Although Anișoara Stanciu-Cușmir had a very brief athletics career, she is considered as the top female long jumper of the early 1980s. Stanciu-Cușmir set four world records in 1982 and 1983, all in București against her closest rival Valy Ionescu. Stanciu-Cușmir jumped her first world record in August 1982 at the Romanian championships, with 7.15, but it was not enough to win, as Ionescu broke that record with 7.20 in a later round to win the Romanian title. In May 1983, Stanciu-Cușmir jumped 7.21 to surpass Ionescu’s world record by a centimeter and on 4 June 1983, she set her third and fourth world record by jumping 7.27 and then 7.43 in a later round at an international meet in București. The high point of her career came at the 1984 Olympics, where she won gold, defeating Ionescu, who placed second. Stanciu-Cușmir also won silvers at the 1982 Europeans and 1983 Worlds and at the Universiade won the 1983 title after taking silver in 1981. She won her only Romanian title in 1984. Stanciu-Cușmir was forced to retire from sports shortly after her Olympic victory due to a back injury, at only 22-years-old. She later worked as an athletics coach with Steaua București.
Personal Best: LJ – 7.43 (1983).
Romania