Can the penchant for climbing on a tree land you near “The Lord of the Rings”? No, it is not about Peter Jackson’s all-time great movie trilogy. Instead, it concerns a person who achieved the title at the pinnacle of the sport, gymnastics. And he started to find his mojo in the sport because of his tree-climbing masterclass in his childhood! Later, this modest Romanian seized the opportunity to showcase his country on the global sports stage. Ultimately, he embraced his chance wholeheartedly. However, don’t guess that he had been interested in gymnastics since the first day of his life. Even for a long time, he had merely any idea about the routines of men’s gymnastics. All he enjoyed was climbing the trees in the hilly forests. But one day, he would stand up and dare to say, “Gymnastics was my life.” You can call it charisma or magic. But remember, charisma or magic is short-lived but highly effective to leave an impact.

He had the honor of bringing gymnastics glory to Romania even before Nadia Comaneci. In 1974, Dan Grecu won the world title on the Still Rings. Nobody could have imagined that a boy coming from a non-sport background would win the world championship, overpowering the big names. In fact, in the final, he tied with Nikolai Andrianov, the third most decorated Olympic athlete of all time. But that’s what Grecu was, challenging the adversities and making his way. Moreover, that’s where his love for gymnastics resided. But now is the time to say goodbye to everything and meet eternity. 

According to the Romanian Gymnastics Federation, Dan Grecu passed away this week at the age of 74. The further update from FIG says that during his last moments, he was residing in his native city in Romania. His fans lined up to give him his last flowers. One of them posted on social media, “RIP Dan Grecu.” The words might have posed less than sufficient to express the emotions. Just like the fallen hero’s contribution to Romanian gymnastics can’t be measured by going through the achievements. 

Well, in 1974, Dan brought the first global title for his country’s gymnastics realm in Bulgaria. But before that, he snagged a silver medal in the 1973 European Championships. This was also the first European medal won by a Romanian gymnast. So the ability of tree climbing can do wonders! Isn’t it? For Dan Grecu, the habit made his grabs and feet rock solid. The result? He was the first for Romanian gymnastics not only in world and European championships but also in the Olympics. 

In the 1976 Montreal Olympics, Dan Grecu had the option to extend his list of achievements. Notably, in the same Olympics, Nadia Comaneci wrote history for Romanian gymnastics. However, Grecu crafted his tale differently. In the men’s Still Rings event, he snagged the bronze medal, becoming the first male Romanian gymnast awarded an Olympic medal. Two years later, he repeated the success in the World Championships. With such accomplishments in his bag, Dan Grecu made his place in fans’ hearts, who would name him “The Lord of the Rings.” Eventually, the Lord had just one more Olympic left in his book as an athlete. 

In the 1980 Moscow Olympic Games, the expectations on him mounted. His task was to better his Still Rings medal’s color. Did he live up to those expectations? Yes, but a medal did not touch his feet in the Russian capital. Even the King had to see failure. How? In the Still Rings event, Grecu ended in sixth place, far behind to claim an Olympic medal. He didn’t have to blame his missed opportunity. Rather, his luck defeated him by leaving him in the grip of an injury at the start of the event. 

Dan Grecu didn’t return to gymnastics as an athlete after that. He announced his retirement in the meantime. Nonetheless, his love for the sport brought him to the gymnastics mat as a coach. That revised role gave him further opportunity to set the mountains of achievements. 

Under Dan Grecu’s tutelage, the men’s Romanian gymnastics squad witnessed massive prosperity in the next few years. The team grabbed the world bronze in 1995, the European gold in 2002 and 2004, and the Olympic team bronze in 2004. His analytical thinking enhanced the team’s overall attitude, which displayed no signs of timidity when competing against major opponents. This effort led to him receiving the Golden Belt award this year. In the end, Dan Grecu appeared to be content. He achieved the goals he once set for himself. Now, it’s the gymnastics enthusiasts’ opportunity to commend him. However, they have already taken action on that.

The fans remember the Romanian gymnastics hero with deep respect 

In the emotional moment, one of the Romanian news outlets utilized the situation to highlight Dan Grecu’s achievement. The X-handle of the outlet wrote, “Legendary Dan Grecu, the first Romanian gymnastics world champion, has died. He participated in 9 Olympics as an athlete, coach and referee.” In his athletic career, Grecu was featured in three Olympics. Later, he entered as a coach and referee. Those roles earned him the ticket for another six times. That seems to be another record! Isn’t it?

FIG also took a moment to celebrate his life. In a note on Instagram, the highest gymnastics body wrote, “We were saddened this week to learn of the passing of World and Olympic medallist, Dan Grecu. Our thoughts go out to the family and friends of Dan at this time.” The update says that Grecu’s son released the news on Thursday. However, the last rites will be performed on Saturday at the church of the Municipal Cemetery in Brasov. The loss, however, led another fan to add, “I heard on RRA in the car that gymnast Dan Grecu died, may God rest him in his eternal light!” That explains the impact of his loss on the national level. And guess what is going to be his last honor? The government has decided to give Dan a military funeral. 

In the meantime, Dan’s contemporary gymnast, Robert Bretscher, paid his respect to his mate. On Instagram, the former Swiss gymnast wrote, “R.I.P. Dan, we had good times together🕊🙏🤸”. Bretscher notably appeared in both the 1972 and 1976 Olympics. These engagements afforded him numerous opportunities to interact with the Romanian legend. Do you have any memory of watching Dan Grecu? Please share it with us.