GYMNASTS from Romania

Top 10

The following people are considered by Pantheon to be the top 10 most legendary Romanian Gymnasts of all time. This list of famous Romanian Gymnasts is sorted by HPI (Historical Popularity Index), a metric that aggregates information on a biography's online popularity. Visit the rankings page to view the entire list of Romanian Gymnasts.

1. Nadia Comăneci (b. 1961)

With an HPI of 73.73, Nadia Comăneci is the most famous Romanian Gymnast.  Her biography has been translated into 78 different languages on wikipedia.

Nadia Elena Comăneci Conner (née Comăneci; born November 12, 1961) is a Romanian retired gymnast. She is a five-time Olympic gold medalist, all in individual events. In 1976, at the age of 14, Comăneci was the first gymnast to be awarded a perfect score of 10.0 at the Olympic Games. At the same Games (1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal), she received six more perfect 10s for events en route to winning three gold medals. At the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow, she won two more gold medals and achieved two more perfect 10s. During her career, she won nine Olympic medals and four World Artistic Gymnastics Championship medals. One of the world's best-known gymnasts, Comăneci was praised for her artistry and grace, which brought unprecedented global popularity to the sport in the mid-1970s. Called "the most iconic gymnast of the 20th century" by El País, Comăneci was named one of the Athletes of the 20th century by the Laureus World Sports Academy. In August 2024, the International Sports Press Association (AIPS) voted her as the best female gymnast of the past 100 years and the second best athlete of all sports after Serena Williams. Comăneci has lived in the United States since 1989, when she defected from then-Communist Romania, before its revolution in December that year. She later worked with and married American Olympic gold-medal gymnast Bart Conner — a wedding which was held in Bucharest after the fall of the Communist regime and televised live in Romania.

2. Daniela Silivaș (b. 1972)

With an HPI of 56.67, Daniela Silivaș is the 2nd most famous Romanian Gymnast.  Her biography has been translated into 28 different languages.

Daniela Viorica Silivaș-Harper (née Silivaș, Romanian: [daniˈela vi.oˈrika siliˈvaʃ]; born 9 May 1972) is a Romanian former artistic gymnast best known for medaling in every single event at one Olympics, winning six medals (three gold, two silver, and one bronze) at the 1988 Summer Games in Seoul. In doing so, she was the fourth female gymnast to achieve this, after Maria Gorokhovskaya (1952), Larisa Latynina (1960, 1964) and Věra Čáslavská (1968). As of 2024, Silivaș is the last gymnast, male or female, to have accomplished this feat. Also, Silivaș is the first gymnast in history to win 3 Olympic and World individual titles on three (from four) apparatus: uneven bars and floor (1988 OG, 1987 and 1989 WC) and beam (1988 OG, 1985 and 1989 WC), an achievement equaled only by Simone Biles, 20 years later. She won 16 Olympic and World medals, 10 of which were gold. In 1987, she dominated the European Championships held in Moscow, medaling on every single event: 4 gold (individual AA, bars, beam and floor) and silver on vault. During her career, she earned 24 perfect 10 scores, of which 7 were earned in Seoul, equaling 1976 Nadia Comăneci's record. She was named the BTA Best Balkan Athlete of the Year in 1988. Silivaș was chosen as one of the "Top Ten All-Around Gymnasts of All Time", in a poll in Inside Gymnastics magazine. She was known for her technical excellence, difficult routines, charming performances, and artistic flair. In 1989, Silivaș's training was hampered by a knee injury and by the closure of the Deva National Training Center during the Romanian Revolution. She retired in 1991 and moved to the United States, where she is now a gymnastics coach. In 2002, she was inducted into the International Gymnastics Hall of Fame.

3. Ecaterina Szabo (b. 1967)

With an HPI of 54.53, Ecaterina Szabo is the 3rd most famous Romanian Gymnast.  Her biography has been translated into 29 different languages.

Ecaterina Szabo (Hungarian: Szabó Katalin, Hungarian pronunciation: [ˈsɒboː ˈkɒtɒlin]; born 22 January 1968) is a former Romanian artistic gymnast who won 20 Olympic, world and continental medals. Szabo won gold medals in the 1984 Olympics in three individual events (vault, balance beam (tie), and floor exercise), won the all-around silver medal, and contributed to the team gold. With her four gold medals and a silver medal, Szabo was the most successful athlete at the 1984 Summer Olympics. Afterwards, she led her team to the world title at the 1987 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships, defeating the USSR in the team competition for only the second time in the history of the competition. In 2000, Szabo was inducted into the International Gymnastics Hall of Fame.

