Maricica Țăran was born in Romania in 1962. She achieved her first international success in 1984 at the Olympic Games in Los Angeles when she won gold with the Romanian quadruple scull. In 1985 she won the bronze medal, the following year the silver medal with the quadruple at the World Rowing Championships .
After a regatta in Mannheim in 1987, she did not return to Romania, but stayed in Germany . In 1989 and 1990 she was German champion in one . At the beginning of 1989 she was granted asylum in Germany and in 1990 she won the single rowing world cup .