Romania competed at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Greece, from 13 to 29 August 2004. Romanian athletes have competed at every Summer Olympic Games since its official debut in 1924, missing only two editions, including the 1948 Summer Olympics. The Romanian Olympic and Sports Committee (, COSR) sent the nation's smallest team to the Games since the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul. A total of 108 athletes, 50 men and 58 women, had competed in 16 different sports, most notably in artistic gymnastics and rowing. For the third time in Olympic history, Romania was again represented by more female than male athletes.
The Romanian team featured several Olympic medalists from Sydney four years earlier, including coxless rowing pair Monica Roşu and Viorica Susanu, sprint canoeists Florin Popescu and Mitică Pricop, gymnastics champion Marius Urzică in men's pommel horse, and rowers Doina Ignat and Georgeta Andrunache. Pistol shooter and 1988 Olympic champion Sorin Babii, and rowing legend Elisabeta Lipă, who won a total of seven Olympic medals in her illustrious sporting career, became the first Romanian athletes to compete in six Olympic Games. Having received the second most medals by a single athlete in the nation's Olympic history, Lipa reprised her role to carry the Romanian flag in the opening ceremony for the second consecutive time.
Despite being the smallest team to the Games since 1988, Romania left Athens with a total of 19 Olympic medals, 8 golds, 5 silver, and 6 bronze, failing only three golds short of the total achieved in Sydney. Most of these medals were awarded to the athletes in artistic gymnastics and rowing, including three prestigious Olympic titles from Cătălina Ponor in women's floor, balance beam, and team all-around exercises. Apart from Ponor's Olympic glory, the nation's highlight of the Games also came with a powerful triumph of the rowing team, as the Romanians managed to secure their title in the women's eight. With a stark tally of eight medals, Lipa greatly emerged as the most successful female rower in the entire Olympic history after winning her fourth consecutive gold and fifth overall within a record span of 20 years.
Medalists
| style="text-align:left; width:72%; vertical-align:top;"| Medal Name Sport Event Date Gymnastics Women's artistic team all-around Swimming Women's 200 m freestyle Rowing Women's pair Rowing Women's lightweight double sculls Gymnastics Women's vault Rowing Women's eight Gymnastics Women's floor Gymnastics Women's balance beam Athletics Men's triple jump Gymnastics Men's floor Gymnastics Men's pommel horse Gymnastics Women's floor Athletics Women's 400 m hurdles Gymnastics Men's artistic team all-around Swimming Men's 200 m backstroke Gymnastics Men's vault Gymnastics Women's balance beam Athletics Women's 1500 m Boxing Light welterweight | style="text-align:left; width:23%; vertical-align:top;"|
Medals by sportSport TotalAthletics 0213Boxing 0011Gymnastics 43310Rowing 3003Swimming 1012Total85619
Medals by genderGender TotalMale0347Female82212Total85619
Athletics
Romanian athletes have so far 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).
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 NR = National record N/A = Round not applicable for the event Bye = Athlete not required to compete in round
Men Field events AthleteEventQualificationFinalDistancePositionDistancePositionGheorghe GușetShot put19.6814Did not advanceMarian OpreaTriple jump17.443 Q17.55Bogdan ȚărușLong jump8.088 q8.218Ștefan Vasilache High jump2.25=15Did not advance
Women Track & road events AthleteEventHeatSemifinalFinalResultRankResultRankResultRankMihaela Botezan10000 mcolspan=4 31:11.24 NR11Norica Câmpean20 km walkcolspan=4 1:34:3027Daniela Cârlancolspan=4 1:37:1437Maria Cioncan800 m1:59.641 Q1:59.442 Q1:59.6271500 m4:06.681 Q4:06.691 Q3:58.39Alina Cucerzan1500 m4:18.0713Did not advanceConstantina DițăMarathoncolspan=4 2:37:3120Ana Maria Groza20 km walkcolspan=4 1:34:5629Elena Iagăr1500 m4:11.4811Did not advanceNuța OlaruMarathoncolspan=4 2:34:4513Lidia Șimoncolspan=4 Ionela Târlea-Manolache400 m hurdles54.411 Q53.322 Q53.38Angela MoroșanuAlina RăpanuMaria RusIonela Târlea-Manolache4 × 400 m relay3:27.365 qcolspan=2 3:26.816
Field events AthleteEventQualificationFinalDistancePositionDistancePositionAdina AntonLong jump6.4718Did not advanceAdelina GavrilăTriple jump14.56=11 Q13.8615Nicoleta GrasuDiscus throw61.918 q64.926Monica IagărHigh jump1.95=8 Q1.938Alina MilitaruLong jump—Did not advanceOana PantelimonHigh jump1.9212 q1.937Mariana SolomonTriple jump14.4216Did not advanceFelicia Țilea-MoldovanJavelin throw62.057 Q59.7211
Boxing
Romania sent three boxers to Athens. None lost in the round of 32, as two won and the third had a bye. In the round of 16, though, one boxer was defeated. Another fell in the quarterfinal. The third survived to the semifinal, where he was defeated to finish with a bronze medal. That medal put Romania in a five-way tie for 16th place in the boxing medal count.
