Ilie Năstase
(born July 19, 1946, in Bucharest, Romania) is a former Romanian professional tennis player and one of the top players of the 1970s. Năstase was the World No. 1 in 1973 according to the Association of Tennis Professionals computer rankings, which placed him first from August 23, 1973, to June 2, 1974.
Among his 84 singles titles, only 53 of which are recorded on the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) website, are the U.S. Open in 1972 (defeating Arthur Ashe in a five set final) and the French Open in 1973. In men's doubles, he won Wimbledon in 1973, the French Open in 1970, and the U.S. Open in 1975. He was the singles runner-up at Wimbledon in 1972, losing in five sets to Stan Smith, and in 1976, losing to Björn Borg . . . read more
Nadia Elena Comaneci
(born November 12, 1961) is a Romanian gymnast, winner of five Olympic gold medals, and the first gymnast to be awarded a perfect score of 10 in an Olympic gymnastic event. She is one of the best-known gymnasts in the world and she is credited with popularizing the sport around the world.
Comaneci began gymnastics at the age of 6. Some published sources state that Comaneci began taking gymnastics lessons with the coaches Duncan and Munteanu, but others, including Comaneci's autobiography Letters to a Young Gymnast, mention only that Béla Károlyi was her coach, and that she was chosen for his school after he spotted her and a friend turning cartwheels in a schoolyard . . . read more
Gheorghe Hagi
(born February 5, 1965 in Săcele, Constanţa), is a Romanian former football player.
Nicknamed "The Maradona of the Carpathians", or "The hunk with the chunk", he is considered a hero in his homeland as well as in Turkey. He has won his country's "Player of the Year" award a record six times, and was recently named Romanian football player of the century . . . read more
