Leon Rotman (born 22 July 1934) is a retired Romaniansprint canoeist. He won two individual gold medals at the 1956 Olympics and a bronze medal in 1960.[1]
Rotman is Jewish,[3] and was born to a working-class Jewish family. He took up several sports in the years immediately after World War II and was fascinated by canoeing after seeing the famous Czech champions Jan Brzák-Felix and Bohumil Kudrna compete on Lake Snagov near Bucharest in 1953. He joined the Dinamo Bucharest sports club, in the hope of getting one of the Czech-made canoes left by the two in Romania. He did not, but he was remarked by famous coach Radu Huţan after becoming national champion in improvised canoes.
He would eventually compete at the Olympics on the first canoe ever made in Romania (at the factories in Reghin, Mureș County). At the 1956 Summer Olympic Games in Melbourne, despite having a sprained ankle, Rotman won both the C-1 1000 m and 10000 m events, equaling SwedeGert Fredriksson's performance who, at the same Olympics, won gold in both individual kayak events. He was the first Romanian to win two medals in one Olympics.[3] At the next Olympics he won a bronze in the C-1 1000 m event.[3] He was slightly less successful in other competitions (fifth in the 1957 and 1961 European Championships in C-1 1000 m, and seventh at the 1963 World Championships in C-1 10000 m). He won, however, the Snagov Regatta seven times and 14 national titles before retiring in 1963.
After retiring from competitions Rotman worked as a canoeing coach in Bucharest.[2]
^ abcTaylor, Paul (2004). Jews and the Olympic Games: The Clash Between Sport and Politics : with a Complete Review of Jewish Olympic Medallists. Sussex Academic Press. ISBN9781903900871.
External linksedit
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Leon Rotman.
1956 Canoe/Kayak Flatwater medalists on the IOC website
(in Romanian)
(in Romanian)
January 01, 1970
leon, rotman, born, july, 1934, retired, romanian, sprint, canoeist, individual, gold, medals, 1956, olympics, bronze, medal, 1960, rotman, 1956personal, informationborn22, july, 1934, 1934, bucharest, romaniaheight171, weight72, sportsportcanoe, sprintclubdin. Leon Rotman born 22 July 1934 is a retired Romanian sprint canoeist He won two individual gold medals at the 1956 Olympics and a bronze medal in 1960 1 Leon RotmanRotman in 1956Personal informationBorn22 July 1934 1934 07 22 age 89 Bucharest RomaniaHeight171 cm 5 ft 7 in 1 Weight72 kg 159 lb SportSportCanoe sprintClubDinamo Bucharest 2 Coached byRadu Huţan 2 Medal record Representing Romania Olympic Games 1956 Melbourne C 1 1000 m 1956 Melbourne C 1 10000 m 1960 Rome C1 1000 m Contents 1 Life and sporting career 2 See also 3 References 4 External linksLife and sporting career editRotman is Jewish 3 and was born to a working class Jewish family He took up several sports in the years immediately after World War II and was fascinated by canoeing after seeing the famous Czech champions Jan Brzak Felix and Bohumil Kudrna compete on Lake Snagov near Bucharest in 1953 He joined the Dinamo Bucharest sports club in the hope of getting one of the Czech made canoes left by the two in Romania He did not but he was remarked by famous coach Radu Huţan after becoming national champion in improvised canoes He would eventually compete at the Olympics on the first canoe ever made in Romania at the factories in Reghin Mureș County At the 1956 Summer Olympic Games in Melbourne despite having a sprained ankle Rotman won both the C 1 1000 m and 10000 m events equaling Swede Gert Fredriksson s performance who at the same Olympics won gold in both individual kayak events He was the first Romanian to win two medals in one Olympics 3 At the next Olympics he won a bronze in the C 1 1000 m event 3 He was slightly less successful in other competitions fifth in the 1957 and 1961 European Championships in C 1 1000 m and seventh at the 1963 World Championships in C 1 10000 m He won however the Snagov Regatta seven times and 14 national titles before retiring in 1963 After retiring from competitions Rotman worked as a canoeing coach in Bucharest 2 See also editList of select Jewish canoeistsReferences edit a b Leon Rotman Biography and Olympic Results Olympics at Sports reference com 22 July 1934 Archived from the original on 17 April 2020 Retrieved 1 February 2011 a b c Leon Rotman Romanian Olympic Committee a b c Taylor Paul 2004 Jews and the Olympic Games The Clash Between Sport and Politics with a Complete Review of Jewish Olympic Medallists Sussex Academic Press ISBN 9781903900871 External links edit nbsp Wikimedia Commons has media related to Leon Rotman 1956 Canoe Kayak Flatwater medalists on the IOC website Romanian Canoe and Kayak olympic medalists biographies on the Romanian Olympic Foundation website in Romanian History of Canoe Kayak in Romania on the FRKC website in Romanian Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Leon Rotman amp oldid 1156540745, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
