Famous Romanian Gymnasts

Nadia Comaneci is a Romanian former gymnast. One of the best-known gymnasts in the world, Comaneci has five Olympic gold medals under her belt. Credited with popularizing gymnastics around the world, Nadia Comaneci was honored by the Laureus World Sports Academy by including her in their Athletes of the 20th Century list in 2000.

Márta Károlyi is a Hungarian-born Romanian-American gymnastics coach. She was the former national team coordinator for USA Gymnastics. Her husband, Bela, is also a prominent gymnastics coach, and between them, the couple has trained nine Olympic champions, fifteen world champions, sixteen European medalists, and many US national champions. She retired from coaching in 2016. 

Aurelia Dobre is a Romanian former artistic gymnast who won three gold medals at the 24th Artistic Gymnastics World Championships in 1987. In the same World Championships, she won two bronze medals. In 1988, she helped her team win the silver medal at the Summer Olympics. In 2016, she was made an inductee of the International Gymnastics Hall of Fame.

Three-time Olympian Romanian former artistic gymnast Cătălina Ponor has 5 Olympic medals in her kitty, including 3 golds. He has also won a World Cup gold and 8 European Championship gold medals. The sports star started training at age 4 and was scouted by the national selectors during a nationwide talent search.

Daniela Silivaș is a Romanian former artistic gymnast. She is best known for winning six medals (three gold, two silver, and one bronze) at the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul. She also earned six individual World Championships titles in her five-year tenure as a Romanian senior national team member. She became a coach after retiring in 1991. 

Romanian artistic gymnast Lavinia Milosovici, also known as Milo, is not just a 2-time Olympic gold medalist but also a 5-time World Champion. She scripted history as the last person to achieve an Olympic perfect 10 and also has 4 European Championship gold medals in her kitty.

Simona Amânar is a Romanian retired artistic gymnast. A ten-time World Championship, 12-time European Championship, and seven-time Olympic medalist, Amânar also helped her country win four successive world team titles between 1994 and 1999. In 2007, Simona Amânar was made an inductee of the International Gymnastics Hall of Fame.

Ecaterina Szabo is a Romanian former artistic gymnast who won four gold medals and a silver medal at the 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles. She also represented her country at the World Championships and European Championships, winning 10 medals and five medals respectively. In 2000, Ecaterina Szabo was made an inductee of the International Gymnastics Hall of Fame.

Retired Romanian artistic gymnast Larisa Iordache was touted as The New Nadia when she was just 12. The 2-time Olympian has an Olympic bronze in her kitty, apart from 7 European Championship and 12 World Cup gold medals, and numerous other awards. She excelled in beam and floor exercises.

While Romanian gymnast Andreea Răducan began training at age 4. She won the individual all-around gold medal in the 2000 Summer Olympics but had to give it up due to a doping accusation. She, however, retained her team gold and vault silver, which she won at the same Olympic Games.

Gina Gogean is a former artistic gymnast best known for winning silver medals at the 1992 and 1996 Olympics. She also won three bronze medals at the 1996 Games. A nine-time world champion and five-time European champion, Gogean has been a regular gymnastics judge since 2001. In 2013, she was made an inductee of the International Gymnastics Hall of Fame.

Bela Karolyi is a prominent gymnastics coach who developed the Romanian centralized training system for gymnastics.  His wife, Márta Károlyi, is also a gymnastics coach and together they have trained numerous Olympic, European, and World champions. The couple has been credited with transforming gymnastic coaching in USA. Many gymnasts have called him out for his abusive coaching style. 

Sandra Izbașa is a Romanian former artistic gymnast who won a gold medal at the 2008 and 2012 Olympic Games. She also won seven gold medals at the European Championships during her illustrious career. Sandra Izbașa's best result at the World Championships came at the 2006 Championships where she won the silver medal in the Balance Beam event.

Marian Drăgulescu is a Romanian artistic gymnast best known for winning a silver medal and two bronze medals at the 2004 Olympic Games. An eight-time world champion and ten-time European champion, Drăgulescu was named Gymnast of the Year in 2002 and Romanian Sportsman of the Year in 2009. Marian Drăgulescu is the oldest individual vault finalist at the World Championships.

Teodora Ungureanu is a Romanian retired gymnast best known for winning two silver medals and one bronze medal at the 1976 Olympics. She also won a silver medal at the 1978 World Championships. After retiring from gymnastics, Teodora Ungureanu had a successful career as a coach. Ungureanu was inducted into the International Gymnastics Hall of Fame in 2001.

Corina Ungureanu is a Romanian artistic gymnast best known for winning two gold medals at the 1998 European Championships in St Petersburg. She is also a two-time world champion, winning the gold medals at the 1997 and 1999 Artistic Gymnastics World Championships. Corina Ungureanu is also famous for posing nude for the Playboy magazine.

