The Perception of Romanian Athletes in Society During the Communist Period

Abstract

With the start of the modern Olympic Games in 1896, different countries began to get involved in supporting sport activities, to participate in international competitions and also started to organize international sport events. The aim of the study is to determine the influence of the Romanian communist regime in sport activities in the period 1944-1989. Despite the fact that in Romania there were fine conditions for athletes, many of them remained abroad after competitions or left the country in different circumstances. Thestate’s decision to support sporting activities made these international results and the apparition of these iconic athletes possible. In the communist period (1944-1989) at the Olympic Games and the European and World Championships, Romania won approximately 2,000 medals at senior level. The communist regime was perhaps not the best solution for Romanian people, but in terms of sporting results, this period was indeed "the golden age".