is nothing new, and the FRG officials ignored them.” 

However, being a mother and a coach, Camelia Voinea seemed to atone for her methods. She wrote, “Of course, as with any parent and coach, and I have the strength to admit this, I also regret raising my voice, that I may have moments of anger, nervousness, or severity. But what coach doesn’t do this? That’s the job and to get there are also hard and tense moments. I don’t think there’s any great champion who can say that her career was all about milk and honey.”

However, fresh allegations about the 1988 Seoul Olympics silver medalist’s methods arose when an anonymous gymnast came forward with harrowing details of her own. 

Sabrina Voinea’s mother faces allegations from an anonymous gymnast

Recently, in an interview with Gozalo.ro, a former gymnast revealed her experience training under Camelia Voinea. Claiming that her fear still persists, she chose not to reveal her identity. Detailing her experience, the gymnast said, “I’m afraid of Camelia Voinea even now.” Right now, even at the age of 28, she still feels haunted by the ghosts of the past.

The gymnast continued, “I went abroad, and maybe people will laugh, but I’m still afraid of her. I was so traumatized.” However, this new development with Sabrina Voinea standing in defense of her mother has given rise to a new narrative.

It’s one that insisted that the training environment was never extraordinarily harsh, even though it was quite demanding. With contrasting testimonies emerging, the situation accentuates the need for transparency and reflection within Romanian gymnastics.