Nicolae Martinescu

Nicolae Martinescu was the world’s top Greco-Roman light-heavyweight and later heavyweight wrestler during the late 1960s and early 70s. The high point of his career was at the 1972 Olympics, where he won Olympic heavyweight gold, after winning a light-heavyweight bronze at the 1968 Olympics. At the World Championships, Martinescu was less successful, winning light-heavyweight silver in 1963, heavyweight silver in 1971, light-heavyweight bronzes in 1966 and 1967, heavyweight bronze in 1974 and super-heavyweight bronze in 1970. At the European Championships, Martinescu won the light-heavyweight title in 1966 and heavyweight bronzes in 1972 and 1973. He was also an 18-time Romanian national champion between 1961-78. Martinescu was married to popular Romanian folk singer Mioara Velicu and later was active with the Romanian Wrestling Federation.