AthleteEventRound of 32Round of 16QuarterfinalsSemifinalsFinalOppositionResultOppositionResultOppositionResultOppositionResultOppositionResultRankViorel SimionFeatherweightW 40–15W 38–13L 35–39Did not advanceIonuț GheorgheLight welterweightW 26–11W 28–19W 29–18L 9–30Did not advanceMarian SimionMiddleweightL 29–36Did not advance
Canoeing
Sprint Men AthleteEventHeatsSemifinalsFinalTimeRankTimeRankTimeRankFlorin MironcicC-1 500 m1:51.5683 q1:53.957 8Did not advanceMitică PricopC-1 1000 m4:00.5594 q3:59.6405Did not advanceMarian BabanȘtefan VasileK-2 500 m1:34.4106 q1:34.3987Did not advanceFlorin PopescuSilviu SimioncencuC-2 500 m1:41.3684 q1:41.4241 Q1:40.6184C-2 1000 m3:30.4191 Qcolspan=2 3:43.8584Marian BabanAlexandru CeauşuVasile CuruzanȘtefan VasileK-4 1000 m2:55.3244 q2:53.9941 Q3:03.1077
Women AthleteEventHeatsSemifinalsFinalTimeRankTimeRankTimeRankLidia TalpăFlorica VulpeșK-2 500 m1:45.3867 q1:45.7705Did not advance Qualification Legend: Q = Qualify to final; q = Qualify to semifinal
Cycling
Mountain biking AthleteEventTimeRankOvidiu Tudor OpreaMen's cross-country (1 lap)37
Diving
Women AthleteEventPreliminariesSemifinalsFinalPointsRankPointsRankPointsRankRamona Maria Ciobanu10 m platform268.2324Did not advance
Equestrian
Eventing AthleteHorseEventDressageCross-countryJumpingTotalQualifierFinalPenaltiesRankPenaltiesTotalRankPenaltiesTotalRankPenaltiesTotalRankPenaltiesRankViorel BubăuCarnavalIndividual80.0075EliminatedDid not advance
Fencing
Six Romanian fencers (two men and four women) qualified for the following events.
Men AthleteEventRound of 64Round of 32Round of 16QuarterfinalSemifinalFinal / Opposition ScoreOpposition ScoreOpposition ScoreOpposition ScoreOpposition ScoreOpposition ScoreRankAlexandru NyisztorIndividual épéeW 15–6L 8–15Did not advanceMihai CovaliuIndividual sabreW 15–10W 15–9L 14–15Did not advance
Women AthleteEventRound of 64Round of 32Round of 16QuarterfinalSemifinalFinal / Opposition ScoreOpposition ScoreOpposition ScoreOpposition ScoreOpposition ScoreOpposition ScoreRankAna Maria BrânzăIndividual épéeW 15–14W 15–13L 13–15Did not advanceLaura Badea-CârlescuIndividual foilW 15–11L 7–15Did not advanceRoxana ScarlatL 7–15Did not advanceCătălina GheorghițoaiaIndividual sabreW 15–6W 15–12W 15–13L 7–15L 7–154
Gymnastics
Artistic Men Team AthleteEventQualificationFinalApparatusTotalRankApparatusTotalRankMarian DrăgulescuTeam9.762 Q9.3259.4759.762 Q9.5629.55057.4364 Q9.562colspan=2 9.8259.200colspan=3 Ilie Daniel Popescu9.6259.562colspan=5 9.6879.650colspan=5 Dan Nicolae Potra9.5379.3009.5009.3629.5508.50055.74925colspan=2 9.5879.537colspan=3 Răzvan Dorin Șelariu9.6259.7009.5009.1509.512colspan=2 9.4759.7259.5258.912colspan=2 Ioan Silviu Suciu9.6509.7129.4879.6379.5009.41257.3986 Q9.6879.7379.6759.275colspan=2 Marius Urzică9.812 Qcolspan=2 9.7009.675colspan=2 9.825colspan=2 9.7259.775colspan=2 Total38.57438.47438.24938.26138.31238.149230.0193 Q28.72429.24928.96229.02528.46227.962172.384
Individual finals AthleteEventApparatusTotalRankMarian DrăgulescuAll-around9.6129.5259.5629.8509.4379.33757.3238Floor9.787colspan=5 9.787Vaultcolspan=3 9.612colspan=2 9.612Ioan Silviu SuciuAll-around9.6509.7379.5509.7379.3129.66257.6484Marius UrzicăPommel horse9.825colspan=4 9.825
