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Iztok Čop

Iztok Čop
Iztok Čop at the 2012 Olympics.jpg
Medal record
Men's rowing
Representing  Yugoslavia
World Championships
Silver medal – second place 1991 Vienna Coxless pair
Representing  Slovenia
Olympic Games
Gold medal – first place 2000 Sydney Double sculls
Silver medal – second place 2004 Athens Double sculls
Bronze medal – third place 1992 Barcelona Coxless pair
Bronze medal – third place 2012 London Double sculls
World Championships
Gold medal – first place 1995 Tampere Single sculls
Gold medal – first place 1999 St. Catharines Double sculls
Gold medal – first place 2005 Gifu Double sculls
Gold medal – first place 2007 Munich Double sculls
Silver medal – second place 2001 Lucerne Single sculls
Silver medal – second place 2002 Seville Single sculls
Silver medal – second place 2005 Gifu Quadruple sculls
Silver medal – second place 2006 Eton Double sculls
Bronze medal – third place 1993 Račice Coxless Pair
Bronze medal – third place 1994 Indianapolis Single sculls
Bronze medal – third place 2003 Milan Single sculls
Gold Cup Challenge
Gold medal – first place 2011 Philadelphia Single sculls

Iztok Čop (born 17 June 1972 in Kranj, SR Slovenia) is a Slovenian rower and Olympic gold medalist.

Iztok started rowing at the age of 13 in Bled, where Slovenia's best rowing club is located.

Originally rowing in the coxless pairs, Čop finished second in the World Championships in 1991, and won Bronze at the Barcelona Olympics in 1992 with Denis Žvegelj (the first Olympic medal for independent Slovenia). He then switched to the single scull, winning gold at the 1995 World Championship, but came fourth at the Atlanta Olympics in 1996. He then changed to the men's double sculls with Luka Špik, and won the 1999 World Championships, and gold at the Sydney Olympics in 2000, which was the first Olympic gold medal for Slovenia since its independence.

Špik and Čop were the favourites to win the men's double sculls at the 2004 Summer Olympics, but finished in the silver medal position.

Špik and Čop came into the 2012 Summer Olympics as not-favorites, however with a strong performance in the semifinals they announced they would be running for a medal. After taking an early lead and holding it until nearly 1500 m mark, they lost the lead to the Italians and the later winners from New Zealand. They finished in the third position, giving Slovenia the second medal of the Olympics after Urška Žolnir won the gold 2 days earlier.

Iztok lives in Radovljica with his wife Petra and daughters Ruby and Amber.

In 2008 he became the fourth Slovenian to compete at five Olympics, after shooter Rajmond Debevec (eight Olympics) in 2000, biathlete/cross country skier Sašo Grajf in 2002, and biathlete Janez Ožbolt in 2006.


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Wikipedia

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