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Most successful coaches (Duo): world record set by Mariana Bitang and Octavian Bellu

October 26, 2020
Ramona Nita | World Record Academy
Most successful coaching duo: world record set by Mariana Bitang and Octavian Bellu
DEVA, Hunedoara County, Romania--Romanian gymnastics coaches Octavian Bellu and Mariana 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, thus setting the new world record for being the World's Most Successful Coaches (Duo), according to the WORLD RECORD ACADEMY.

Highly successful, the Romanian coach Octavian Bellu (born 17 February 1951)  led the team to five world and two Olympic titles, as well as coaching numerous individual gold medalists – since 1990, Romania has been the most successful women's gymnastics power.

While he served as national coach in Deva from 1990–2005, the national team won five consecutive world titles, from 1994–2001, and two Olympic team gold medals, in 2000 and 2004. Bellu's gymnasts were dominant in the 2004 Olympic Games, winning four of the six available gold medals.

Octavian Bellu also coached such accomplished gymnasts as Lavinia Miloșovici, Andreea Răducan, Monica Roșu, Simona Amânar, Gina Gogean, Cătălina Ponor, Sandra Izbașa and Larisa Iordache. During his time as head coach, his teams have combined to win 82 world (59) and Olympic (23) medals.

In 2007, the World Record Academy recognized coach Octavian Bellu as the world's most successful coach, with 16 Olympic gold medals and a total of 279 medals at the European and World Championships and Olympic Games.

"They say behind every successful man, there is a woman," says Ramona Nita, Sport Editor at World Record Academy.

Octavian Bellu stated that he "doesn't see him working with anyone else than Mariana Bitang."    

Their success's secret? Mariana Bitang: "We have no magic wand here. It's just hard work. You can't win Gold unless you make some sacrifices. I wish I have spend more time with son...and I never have had a real holidays."   

Mariana Bitang (born August 3, 1962 in Râmnicu Sărat) 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.

Mariana Bitang received many awards, was decorated few times by Romanian Presidents and received the highest honors from the Romanian Olympic Committee and International Gymnastics Federation.
Most successful coaching duo: world record set by Mariana Bitang and Octavian Bellu

The Specialist's Opinion

"It takes a lot to be a successful coach. To win consistently, you need to be an exceptional motivator, a near-genius tactician, and by far the hardest working person at the club. There are some coaches that have stood head and shoulders above the rest, leading their teams to success upon success."


"The success of the Romanian gymnastics school over three decades was based on: a team of professionals at the level of the Romanian Gymnastics Federation (among them: Maria Simionescu, Atanasia Albu, Gheorghe Vieru, Anca Grigoras, Maria Login, Adrian Stoica, Toma Pradatu); the consistent support from the Romanian government (at least until the mid-2000s); the source of talented and ambitious children, eager to follow on Nadia Comaneci footsteps and, above all, a team of coaches (Octavian Bellu and Mariana Bitang) totally dedicated to the profession, located at the top of the pyramid. They helped the gymnasts trained at the local clubs to move from the level of top gymnasts to the elite of elites," says Ramona Nita, Sport Editor at World Record Academy.


"The major success of the two coaches consists in the fact that they knew how to follow in the footsteps of Nadia Comaneci, 'The Deer from the Carpathians', with dozens of girls which were later called by the fans 'Belu's squirrels' for the ease with which they evolved on the  gymnastic apparatus and the childish candor that made them beloved all over the world."


"Starting from the 80's, the hardest years for communist Romania, when the Romanians had a hard time facing a period of deprivation and continuing with the 90's, when they saw that everything they had built was demolished, including in sports, the Romanians still had a pride in the successes of gymnasts who obtained medals after medals at international competitions,"says Ramona Nta, National Athletic Champion, Professional Coach and Sport Editor at World Record Academy.Their dedication


Their (Octavian Bellu and Mariana Bitang) dedication and commitment to excellence have meant the key to success for Romanian gymnastics.


"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 was 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," says Ramona Nita.

Most successful coaching duo: world record set by Mariana Bitang and Octavian Bellu

This world record is dedicated to thousands of Romanian gymnasts, coaches and specialists who, for three decades, have maintained Romanian gymnastics at the highest level. It is dedicated to girls who have spent thousands of hours practicing, even if they have not reached the top level.

Most successful coaching duo: world record set by Mariana Bitang and Octavian Bellu

The GUINNESS WORLD RECORD for the most gymnastics gold medals won at both the Olympics and World Championships combined is 23, achieved by Simone Biles (USA) from 2013 to 2019.


GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS also recognized the world record for the most consecutive back handsprings (one hand); it is 34 and was achieved by Zama Mofokeng (South Africa) in Tembisa, South Africa, on 4 March 2017.

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