GRACE AND GUTS, BUT WHAT ABOUT HER STAGE FRIGHT?
Originally appeared in TIME Magazine, June 10, 1992
© 1992 TIME Magazine
She is so far ahead of her country's other gymnasts that finding training
partners has been a problem. "There was a year when I trained alone," says
Hungary's Henrietta Onodi. "It was terrible." Her isolated, gutsy quest has
won international renown. "She's got the hearts of everybody," says Donna
Strauss, a U.S. coach.
The question is whether the green-eyed, dark-haired 18-year-old can conquer
her stage fright. Dogged by a history of erratic performances, she could be
her own worst enemy if she suffers a small slip early in the competition and
loses her concentration. Behind the scenes, Onodi's pre-competition jitters
can be comical. "Henni always forgets something," says teammate Ildiko
Balog. "like her leotard or her competition number." But if she stays calm
and summons some of hey-look-at-me showmanship, she could hit gold. At 4 ft.
10 in., her lithe, well-proportioned frame creates the illusion of greater
height, and her floor routine, set to West Side Story*, offers a grace and
artistry rare in the tumbling-heavy all-around event.
How did she do in Barcelona?
* The West Side Story FX routine won Henrietta a silver medal in the 1992 World Championships in Paris just months before the Olympics. However, for
reasons unknown, she changed her routine for the Barcelona Olympics - the
FX routine that came within a breath of tying for an Olympic gold medal was set to Liszt's Hungarian Rhapsody.
