Grant of DHC Title to Prof. Tudor BOMPA

November 9, 2017

Tudor BOMPA, Doctor Honoris Causa of the Politehnica University Timisoara

Prof. Tudor Bompa PhD., one of the world's top specialists who revolutionized the training methods of athletes around the world, is an honorary guest of the Politehnica University Timișoara, who awarded him with the title of Doctor Honoris Causa during the Politehnica Week. The famous professor, who is behind the success of the athlete Ben Johnson, met on November 8 in Timisoara with athletes, coaches, and mass media representatives, who learned some of the secrets that underlie the top athletes' training.

On Thursday, November 9, in the Great Hall of the Senate of the Politehnica University Timișoara, took place the ceremony for the honorary title of Doctor Honoris Causa was given to Prof. Tudor Bompa PhD., from York University in Toronto, Canada.

For the Politehnica University Timişoara, it is a great joy that the professor, with great appreciation and international recognition, enriches the gallery of exceptional personalities to whom the university awarded this distinction. The title of Doctor Honoris Causa is the highest distinction the University Senate can award as a recognition of merit and as an expression of the laureate's attachment to the city where he was a young teacher at the Polytechnic Institute of Timisoara in the 1960s.

Rector of the Politehnica University Timișoara, Prof.Eng. Viorel-Aurel Şerban Ph.D. pointed out at the opening of the event the role played by UPT in the development of the city in almost a century of existence, but also the importance it attaches to the sport, which is mandatory since the establishment of the institution. As such, the award of the title of Doctor Honoris Causa is part of the university's orientation towards sport, all the more so as Prof. Tudor Bompa Ph.D. is one of the world's specialists who, unfortunately, does not enjoy the same recognition in the country.

With 15 books published, translated into 18 languages, sold in over one million copies and used in 180 countries, Prof. Tudor Bompa Ph.D. has received so far only in Romania the title of honorary citizen of his native town, Năsăud. Moreover, when awarding the title of Doctor Honoris Causa of the Politehnica University Timișoara, Prof. Tudor Bompa Ph.D. said, visibly touched, that "in my trophy room, it will occupy the most important place."

Professor TUDOR BOMPA was born on 23 December 1932 in the town of Nasaud, in Northern Transylvania. He attended his first school classes in his hometown, and in 1949 he moved to the Sports School in Cluj-Napoca, under the patronage of the local “Victor Babeş” University. During his junior years, he was part of the national athletics team, and won several silver and bronze medals at the National Championships, in the pentathlon, javelin and discus competitions. He attended the courses of the Institute of Physical Culture and Sports, a prestigious sports academy in the Romanian capital city, Bucharest, which he graduated at the age of 24, in 1956. In Bucharest, he activated within the Central Army House Club, with which he won six national titles at rowing and a silver medal in 1958 at the European Championship. As a student, but mainly after graduation, between 1960 and 1970, he served as Director of the Central Army House Sports Club, as university assistant professor at the Polytechnic Institute of Timisoara and the University of Bucharest, and as Athletic Director at Politehnica Timișoara Sports Club. Starting in 1960, he laid the foundations of new training methods for performance athletes, which were first published in the journal “Studies and Research” Politehnica Timişoara, T. BOMPA being part of the editorial board.

Tudor Bompa is known as the man who revolutionized Western training methods. After more than 40 years of work in the international sports arena, he is considered one of the world's top specialists in periodization, planning, performance and strength training.

“PeakPerformance” (2012), states that: “Tudor Bompa was called the” father “of periodization (planned training) and I am certain that there are few athletes in the world who do not owe their success (even if they do not realize), in one way or another, to the theories of the former Romanian. He is one of the world’s leading specialists.

The system and training methods of the distinguished specialist are proven by the performance of “ Bompațs champions “, who won 11 medals (4 gold, 2 silver and 5 bronze) in the Olympic Games and World Championships; 3 medals (2 gold) in the Pan American Games; 22 medals in National Championships (in Canada and Romania).

Two outstanding results have crowned his permanent, uninterrupted concerns in the development and application of his methods in order to achieve the highest level of performance:

Mihaela Peneş, Romanian junior, javelin, Olympic champion in Tokyo in 1964. TUDOR BOMPA managed the physical training of young Mihaela Peneş, for a year and a half in the years 1963-1964. Thus, the 17-year-old unknown, who was not taken into account after a 51-meter qualification, became the Olympic champion in Tokyo with a 60.54-meter throw in the first attempt. She was the “bomb” of the Olympics, “the wonder of Tokyo,” who shocked the world.

Ben Johnson, Canadian Sprinter, Olympic Champion at the 1988 Olympics in Seoul, 100 meters. T. BOMPA’s best known “product” is the Canadian Sprinter Ben Johnson. In 1988, at the Seoul Olympics, in the “race of the century”, while competing with American sprinter Carl Lewis, Johnson arrived first in the 100-meter competition, with a new world record of 9.79 seconds. This was the peak of the confrontation between the two world speed titans.