Nadia Comaneci became the epitome of perfection in the 1976 Olympic Games of Montreal when she scored a perfect score of 10 in the uneven parallel bars, the first time in the history of the Olympic games that anyone received a perfect score.

Nadia Comaneci (AP Photo)

The 14-year old gymnast went on to score two more perfect 10's in that event and four perfect 10's on the balance beam, making her the sensation of the Montreal Games.

What millions of admirers around the world did not know was the sinister effect that the brutal regime of her country had on her.

During the reign of Romanian dictator Nicolae Ceausescu, Comaneci tried to commit suicide at the age of 15. She recovered though and would later compete in the Mosocow Games in 1980.

Although she was the most famous person in Romania, and was honored by the government, Comaneci finally fled her country in 1989 and crossed over to Hungary.

In 1996, Comaneci married American gymanst Bart Connor.


Terra Sports/Reuters