Nickname
Hero de Janeiro, Andy, Andi (Instagram profile, 21 Jul 2022; lr-online.de, 23 Nov 2017; ndr.de, 11 Sep 2017)
Occupation
Athlete
Spoken languages
English, German, Romanian
Club
TV Schwabisch Gmund-Wetzgau: Germany
Coach
Paul Schneider [club]; Valeri Belenki [national]
Sporting relatives
His father Marius Toba competed in artistic gymnastics at international level. He represented Romania at the 1988 Olympic Games in Seoul before competing for Germany at the 1996 Games in Atlanta and the 2000 Games in Sydney. (SportsDeskOnline, 09 Apr 2020; Instagram profile, 15 Sep 2019)
Injuries
He was dealing with an Achilles tendon problem ahead of the 2022 World Championships in Liverpool, England. (dtb.de, 02 Oct 2022)
In the first half of 2022 he suffered a ligament tear in his hip, a partially torn pectoral muscle, and a finger dislocation. (faz.net, 24 Jun 2022)
In February 2018 he injured the meniscus in his left knee while at a training camp in the Republic of Korea. (handelsblatt.com, 14 Feb 2018)
He underwent two operations on the meniscus in his right knee in early 2017. He had previously undergone surgery on a meniscus tear in his knee in February 2016. (saarbruecker-zeitung.de, 05 Apr 2017; nnn.de, 09 Feb 2017; gymmedia.de, 08 Mar 2016)
He tore the anterior cruciate ligament [ACL] in his left knee at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro. (tagesspiegel.de, 28 Sep 2016; spiegel.de, 07 Aug 2016)
Start sporting career
He joined his first training group at age five.
Reason for taking up the sport
His father was an Olympic gymnast and introduced him to the sport. "It was actually impossible for me not to become a gymnast. It was put into my cradle. Not only did I have the example right in front of me, but I also wanted to do it on my own initiative."
Ambitions
To compete at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris. After he retires from competition he would like to become a coach. (nobilis.de, 09 Feb 2023)
Most memorable sporting achievement
Winning silver on horizontal bar at the 2021 European Championships in Basel, Switzerland. (nobilis.de, 09 Feb 2023)
Most influential person in career
His father, and coach Adrian Catanoiu. (Facebook page, 18 Aug 2019; svz.de, 26 Sep 2016)
Awards
He was named 2016 Sportsman of the Year in the state of Lower Saxony, Germany. (neuepresse.de, 10 Feb 2017)
Additional information
EMULATING HIS FATHER
His participation at the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo saw him equal his father's three appearances at the Olympic Games. "That was very, very important for me. It's a huge success to be able to draw level with him. I think [competing at a fourth Games in 2024 in Paris] is the biggest motivation I have at the moment. If my body can handle it." (nobilis.de, 09 Feb 2023; faz.net, 24 Jun 2022; dtb.de, 01 Jan 2022; sportbuzzer.de, 12 Feb 2021)
OTHER ACTIVITIES
In August 2017 he opened a cafe in Hanover, Germany, named 'Hero's', with his friend and restaurateur Murat Yildirim. The cafe has since closed. "We've known each other since we were at nursery school and had already spoken about doing a joint project later in life. We did not have any thought that it should become a Plan B, if I couldn't continue gymnastics. 'Hero's' was like a hobby to us. We tried it. Some things did not go to plan, and we decided to focus on other things." (intlgymnast.com, 01 Oct 2019; focus.de, 31 Aug 2017)
HERO DE JANEIRO
At the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro he tore the anterior cruciate ligament [ACL] in his left knee during his floor routine of the team event. Despite the injury, he competed on the second apparatus [pommel horse] and helped the German team qualify for the final. As a result of his performance, German media dubbed him the 'Hero de Janeiro'. "I wanted to do this for the team. I couldn't compete in the final, but I was there to support the team." (turn-klubb.de, 23 Aug 2022; tagesspiegel.de, 28 Sep 2016; spiegel.de, 07 Aug 2016)
FURTHER EDUCATION
He has studied for a master's degree in sports management. (nobilis.de, 09 Feb 2023; sportbuzzer.de, 12 Feb 2021)
Last update : 2023-09-22
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