What country is ROU in the Olympics? Explaining the abbreviation for Romania's Olympic team

The Olympics welcome the best athletes from over a hundred countries around the world to compete in the most prestigious set of games there is.

Not only is it premier competition, but it also introduces fans to superstar athletes they otherwise wouldn't know about. It's invaluable exposure and can provide a major teaching lesson for everyone involved.

Whether it's a cool story or simply just seeing the pure excellence an athlete has in their sport, there's always something special to take away from Olympic competitions.

One of those things could be the meaning behind each of the country's three-letter code set by the International Olympic Committee. It's typically the first three letters of a country's name unless the name is longer than one word. Others have a unique abbreviation like Romania or South Africa .

Romania's IOC code is ROU. Here's why it's spelled that way and how the abbreviation evolved over time.

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What does ROU stand for at the Olympics?

ROU is the three-letter code for Romania as set by the International Olympic Committee. The abbreviation is derived from its original French name "Roumania." The name then switched to Rumania before finally landing on Romania after World War II.

The country used ROM for its IOC code from 1956-1960 and 1972-2006. They switched to RUM from 1964-1968. ROU became the official code in 2007.

MORE: Why are Russian athletes competing under AIN name in Paris Olympics?

Romania Olympic medals

Romania first competed at the 1900 Paris Olympics. The country missed the next four Summer Games before making the 1924 Paris Olympics, winning the nation's first medal.

Romania has participated in all but one Olympics, summer and winter, since 1952. They've won one medal in the winter and 301 in the summer prior to the 2024 Games, highlighted by Nadia Comenci, who, in 1976 at the age of 14, was the first gymnast to be awarded a perfect 10.0 at the Olympics. She returned in 1976 and earned six 10.0s, then again in 1980 when she earned two more perfect scores. All told, she won five individual gold medals.