Romania competed at the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, United States. 124 competitors, 71 men and 53 women, took part in 86 events in 13 sports.[1] Notably, Romania was the only Eastern Bloc nation to participate at these Games; all others followed the Soviet Union's boycott of the Games. The Romanian athletes were greeted with warm applause and even a standing ovation from the spectators as they entered the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum during the opening ceremony, in part an affirmation of the nation's defiance of the boycott.[2][3] The Romanian Olympic team was phenomenally successful at the games, ultimately placing second to the United States in the gold medal tally.[4]
^Litsky, Frank (July 29, 1984). "President and Pomp Begin Games". The New York Times. p. 1, 8, § 5. Retrieved 2020-08-28. Of the first 139 nations in the parade, the biggest cheers went to Rumania, the only Warsaw Pact nation competing here.
^Yake, D. Byron (July 29, 1984). "'84 Olympics: Gala trumpets in Games". Beaver County Times. AP. p. A1, A10. Retrieved 2020-08-28. The Romanians, the only Eastern bloc nation to defy the Soviet boycott, were greeted with a standing ovation.