Constantin Petrescu

Post-1972 Olympics US tour Between February 20 and March 5 of 1973, at the invitation of USA Gymnastics Federation, the 1972 Romanian Olympic gymnastics teams embarked on a two-week tour of the United States that included several friendly competitions against top U.S. collegiate athletes.

East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania, East Stroudsburg, PA Syracuse, New York University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA Arizona State University, Tempe AZ

It was during this tour that Petrescu met both Abie Grossfeld (former Southern Connecticut University Head Coach)

Coaching career and defection to the United States

After his competitive career, Petrescu studied the technical aspects of the sport of gymnastics, methodology, and training. In 1976, he earned a master's degree in physical education and sport from the National University of Physical Education and Sport in Bucharest, Romania, formally allowing him to coach, and setting the stage for a long coaching career.

A notable achievement, and one of the highlights of Petrescu's coaching career, is the perfect 10 scored on Vault (gymnastics) during the 1998 USA Gymnastics National Championships by one of his most accomplished and longest-time gymnasts, Brent Klaus.

Starting July 31, 2003, Petrescu took a several year sabbatical from IGC by accepting the position of director and head coach of the Spirals Foundation for Gymnastics at University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB).

Reunited with his family After the fall of the Romanian communist regime in December 1989, and after two and a half years apart, Petrescu was reunited with his family in the United States exactly on his 15th wedding anniversary. On July 25, 1990, his wife, Margareta, his 10-year-old son, Mihai, and his five-year-old daughter, Mihaela flew into John F. Kennedy International Airport to start their new lives together.