Romania competed at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London from 27 July to 12 August 2012. This nation has competed at the Summer Olympic Games since its official debut in 1924, missing only two editions, including the 1948 Summer Olympics. Despite being London's third Olympic Games, this is the first time the Romanian team has competed in London. The Romanian Olympic and Sports Committee (Romanian: Comitetul Olimpic și Sportiv Român, COSR) sent a total of 103 athletes to the Games, 54 men and 49 women, to compete in 14 sports.
Romania left London with a total of 9 medals (2 gold, 5 silver, and 2 bronze), beating the number of medals won in 2008 by one. This performance was considered the nation's worst at an Olympic Games since 1964, based on the gold medal standings. Three of the medals were awarded to the team in artistic gymnastics, two in judo, two in weightlifting (taken away later), and one each in fencing and shooting. Romania did not win an Olympic medal in rowing for the first time since 1976, and in athletics for the first time since 1980. On 25 November 2020 the IOC disqualified two Romanians weightlifters, Răzvan Martin and Roxana Cocoș, for doping and stripped them of their medals.[1]
Among the nation's medalists were gymnasts Sandra Izbașa and Cătălina Ponor, who both won two medals for their individual final exercises (vault and floor). The women's artistic gymnastics team, led by Ponor and Izbașa, also managed to repeat its bronze medal in the all-around event. Rifle shooter Alin Moldoveanu became the first Romanian man to claim the gold medal in a shooting event in 12 years. Meanwhile, Rareș Dumitrescu, who missed out of the bronze medal in men's individual sabre, led his team to win the silver in the men's team sabre fencing competition.
Comitetul Olimpic și Sportiv Român (COSR) selected a team of 103 athletes, 54 men and 49 women, to compete in 14 sports, surpassing the record in 2008 by just a single athlete. There was only a single competitor in road cycling.
The Romanian team featured past Olympic champions, four of them defending (marathon runner Constantina Diță, judoka Alina Dumitru, gymnast Sandra Izbașa, and rowing pair Georgeta Andrunache and Viorica Susanu). Eight female Romanian athletes were among the oldest of the team, including discus thrower Nicoleta Grasu, who competed at her sixth Olympics. Georgeta Andrunache became one of the most successful female rowers in Olympic history, with a total of six medals; five of them gold. Andrunache's compatriot, Viorica Susanu, who won a total of five Olympic medals, competed at her fifth Olympics, along with marathon runner Lidia Șimon. Skeet shooter Lucia Mihalache, at age 45, was the oldest athlete of the team, while gymnast Larisa Iordache was the youngest at age 16.
Other notable Romanian athletes included gymnast Cătălina Ponor, who made an Olympic comeback in her sport after eight years, swimmer and former Olympic champion Camelia Potec, who competed at her fourth Olympics, and tennis doubles specialist Horia Tecău, who became the nation's first male flag bearer at the opening ceremony since 1996.[2]
The following is the list of number of competitors participating in the Games. Note that reserves for fencing, field hockey, football, and handball are counted as reserves:
Romanian athletes achieved qualifying standards in the following athletics events (up to a maximum of 3 athletes in each event at the 'A' Standard, and 1 at the 'B' Standard):[3][4]
Key
Note–Ranks given for track events are within the athlete's heat only
Q = Qualified for the next round
q = Qualified for the next round as a fastest loser or, in field events, by position without achieving the qualifying target
Women's artistic gymnastics was the best sport for Romania at the 2012 Summer Olympics. They won a bronze medal in the team competition, Sandra Izbașa won gold on vault, and Cătălina Ponor won silver on floor. This was the 10th consecutive Olympics that Romania won a medal in the women's artistic gymnastics team competition dating back to 1976; their streak ended at the next Olympics in 2016.
Qualification Legend: FA=Final A (medal); FB=Final B (non-medal); FC=Final C (non-medal); FD=Final D (non-medal); FE=Final E (non-medal); FF=Final F (non-medal); SA/B=Semifinals A/B; SC/D=Semifinals C/D; SE/F=Semifinals E/F; QF=Quarterfinals; R=Repechage
Romanian swimmers achieved qualifying standards in the following events (up to a maximum of 2 swimmers in each event at the Olympic Qualifying Time (OQT), and potentially 1 at the Olympic Selection Time (OST)):[5][6]
