Romania competed at the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich, West Germany. 159 competitors, 132 men and 27 women, took part in 102 events in 16 sports.
Ivan Patzaichin — Canoeing, Men's C1 1,000m Canadian Singles
Gheorghe Berceanu — Wrestling, Men's Greco-Roman Light Flyweight
Nicolae Martinescu — Wrestling, Men's Greco-Roman Heavyweight
Valeria Bufanu — Athletics, Women's 100m Hurdles
Argentina Menis — Athletics, Women's Discus Throw
Ion Alexe — Boxing, Men's Heavyweight
Atanase Sciotnic, Roman Vartolomeu, Aurel Vernescu, and Mihai Zafiu — Canoeing, Men's K4 1000m Kayak Fours
Serghei Covaliov and Ivan Patzaichin — Canoeing, Men's C2 1000m Canadian Pairs
Dan Iuga — Shooting, Men's Free Pistol
Viorica Dumitru and Maria Nichiforov — Canoeing, Women's K2 500m Kayak Pairs
Ileana Gyulai-Drimba, Ana Pascu-Ene-Dersidan, Ecaterina Stahl-Iencic and Olga Szabo-Orban — Fencing, Women's Foil Team Competition
Ştefan Birtalan, Adrian Cosma, Marin Dan, Alexandru Dincă, Cristian Gațu, Gheorghe Gruia, Roland Gunesch, Gabriel Kicsid, Ghiţă Licu, Cornel Penu, Valentin Samungi, Simon Schobel, Werner Stöckl, Constantin Tudosie, and Radu Voina — Handball, Men's Team Competition
Nicolae Rotaru — Shooting, Men's Small-bore Rifle, prone
Ştefan Tudor, Petre Ceapura and Ladislau Lovrenski — Rowing, Men's Coxed Pairs
Victor Dolipschi — Wrestling, Men's Greco-Roman Super Heavyweight
Vasile Iorga — Wrestling, Men's Freestyle Middleweight
Men's 800 metres
Gheorghe Ghipu
Heat — 1:50.1 (→ did not advance)
Men's 1500 metres
Petre Lupan
Heat — 3:44.8 (→ did not advance)
Men's High Jump
Serban Ioan
Qualifying Round — 2.15m
Final — 2.10m (→ 16th place)
Women's Discus Throw
Carmen Ionescu
Qualifying Round — 57.82 m
Final — 60.42 m (→ 7th place)
Women's Javelin Throw
Éva Ráduly-Zörgő
Qualification — 54.34 m
Final — no mark (→ no ranking)
Men's Light Flyweight (– 48 kg)
Alexandru Turei
First Round — Lost to Enrique Rodríguez (ESP), 2:3
Men's Light Middleweight (– 71 kg)
Ion Györfi
First Round — Bye
Second Round — Lost to Peter Tiepold (GDR), 1:4
Men's Heavyweight (+ 81 kg)
Ion Alexe → Silver Medal
First Round — Defeated Jozsef Reder (HUN), 5:0
Quarterfinals — Defeated Jürgen Fanghänel (GDR), 5:0
Semifinals — Defeated Hasse Thomsén (SWE), 5:0
Final — Lost to Teófilo Stevenson (CUB), walk-over
One cyclist represented Romania in 1972.
Individual road race
Teodor Vasile — 60th place
Men's 3m Springboard:
Ion Ganea — 325.17 points (→ 21st place)
Men's 10m Platform:
Ion Ganea — 265.83 points (→ 25th place)
Women's 3m Springboard:
Sorana Prelipceanu — 242.61 points (→ 21st place)
Melania Decuseara — 232.02 points (→ 27th place)
Women's 10m Platform:
Melania Decuseara — 182.82 points (→ 16th place)
19 fencers, 15 men and 4 women, represented Romania in 1972.
