Romanian gymnastics coaches Octavian Bellu and Mariana Bitang are the World's Most Successful Coaches (Duo), according to the World Record Academy.

Bellu and Bitang helped Romania win five consecutive team gold medals at the World Championships from 1994 to 2001 and team gold medals at the 2000 and 2004 Summer Olympics. Their teams have combined to win a total of 305 medals at the European and World Championships and Olympic Games, the World Record Academy said.

Octavian Bellu led the Romanian team to five world and two Olympic titles, and also coached numerous individual gold medalists. While he was a national coach in Deva (from 1990–2005), the national team won five consecutive world titles and two Olympic team gold medals. Bellu's gymnasts were dominant in the 2004 Olympic Games, winning four of the six available gold medals.

Octavian Bellu has coached top gymnasts such as Lavinia Milosovici, Andreea Raducan, Monica Rosu, Simona Amanar, Gina Gogean, Catalina Ponor, Sandra Izbasa, and Larisa Iordache. During his time as head coach, his teams have combined to win 82 world (59) and Olympic (23) medals, the World Record Academy also said.

In 2007, the World Record Academy named Romanian coach Bellu as the world's most successful coach.

Mariana Bitang was a coach for the Romanian national women's artistic gymnastics team. Along with her partner, Octavian Bellu, she helped Romania win five consecutive team gold medals at the World Championships from 1994 to 2001 and team gold medals at the 2000 and 2004 Summer Olympics.

"If Romania had football coaches of similar value (of Bellu and Bitang), then Romania would have been the world football champion for twenty years or so, and Messi would have been a Romanian, called Mihai. If Romania had politicians of the same level, then Romania would have been richer than Switzerland, stronger than the United States and more wanted by tourists than Bora Bora. This is just to get an idea of what the right person at the right place and time means," said Ramona Nita, Sports Editor at World Record Academy.

irina.marica@romania-insider.com

(Photo source: Facebook/Comitetul Olimpic si Sportiv Roman)