4. Cristina Elena Grigoraș (b. 1966)

With an HPI of 51.30, Cristina Elena Grigoraș is the 4th most famous Romanian Gymnast.  Her biography has been translated into 18 different languages.

Cristina Elena Grigoraș (born 11 February 1966) is a retired Romanian artistic gymnast. She is a two-time Olympic medalist with the team (gold in 1984 and silver in 1980). Individually, she won four medals (vault, all-around, uneven bars and floor) at the 1981 European Championships. She is best known for a skill on the balance beam named after her: forward salto tucked with ½ twist (180°) take off from both legs.

5. Lavinia Miloșovici (b. 1976)

With an HPI of 50.68, Lavinia Miloșovici is the 5th most famous Romanian Gymnast.  Her biography has been translated into 22 different languages.

Lavinia Corina Miloșovici (Serbian: Лавинија Милошевић, romanized: Lavinija Milošević, born 21 October 1976) is a retired Romanian artistic gymnast. Also known as "Milo" in the gymnastics community, Miloșovici is considered to be one of Romania's top gymnasts and one of the most prolific female all-around medalists ever, earning a total 19 World Championships or Olympic medals in a span of six years. She medalled in every single World Championships meet, Olympic Games and European Championships between 1991 and 1996, and is only the third female Romanian gymnast ever, after Larisa Latynina and Věra Čáslavská, to win at least one World Championships or Olympic title on all four events. Miloșovici was also the last gymnast, along with Lu Li, to ever receive the perfect mark of 10.0 in an Olympic competition and the last to receive the benchmark score of 9.95 at the World Championships. She was inducted into the International Gymnastics Hall of Fame in 2011.

6. Mariana Constantin (b. 1960)

With an HPI of 48.20, Mariana Constantin is the 6th most famous Romanian Gymnast.  Her biography has been translated into 15 different languages.

Mariana Constantin (born 3 August 1960) is a retired Romanian artistic gymnast. She won a team silver medal at the 1976 Olympics.

7. Simona Păucă (b. 1969)

With an HPI of 47.57, Simona Păucă is the 7th most famous Romanian Gymnast.  Her biography has been translated into 22 different languages.

Simona Păuca (born 19 September 1969) is a retired Romanian artistic gymnast. She competed at the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, where she tied for gold with her teammate Ecaterina Szabo on balance beam with a difficult and innovative routine; she also won a team gold medal and a bronze medal all-around. After retiring from competitions she worked as a youth coach at her native club Dinamo București.

8. Cătălina Ponor (b. 1987)

With an HPI of 47.22, Cătălina Ponor is the 8th most famous Romanian Gymnast.  Her biography has been translated into 28 different languages.

Cătălina Ponor (Romanian pronunciation: [kətəˈlina poˈnor]; born 20 August 1987) is a Romanian former artistic gymnast who competed at three Summer Olympic Games: 2004, 2012, and 2016. She won three gold medals at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens on balance beam, floor and as part of the Romanian team. She also earned a silver medal on floor and bronze medal as part of the Romanian team at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, as well as multiple World Championship and European Championship medals. She announced her plans to retire from gymnastics after the 2017 Artistic Gymnastics World Championships, in Montreal. During her career, she won 23 Olympic, World and European medals. More than half of them (12) were gold medals. She was inducted into the International Gymnastics Hall of Fame in 2022.

9. Claudia Presăcan (b. 1979)

With an HPI of 47.15, Claudia Presăcan is the 9th most famous Romanian Gymnast.  Her biography has been translated into 18 different languages.

Claudia Maria Presăcan (born 28 December 1979 in Sibiu) is a Romanian artistic gymnast who competed at the senior international level between 1994 and 2000. She was a three-time team gold medalist at the World Championships with the Romanian team and was also a member of the gold medal-winning Romanian squad at the 2000 Olympics in Sydney.

10. Mihaela Stănuleț (b. 1967)

With an HPI of 46.83, Mihaela Stănuleț is the 10th most famous Romanian Gymnast.  Her biography has been translated into 15 different languages.

Mihaela Stănuleţ (born 16 July 1967) is a retired Romanian artistic gymnast who competed internationally between 1979 and 1984. She is an Olympic gold medalist and a world silver medalist with the team. Individually, she won a bronze medal on the beam at the 1983 European Championships and placed fourth on the uneven bars at the 1984 Olympic Games. After retiring from competitions, she became a coach at CSŞ Sibiu. Her trainees included Steliana Nistor.