Florin Popescu

Florin Popescu
Medal record
Men's canoe sprint
Representing  Romania
Olympic Games
Gold medal – first place 2000 Sydney C-2 1000 m
Bronze medal – third place 2000 Sydney C-2 500 m
World Championships
Gold medal – first place 1995 Duisburg C-4 1000 m
Gold medal – first place 1997 Dartmouth C-4 1000 m
Gold medal – first place 2001 Poznań C-4 500 m
Gold medal – first place 2002 Seville C-4 500 m
Gold medal – first place 2003 Gainesville C-2 1000 m
Gold medal – first place 2003 Gainesville C-4 500 m
Gold medal – first place 2005 Zagreb C-4 500 m
Silver medal – second place 1994 Mexico City C-4 500 m
Silver medal – second place 1994 Mexico City C-4 1000 m
Silver medal – second place 1995 Duisburg C-4 500 m
Silver medal – second place 1997 Dartmouth C-4 500 m
Silver medal – second place 1998 Szeged C-2 1000 m
Silver medal – second place 1998 Szeged C-4 500 m
Silver medal – second place 1999 Milan C-4 500 m
Silver medal – second place 2002 Seville C-2 500 m
Silver medal – second place 2003 Gainesville C-2 500 m
Bronze medal – third place 1999 Milan C-4 200 m
Bronze medal – third place 2001 Poznań C-2 500 m
Bronze medal – third place 2003 Gainesville C-4 200 m

Florin Popescu (born 30 August 1974 in Iancu Jianu, Olt) is a Romanian canoe sprinter who competed from the mid-1990s to 2005. Competing in two Summer Olympics, he won two Olympic medals at Sydney in 2000 with teammate Mitică Pricop (gold: C-2 1000 m, bronze: C-2 500 m). He won a total of seven world championship gold medals (and nineteen total) as well as seven European championship golds, making him the most successful Romanian paddler of modern times.

Injury forced Popescu to retire at the end of the 2005 season after winning his seventh world title (C-4 500 m) at the World Championships in Zagreb, Croatia.

Popescu is 183 cm (6'0") tall and raced at 79 kg (174 lbs). He lists his interests as football, motor racing and handball. He was voted Romanian Sportsman of the Year in 1993.