Aurel Vernescu facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Personal information
Born	23 January 1939 Bucharest, Romania
Died	1 December 2008 (aged 69) Bucharest, Romania
Height	188 cm
Weight	88 kg
Sport
Sport	Canoe sprint
Club	Dinamo București
Medal record Representing  Romania Olympic Games Silver 1972 Munich K-4 1000 m Bronze 1964 Tokyo K-1 1000 m Bronze 1964 Tokyo K-4 1000 m World Championships Gold 1963 Jajce K-1 500 m Gold 1963 Jajce K-1 4×500 m Silver 1963 Jajce K-1 1000 m Silver 1963 Jajce K-2 500 m Gold 1966 East Berlin K-1 500 m Gold 1966 East Berlin K-2 500 m Bronze 1966 East Berlin K-1 4×500 m Silver 1966 East Berlin K-2 1000 m Silver 1970 Copenhagen K-1 4×500 m Silver 1970 Copenhagen K-2 500 m Silver 1971 Belgrade K-1 4×500 m

Aurel Vernescu (born January 23, 1939 – died December 1, 2008) was a famous Romanian sprint canoeist. He was an amazing athlete who competed in four Olympic Games. He won three Olympic medals and many more at the World Championships. He even carried the flag for Romania at the Olympics!

Aurel Vernescu: A Canoeing Champion

Aurel Vernescu was born in Bucharest, Romania. He became a very successful athlete in the sport of sprint canoeing. This sport involves paddling a small, fast boat called a kayak over short distances.

Early Life and His Sport

Aurel Vernescu started kayaking when he was just 13 years old. He quickly became very good at it. During his career, he won an amazing 42 national titles in Romania. This shows how dominant he was in his home country.

Olympic Achievements

Aurel Vernescu competed in the Olympic Games four times. He went to the Olympics in 1960, 1964, 1968, and 1972. He won three Olympic medals for Romania:

• At the 1964 Tokyo Olympics, he won two bronze medals.
  • One was in the K-1 1000 metres event, where he paddled a single kayak over 1000 metres.
  • The other was in the K-4 1000 metres event, where he was part of a four-person kayak team.
• At the 1972 Munich Olympics, he won a silver medal.
  • This was in the K-4 1000 metres event, again with his four-person team.

Aurel Vernescu also had the special honor of being the flag bearer for Romania. He carried his country's flag at the opening ceremonies of the 1964, 1968, and 1972 Olympics.

World Championship Success

Besides his Olympic medals, Aurel Vernescu won many medals at the ICF Canoe Sprint World Championships. These championships are where the best canoeists from around the world compete. He won a total of eleven medals there:

• Four Gold Medals:
  • In 1963, he won gold in the K-1 500 metres and K-1 4×500 metres relay.
  • In 1966, he won gold in the K-1 500 metres and K-2 500 metres (two-person kayak).
• Five Silver Medals:
  • In 1963, he won silver in the K-1 1000 metres.
  • In 1966, he won silver in the K-2 1000 metres and K-2 500 metres.
  • In 1970, he won silver in the K-1 4×500 metres and K-2 500 metres.
  • In 1971, he won silver in the K-1 4×500 metres.
• One Bronze Medal:
  • In 1966, he won bronze in the K-1 4×500 metres relay.

Life After Competition

Aurel Vernescu stopped competing in 1972, after the Munich Olympics. He didn't leave the sport entirely, though. He became a kayaking coach and an administrator. This meant he helped train new athletes and managed parts of the sport. He continued to contribute to canoeing even after his racing days were over.

See also

In Spanish: Aurel Vernescu para niños