Emilia Eberle is a Romanian former gymnast best known for winning two silver medals at the 1980 Olympic Games in Moscow. A two-time world champion, Emilia Eberle also won three silver medals at the 1979 European Championships.

Romanian artistic gymnast Diana Bulimar is not just an Olympic bronze medalist but has also won 2 European Championship golds and a Youth Olympic Games silver. She began training at age 4. Nicknamed Didi, the star has struggled with necrosis in her knees. She has a floor element named after her.

Romanian artistic gymnast Andreea Eugenia Munteanu was part of the Romanian team that won gold at the 30th European Women's Artistic Gymnastics Championships in 2015. She again represented her country during the 2015 European Championships where she became the only female participant from Romania to qualify for any event finals and eventually won the gold medal in balance beam final.

Romanian former artistic-gymnast Maria Olaru was part of the Romanian team that won gold medal at the 34th Artistic Gymnastics World Championships (1999) and at the 2000 Summer Olympics. In 1999, she became all-around world champion. Post-retirement from gymnastics, Olaru was inducted by the West University of Timișoara as an assistant professor at the Faculty of Sports and Physical Education.   

Romanian artistic gymnast Ana Bărbosu first came under the spotlight when she won the European Junior all-around championship in 2020 and also earned the national all-around silver medal that year. She won a Romanian National Championship gold in 2021, and began her senior career with the City of Jesolo Trophy in 2022.

Romanian-Italian rhythmic gymnast Alexandra Agiurgiuculese was 6 when she began training in gymnastics to correct a spine issue. She grew up to become the first Italian to win the World Challenge Cup Series. She is also a 3-time World Championship medalist and a 4-time Junior European Championship medalist.

Retired Romanian artistic gymnast Alexandra Marinescu is not just an Olympic bronze medalist but has also won the World Championship twice and the Junior European Championship 4 times. Initially a swimmer, she switched to gymnastics later. Post-retirement, she focused on a music career and also launched her own radio show.

Retired Romanian artistic gymnast Steliana Nistor began training in the sport at age 5. She is not just an Olympic bronze medalist but also a former European champion. She also has 3 World Championship medals in her kitty. Post-retirement, she focused on coaching and studying physical education.

Romanian former artistic-gymnast Ana Porgras is winner of gold medal for balance beam event at the 2010 World Championships. Her other achievements includes winning bronze on the uneven bars while making her senior debut at the 2009 World Championships; and defending her all-around title and winning gold on balance beam and bronze on floor at the 2010 Romanian National Championships.  

Octavian Bellu had been a gymnast for 13 years, before switching gears to be a coach. He now leads the Romanian women’s national artistic gymnastics team. Considered the most successful coach ever, he has led Romania to win a combined 23 Olympic medals. He has also been an advisor to Romanian president Traian Basescu.

Former artistic gymnast Monica Roşu outshined as strongest vaulter of the Romanian women’s team during the 2004 Olympics and went on to win gold with the team and gold on the vault. Earlier that year she won gold with the team and on vault during the European Championships. She also won silver with her team at the 2003 World Championships.

Retired Romanian artistic-gymnast Lavinia Agache competed at major international events and bagged ten medals. Her achievements include winning a gold with team and a bronze for vault at the 1984 Olympics; three silver medals (for team, vault and uneven bars), and one bronze for balance beam at 1983 World Championships; and a gold for balance beam at 1983 European Championships.

Romanian former artistic-gymnast Cristina Bontaş won silver with team and bronze on floor exercise at the 1992 Olympics. Other achievements of Bontaş, whose best events included the vault, the floor exercise, and the all around, were winning six World Championships medals including gold for the floor exercise in 1991; and a silver medal for vault at the 1990 European Championships.

Former Romanian artistic-gymnast Cristina Elena Grigoraş won silver and gold at the Olympics with the team in 1980 and 1984 respectively. In 1981 she won four medals at the European Championships, one gold for vault, two silver medals for All around and Uneven bars, and one bronze for floor. Her eponymous skill Grigoraş is listed in the Code of Points.

Olympic gold medalist Claudia Presăcan is one of Romania’s finest artistic gymnasts. She started training when she was a little over 4 and later went on to win 3 World Championships. Post-retirement, she was associated with the Romanian rowing team. She was once banned for posing topless for a Japanese photobook.

Romanian born female artistic gymnast Olivia Cîmpian won the bronze medal with the Romanian team at the 2016 Junior European Women's Artistic Gymnastics Championships. She also represented Romania during the 2017 European Women's Artistic Gymnastics Championships where she ranked 23 in individual All around event while the Romanian women’s team ranked third, tied with France.