Ungureanu began gymnastics at the age of nine. She trained in
Bucharest until she was 12, when she joined the gymnastics school run by
Béla Károlyi and his wife,
Márta. At her first Romanian National Championships, in 1971, she placed first in the all-around in the children's division. While Ungureanu was a skilled athlete, medalling at various World Cup and international events, she was frequently overshadowed by her more celebrated teammate and friend,
Nadia Comăneci (who was born the day before Ungureanu's first birthday). She placed second to Comăneci at various events, including the Romanian Nationals. At the
1976 Summer Olympics, Ungureanu barely missed an all-around bronze, finishing fourth. She did win two individual medals in the event finals, a bronze on the
balance beam and a silver on the
uneven bars, and shared in the team's silver medal. Ungureanu's final meet was the 1979
World University Games, where she finished first in the all-around. ==Post retirement==