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CRISTINA
BONTAS
 born
on December 5, 1973 in Bacau
has a brother and a sister
retired in 1993
Nadia was her beam coach 'til her defection
Cristina Bontas is now coaching
in Hamilton Ontario
-hometown: Bacau
-homeclub:CSS Bacau
-coached by Mihai & Dorina Sandulescu
-has a brother and a sister
-started gymnastics age 7
-Nadia was her beam coach 'til her defection
-In Deva, her best friend was Maria Neculita
-in 1991 she competed for the italian club: Gal Lissonne
-in Onesti her best friends were Iuliana Filip & Florentina
Cimpureanu.
-least favourite event: Bars
-favorite events were floor & beam.
-she was the second and there for non-travilng alternate for
the 1988 olympics -she first coached in Romania and did some
commentaries at gymnastics meet at the tv.later she coached
in Italy and in Wales, she then moved to Hamilton, Ontario,
Canada to coach at Mountain Star Gymnastics.
-In 1998 she returned to Romania & married Gabi Tantaru. Without
her new husband, Cristina had to return to Canada, but was
soon joined by Gabi once his immigration papers went through.
-In May 1999 the couple had their first child, a girl named
Elisa Raluca.
EXCLUSIVE
Cristina Bontas interview and photos, click here
[June 29] Cristina
Bontas: The
struggle to build a new life in Canada
Hamilton Spectator - Ontario, Canada
 Coaches
are the gypsies of the international sports stage. While competitors
obviously perform under their country's colours, coaches move
readily from nation to nation. Canada's national sports associations
are studded with a United Nations of mentors.
For Cristina
Bontas of World
Class Gymnastics Centre in Hamilton, moving from Romania
to coach in Canada was not difficult. She came for a summer
on a contract and when she applied to return to Canada on
a full-time basis was awarded significant scores under the
immigration point system. 
Related story: Cristina
Bontas Tantaru- EXCLUSIVE interview
More photos with Cristina
Bontas: see our Gymnastics
Photos Gallery
Please note that correct family name is Cristina Bontas Tantaru
(with N!)
1987 Kosice International: 1st AA
1987 International Jr. Meet: 1st V, 2nd AA, 2nd UB, 2nd FX
1988 Jr. Europeans: 3rd AA, 5th V, 7th F
1988 Jr. Friendship Tournament: 1st FX, 2nd Team, 3rd V, 3rd
B, 4th AA
1989 Worlds: 2nd Team, 2nd V, 3rd F, 4th AA
1989 Chunichi Cup: 3rd AA
1989 Europeans: 3rd V, 3rd FX, 9th AA
1990 Europeans: 2nd V, 7th AA, 7th UB, 7th FX
1990 World Cup: 3rd B, 6th AA, 7th V, 7th UB, 7th FX
1990 DTB Cup: 4th AA 1991 ROM vs USA: 1st Team, 7th AA
1991 Worlds: 1st Floor 3rd Team, 3rd AA, 4th V, 7th UB, 8th
B
1991 DTB Cup: 1st FX, 2nd V, 3rd UB, 4th AA, 4th B
1991 Chunich Cup: 2nd B, 2nd FX, 3rd AA, 4th UB, 5th V
1991 Tokyo Cup: 2nd B, 2nd FX
1992 Olympics: 2nd Team, 4th AA, 3rd F, 4th
1992 Chunichi Cup: qst FX, 2nd AA, 2nd V, 3rd B, 6th UB
1992 Tokyo Cup: 1st V, 2nd B, 3rd UB 8th FX
 Following
the 1992 Olympics, Cristina
Bontas moved to Milan, Italy for a short period. She
returned to Romania to study at the Institute of Physical
Education in Bucharest and work as a commentator for Romanian
TV.
After completing her studies, she coached briefly in Romania
before accepting a 12 month contract with the Ellan Vannin
Gymnastics Club, located on the small island north of Wales
called The Isle Of Man. According to Gym Stars, the generous
Bontas gave five of her old leotards to some of the gymnasts
in her group.
Cristina Bontas was
a spectator at the 2000 Canadian Olympic Trials. When the
contract was up, Bontas immigrated to Canada to coach at Hamilton's
Mountain Star Gymnastics.
 She
went back to Romania in 1998 to marry, returning to Canada
without husband Gabi Tantaru (photo left) while they waited
for immigration papers. After several months, her husband
was able to join her in Canada, he too coaching at Hamilton
Mountain Gym Elites (formerly Mountain Star Gymnastics).
In May of 1999, Cristina
Bontas Tantaru gave birth to her first child, a daughter
named Elisa. The couple also have a son, born April 2002.
 In
Septermber 2003, Bontas and her husband opened their own gymnastics
club in Hamilton, World
Class Gymnastics. The club will mainly offer recreational
gymnastics for children, but Bontas is open to higher level
training as well. "...but if competitive kids are asking for
training, how would I say no?" Bontas told the Hamilton Spectator.
(from gymnasticgreats.com)
More
photos with Cristina Bontas, click here
Photos by Andreea Luca/ Canada
2007 News:
[Feb
5] Catalina
Ponor and Loredana Boboc visited World Class Gymnastics
Romanian Gymnastics News Archive.
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