Women Team AthleteEventQualificationFinalApparatusTotalRankApparatusTotalRankOana BanTeam9.3259.4259.6259.60037.9753 Q*9.1879.5129.437colspan=2 Alexandra Eremia9.2879.687 Q9.150colspan=2 colspan=2 9.687colspan=3 Cătălina Ponor9.5009.775 Q9.687 Qcolspan=2 9.4129.7629.750colspan=2 Monica Roșu9.675 Q9.3759.350colspan=2 9.6259.387colspan=4 Nicoleta Daniela Șofronie9.4259.625 Q9.4879.525 Q38.0622 Q9.4009.5629.562colspan=2 Silvia Stroescu9.2259.3259.512colspan=2 Did not competeTotal37.92537.75038.59938.162152.4361 Q28.43728.13628.96128.749114.283 * Oana Ban qualified for the individual all-around, but later withdrew from the final because of her injuries sustained in the team all-around final.
Individual finals AthleteEventApparatusTotalRankAlexandra EremiaBalance beamcolspan=2 9.7009.700Cătălina PonorFloorcolspan=3 9.7509.750Balance beamcolspan=2 9.7879.787Monica RoșuVault9.656colspan=3 9.656Nicoleta Daniela ȘofronieAll-around 9.4129.6379.3629.53737.9485Floorcolspan=3 9.5629.562Uneven bars9.462colspan=2 9.4626
Judo
Four Romanian judoka (two men and two women) qualified for the 2004 Summer Olympics.
Men AthleteEventRound of 32Round of 16QuarterfinalsSemifinalsRepechage 1Repechage 2Repechage 3Final / OppositionResultOppositionResultOppositionResultOppositionResultOppositionResultOppositionResultOppositionResultOppositionResultRankClaudiu Baștea−73 kgW 0210–0000L 0001–1020Did not advanceGabriel Munteanu+100 kgL 0000–1110Did not advanceL 0000–1000Did not advance
Women AthleteEventRound of 32Round of 16QuarterfinalsSemifinalsRepechage 1Repechage 2Repechage 3Final / OppositionResultOppositionResultOppositionResultOppositionResultOppositionResultOppositionResultOppositionResultOppositionResultRankAlina Dumitru−48 kgW 0012–0011W 1000–0000L 0001–0211colspan=3 L 0110–10105Ioana Maria Aluaş−52 kgW 1010–0000L 0030–0111Did not advanceW 1000–0000L 0100–0121Did not advance
Rowing
Romanian rowers qualified the following boats:
Men AthleteEventHeatsRepechageSemifinalsFinalTimeRankTimeRankTimeRankTimeRankFlorin CorbeanuOvidiu CorneaDaniel MăstăcanGheorghiţa MunteanuFour6:40.165 R6:00.104Did not advance
Women AthleteEventHeatsRepechageSemifinalsFinalTimeRankTimeRankTimeRankTimeRankGeorgeta DamianViorica SusanuPair7:29.741 FAcolspan=2 colspan=2 7:06.56Camelia Macoviciuc-MihalceaSimona MuşatDouble sculls7:39.323 R6:58.002 FAcolspan=2 7:17.585Angela AlupeiConstanța BurcicăLightweight double sculls6:50.641 SA/Bcolspan=2 6:51.841 FA6:56.05Aurica BărăscuGeorgeta DamianRodica FloreaLiliana GafencuElena GeorgescuDoina IgnatElisabeta LipăIoana PapucViorica Susanu (cox)Eight6:03.991 FAcolspan=2 colspan=2 6:17.70 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; R=Repechage
Shooting
Two Romanian shooters qualified to compete in the following events:
Men AthleteEventQualificationFinalPointsRankPointsRankSorin Babii10 m air pistol579=13Did not advance50 m pistol553=18Did not advanceIulian Raicea10 m air pistol57039Did not advance25 m rapid fire pistol5884 Q687.65
Swimming
Romanian swimmers earned qualifying standards in the following events (up to a maximum of 2 swimmers in each event at the A-standard time, and 1 at the B-standard time):
Men