World's Most Successful Coaches

Octavian Bellu (born February 17, 1951, Ploieşti), took over a program that most experts considered would falter after the loss of Bela Karolyi, and not only continued its outstanding success, but improved upon it. He has been the coach of the Romanian Women Gymnastics Team since 1981 and its head between 1988 and 2005. His dedication and commitment to excellence have been the key to success for Romanian gymnastics. He also served as an adviser on the staff of Romanian president, president of the Romanian National Agency for Sports, and this month was appointed secretary of state within the Ministry of Youth and Sports.


Octavian Bellu has set the world record as the Most Successful Coach: 16 Olympics Gold Medals and a total of over 300 medals at World and European Championships and Olympic Games. Highly successful, Octavian Bellu led the Romanian gymnastics team to five world and two Olympic titles, as well as coaching numerous individual gold medalists (Lavinia Miloşovici, Andreea Răducan, Simona Amânar, Gina Gogean, and Cătălina Ponor) - since the 1991 break-up of the Soviet Union, Romania has been the most successful women's gymnastics power.


They say behind every successful man, there is a woman. Maria Bitang (born August 3, 1962), Romanian gymnastics coach (1992-2005), joined the team in early 90's. She has set the world record for the Most Successful Woman Coach: 19 Olympics Medals and a total of 152 medals at World and European Championships and Olympic Games.


Along with the team, Bellu and Bitang have obtained more than 250 international medals. The outstanding results they achieved made them the world's most successful coaching duo. They received many awards, were decorated by the Romanian presidents and received the highest honors from the Romanian Olympic Committee and International Gymnastics Federation.