Cătălina Ponor in white leotard in athens 2004.

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Cătălina Ponor (born August 20, 1987) is a gymnast from Constanţa, Romania. She was a triple silver medalist at the 2003 World Championships and won three gold medals at both the 2004 European Gymnastics Championships and the 2004 Summer Olympics.


Ponor is perhaps one of the most controversial gymnasts of the recent years. While some gymnastics fans consider her to be the next Nadia Comăneci and admire her style, her execution has been severely criticized by others. Ponor's form on some of her elements, particularly on twisting skills, shows less than perfect technique, with dubious positions in the air, crossed legs, bent knees, and flat feet. Ponor spoke of her desire to become an all-arounder but never once performed on the uneven bars in a major competition.