Catalina Ponor snatches gold, silver medals at Abierto Mexicano de Gimnasia in farewell event

The Romanian gymnast Catalina Ponor snatched on Saturday at "Abierto Mexicano de Gimnasia", in Ciudad de Mexico, the gold medals at the balance beam and the floor events and a silver medal at women's individual.

Catalina Ponor has had her farewell event in the Juan de la Barrera sports hall, and closed it just the way she used to perform all of her 26 years of career: in triumph. The 30-year-old gymnast, triple Olympic champion, with 5 medals in the Olympic Games, and as many in the World Championships and 13 European medals, ended her career in the applause of the audience. 

Born in southeastern city of Constanta on 20 August 1987, Catalina Ponor started her gymnastics career when she was less than 5 years old, as she was discovered by coach Matei Stanei. Supple (1.61 m, 50 kg), beautiful, with elegant moves that have brought to her the admiration of the sport lovers all over the world, the one surnamed "The Black Tulip" was a model of top-level abnegation and ambition, competing with exceptional results for more than a quarter of a century. 

The 23 medals won in the great competitions, a true record given that only four apparatuses are available in the women's events, have crowned her outstanding talent, long polished at the Romanian gymnastics' technicians school such as Octavian Bellu and Mariana Bitang, alongside Lucian Sandu, careful seconding her in the great occasions.