Men's foil
Mihai Țiu
Ștefan Haukler
Tănase Mureșanu
Men's team foil
Iuliu Falb, Ștefan Haukler, Mihai Țiu, Tănase Mureșanu, Aurel Ștefan
Men's épée
Anton Pongratz
Alexandru Istrate
Costică Bărăgan
Men's team épée
Constantin Duțu, Costică Bărăgan, Anton Pongratz, Alexandru Istrate, Nicolae Iorgu
Men's sabre
Iosif Budahazi
Dan Irimiciuc
Constantin Nicolae
Men's team sabre
Dan Irimiciuc, Iosif Budahazi, Gheorghe Culcea, Constantin Nicolae, Octavian Vintilă
Women's foil
Ileana Gyulai-Drîmbă-Jenei
Olga Orban-Szabo
Ana Derșidan-Ene-Pascu
Women's team foil
Ecaterina Stahl-Iencic, Ileana Gyulai-Drîmbă-Jenei, Olga Orban-Szabo, Ana Derșidan-Ene-Pascu
Handball
Men's Team Competition
Preliminary Round Group C
Defeated Norway (18-14)
Defeated Spain (15-12)
Defeated West Germany (13-11)
Main Round Group II
Defeated Hungary (20-14)
Lost to Yugoslavia (13-14)
Final Round, Bronze Medal Match
Defeated East Germany (19-16)
Romania - Bronze Medal (5-1-0)
Team Roster
Cornel Penu
Alexandru Dincă
Gabriel Kicsid
Ghiţă Licu
Cristian Gațu
Roland Gunesch
Radu Voina
Simion Schöbel
Gheorghe Gruia
Werner Stöckl
Marin Dan
Adrian Cosma
Valentin Samungi
Constantin Tudosie
Ştefan Birtalan
Three male pentathletes represented Romania in 1972.
Men's Individual Competition:
Dumitru Spîrlea - 4754 pts (→ 23rd place)
Marian Cosmescu - 4890 (→ 38th place)
Adalbert Covacs - 4381 points (→ 48th place)
Men's Team Competition:
Spirlea, Cosmescu, and Covacs - 13655 points (→ 12th place)
Men's Coxed Pairs
Stefan Tudor, Petre Ceapura and Ladislau Lovrenschi
Heat — 7:47.98
Repechage — 8:08.34
Semi Finals — 8:10.89
Final — 7:21.36 (→ Bronze Medal)
Ten male shooters represented Romania in 1972. Daniel Iuga won silver in the 50 m pistol and Nicolae Rotaru won bronze in the 50 m rifle, prone event.
25 m pistol
Daniel Iuga
Ion Tripșa
50 m pistol
Daniel Iuga
300 m rifle, three positions
Petre Şandor
Eugen Satală
50 m rifle, three positions
Nicolae Rotaru
Petre Şandor
50 m rifle, prone
Nicolae Rotaru
Ilie Codreanu
Trap
Gheorghe Florescu
Ion Dumitrescu
Skeet
Lucian Cojocaru
Gleb Pintilie
Men's 100m Freestyle
Marian Slavic
Heat — 55.35s (→ did not advance)
Men's 200m Freestyle
Marian Slavic
Heat — 2:00.23 (→ did not advance)
Men's Team Competition
Preliminary Round (Group B)
Lost to Japan 0-3 (4, 5, 6)
Defeated West Germany 3-0 (9,1,8)
Lost to Brazil 2-3 (-16,11,-7,11,-12)
Defeated Cuba 3-0 (7,15,13)
Lost to East Germany 0-3 (-10,-12,-7)
Final Round (places 5-8)
Defeated South Korea 3-0 (12, 7, 8)
Defeated Czechoslovakia 3-1 (-8, 7, 10,14) →5th place
Team Roster
Gabriel Udişteanu
Gyula Bartha
Cornel Oros
Laurențiu Dumănoiu
William Schreiber
Cristian Ion
Marian Stamate
Mircea Codoi
Romeo Enescu
Stelian Moculescu
Viorel Bălaj
Men's Team Competition
Preliminary Round (Group A)
Lost to United States (3-4)
Lost to Yugoslavia (7-8)
Lost to Cuba (3-4)
Defeated Canada (16-4)
Defeated Mexico (9-6)
Final Round (Group II)
Defeated Spain (7-4)
Defeated Bulgaria (4-3)
Drew with the Netherlands (5-5)
Defeated Australia (5-3) → 8th place
Team Roster
Iosif Culiniak
Corneliu Fratila
Serban Huber
Radu Lazar
Bogdan Mihailescu
Gruia Novae
Dinu Popescu
Viorel Rus
Claudiu Rusu
Cornel Rusu
Gheorghe Zamfirescu
