Coming into the Olympics, Romania had high hopes for this sprightly 16-year old. In March she helped her team win gold at the European Championships, and she picked up a gold on the floor exercise. But on July 26 Romanian media reported that Iordache had developed plantar fasciitis, a condition that causes inflammation and pain in the heel of the foot. She grimaced during qualifications, and even fell during the third pass of her floor exercise. Despite failing to reach any individual event finals, she qualified ninth for the all-around. If her foot heals—or if she learns to cope with the pain—she could still threaten for an all-around medal.