Aurel Simion began boxing when he was 14-years-old at a local gym, becoming a multiple-time junior champion and a senior national champion in 1968. The national title earned Simion a place on the Romanian Olympic team for the Mexico City Games where he fought in the featherweight class. He won his opening bout against Mario Santamaría (NCA) before losing his next fight to Miguel García (ARG). He only arrived in Mexico City two days before the start of the boxing tournament and suffered from not acclimatising to the altitude. Simion had a lengthy career, competing in more than 250 fights, before becoming a successful coach.
Romania