The last hurrah for Iztok Cop

Cop’s rowing career was nothing short of remarkable. He hit the international stage as a junior and won gold in the pair straight away. Cop followed it up with a repeat performance the next year. By the age of 19 he was already on the senior national team and at his first World Rowing Championships Cop, still in the pair and rowing as Yugoslavia, finished second. Cop recounts this medal as one of the highlights of his career. “It was Vienna in 1991 and we won it at the age of 19.”

The next year Cop competed at the Barcelona Olympics and won the first Olympic medal for the newly independent Slovenia. Medals in the pair followed for the next two years before Cop switched to the single in 1994. Success was instant with a bronze medal finish that year. In 1995 he became a World Champion for the first time and again it was a first for Slovenia – a world title in an Olympic sport.
Cop then went through what he calls a difficult period. “Three times finishing fourth at the Worlds and Olympics. Finding my way back to podium was not easy.” Cop found his way back to the top, joining with the young Luka Spik in 1999.

Spik had already been to one Olympic Games as a 17-year-old and in their first race together, Cop and Spik took gold, following it up with a World Championship title before becoming Olympic Champions at the 2000 Sydney Olympics. Once again Cop set a first for his country by being the first Olympic gold medalist for Slovenia.

Cop then returned to the single earning silvers and a bronze at the World Championship level before again joining with Spik in time for the Athens Olympics where they finished second. Beijing was Cop’s least favourable result. The double was sixth. But at the age of 40 Cop again raced with Spik at the Olympics, at London 2012. In what would become Cop’s international swansong; Cop and Spik won bronze.

“Bronze from London is a great way to retire,” said Cop admitting that the decision to retire was not a recent decision. “I had thought about it for a while and it was finalised before the World Rowing Championships in Bled last year.”

To celebrate Cop’s career as the most successful Olympic athlete in independent Slovenia an exhibition event was held in the capital, Ljubljana. Racing at the event was Cop along with his best rowing friends and rivals. These included Norway's Olaf Tufte, Czech Vaclav Chalupa, Estonian Juuri Jaanson, Italian Rossano Galtarossa and Germans Marcel Hacker and Peter Hoelzenbein as well as longtime crewmate Luka Spik. Racing over 200m in doubles the final came down to Cop and Spik against Tufte and Chalupa. Cop and Spik won.

Cop plans to stay involved in rowing. “I have many ideas, as usualy, on how to develop rowing in the future.” Cop also wants to continue racing and already a reunion row is planned with his rowing friends. “Last weekend at my farewell event we decided to do so, every year at someone else's home. Next year in Prague at Vaclav's (Chalupa) home, hopefully.”

The final word goes to Cop for what he would tell a young person who was interested in trying rowing. “I'd strongly suggested it. But I’d point out that hard work, discipline and determination is needed for success. On the other hand healthy relations between rivals, injury and an almost drug-free sport are advantages compared to many other, more popular and profitable sports.”