What does Gymnastics legend Nadia Comaneci think about Simone Biles?

It was the 1976 Olympics in Montreal, and the gymnastics arena was packed with fans. An Omega digital scoreboard was not ready for what was about to happen.

A 14-year-old Romanian gymnast came in and executed a flawless routine on the uneven bars. Nobody knew it at the time, but when she nailed a perfect dismount, she was going to create history.

Nadia Comaneci became the first gymnast ever to score a perfect 10. And she didn't stop at one perfect score as she collected seven of those scores in the duration of the Montreal Olympics. Winning three golds and five medals overall at the Games, Comaneci became a legend.

Times changed, the scoring system changed, making it next to impossible for gymnasts to get a perfect score. But a similar historical Olympics moment occurred when US gymanst Simone Biles took the stage at the 2016 Rio Olympics.

Biles put on a phenomenal show bagging four gold medals and one bronze. She became the first US female gymnast ever to be the country's flag bearer at the closing ceremony.

Immediately, comparisons began between Nadia Comaneci and Simone Biles. The two had incidentally appeared together in a Tide advertisement with Dominique Moceanu shortly before the Rio Olympics.

In an interview with NBC Sports in 2015, even before the Olympics, Nadia Comaneci was asked what she thinks of Simone Biles. She answered:

"I don’t think anybody can top her right now, because she’s really, really, really good."

The legendary gymnast was further asked whether she agreed with Mary Lou Retton saying that Biles "may be the most talented gymnast" she has ever seen. Comaneci commended Biles' skills and said that she is almost equal to the male gymnasts.

"I think she’s the best tumbler and (performing) more difficult gymnastics than we’ve seen. With how much ease she does the vault and the floor, and the difficulty she does there, it’s almost equal with what the guys are doing right now."

Her prediction came true as Biles pretty much swept the field in Rio. The two brilliant gymnasts met at the Laureus Sports Awards in Monaco, where Comaneci was all praise for Simone Biles as they talked about their respective Olympics videos.

"We watched that a couple of times. I did. Everything I do, Simone does one extra flip."

In May 2021, Nadia Comaneci spoke about Simone Biles in an interview for the Olympics channel. She commended her skills as something that "probably a lot of guys cannot do."

"She is one of a kind, you know. I always said that every 40-50 years, there comes somebody along the way that does something just unbelievable in a sport. With the code of points in gymnastics right now, the difficulties that she has, the skills that she does, probably a lot of the guys cannot do that."

While Comaneci said that Biles is the best right now, it was possible that she may not have good competition. Yet, Biles was good enough to be far above the rest even with a little slip-up here and there.

"So, she is by far the best one right now and I am not sure that there is anybody who can come close. There are some particular events where nobody can be better but also there is a chance that she does not have a good competition. So she may have here and there, a little bubble but even that is not enough because she is good enough that even with the bubbles, she can still win."

"She’s got a dream" - Nadia Comaneci on Simone Biles

Simone Biles (Image via Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images)

Nadia Comaneci believes that Simone Biles is the perfect role model for future generations of gymnasts.

She told the PA News Agency in March 2020 that when she scored a perfect 10 in Montreal, a lot of people came to her, expressing their appreciation for breaking the glass ceiling for women. The Romanian legend didn't understand what they meant at the time but now she does.

"I didn’t realise I was making a stand that we can do better than guys. Sport gave me that platform when I was very young."

Comaneci said that she was happy with this being the time for women.

"I think now women stand up and say, this is who we are, this is what we want, and this is what we do. It is the time of the woman, and I am very happy for that."

And in saying that, she added that Simone Biles will be the perfect role model for not just young gymnasts but for women's sport.

"Even if she retires, she’s got a dream that she will be non-stop connected with the younger generation and girls’ stories, and how great it is when you have someone who has been through the sport."

Comaneci added that she had heard that female athletes still don't get equal pay but she was glad that at least the conversations had begun about it.

"A lot can still be done and should be done. I read that they (female athletes) still don’t get equal pay – but at least the door has been pushed."