 Because nobody else wanted it, Brânză opted for the yellow mask, which has since become her trademark.She was considered to carry the flag for Romania at the Olympics, but she declined, citing her left hand problem.Number 1 in world rankings in April 2012, she went for gold in the London 2012 Summer Olympics, but she was beaten 14–13 in the round of 16 by Ukraine's Yana Shemyakina, who eventually took the gold medal.