In 2000, when the GDP stood at $37 billion, Romania got 25 Olympic medals, while in 2008, when its GDP amounted to $204 billion, Romanian athletes came back from the Beijing Olympic Games with only eight medals.
“The results have to do with the lack of both public and private investments in sports. Investors only invest in soccer in Romania, as well as quite a little in handball or basketball. Sports are no longer a calling card for Romania,” explains Daniel Daianu, a professor of economics.
Historical data show athletes’ results in the Olympic games are largely in sync with economic results.
The United States, for instance, the world’s biggest economy, kept its leading position by number of medals in each of the last four Olympic Games.
(English version by Loredana Fratila-Cristescu)