FULL NAME: Simona Amanar

BIRTHDATE/PLACE: October 7, 1979/Constanta, Romania

HOMETOWN/RESIDENCE: Constanta/Deva, Romania

HEIGHT: 5'0

CLUB/COACH: Deva/Octavian Belu

FAMILY: Father; Mother; Brother, Andrei; Husband, Cosmin Tabara; Son, Alexandru.

BEGAN GYMNASTICS: 1985

MAJOR ACCOMPLISHMENTS: 2000 Olympics--1st team, 2nd AA, 3rd floor, 6th vault; 1998 Goodwill Games--2nd floor, 3rd AA, vault, bars, 6th beam; 1998 World Cup Champion--vault and floor; 1998 Europeans--1st team, 2nd AA, vault, 3rd beam, floor; 1997 World Vault Champion, 1st team, 2nd AA; 1996 Olympic Vault Champion, 2nd floor, 3rd team, AA, 5th bars; 1996 European Vault Champion, 4th AA, 5th beam, 7th floor; 1996 Worlds--2nd vault; 1995 World Vault Champion, 1st team, 4th AA, 6th floor; 1995 European Cup Vault and Floor Champion, 2nd AA, 3rd beam; 1994 Team Worlds--1st team.

ROUTINES: VAULT: Yurchenko double-full, Yurchenko-2 1/2, Phelps
BARS: hecht-over, kip cast handstand-full, Tkatchev, kip cast handstand 1/2, giant 1 1/2, Gienger, bail, kip cast stoop-on, sole circle, kip cast handstand, giant-full, double layout
BEAM: front tuck-on; gainer ff layout layout; front tuck, beat jump; ff ff double tuck
FLOOR: RO ff double layout; front tuck RO ff triple full; RO whip ff 2 1/2 twist punch pike front; RO ff tucked full-in

FAVORITE/LEAST FAVORITE

EVENT: Vault/Beam

HOBBIES: Watching TV--esp. Italian programs and ice-skating

GYMNAST: Nadia Comaneci

FOOD: Chips and crisps

OTHER FACTS:

Simona is expecting her first child, due in August!

She wants to be a coach when she is finished with gymnastics.

She was the youngest member of the gold-medal-winning team in 1994.

Simona placed 2nd AA at the 2000 Olympics, but was later awarded the gold medal after the IOC stripped Andreea Raducan of the gold due to a positive drug test after taking a cold pill.