Maxim Opalev
Encyclopedia
Maxim Alexandrovich Opalev ' onMouseout='HidePop("36917")' href="/topics/Volgograd">Volgograd
) is an athlete from Russia
, who competes in sprint canoeing
. Competing in three Summer Olympics, he has won a complete set of medals in the C-1 500 m event (gold: 2008
, silver: 2000
, bronze: 2004
).
Opalev's potential was evident when he won two gold medals as a sixteen-year-old at the 1995 World Junior Championships in Yamanashi
, Japan. Competing against opponents two years older than himself he won the C-2 1000 m title (with Konstantin Fomichev
) as well as the C-4 500 m gold. At the next edition of the world junior championships, in Lahti
, Finland, in 1997, Opalev won the C-1 1000 m title.
At the ICF Canoe Sprint World Championships, Opalev has won 20 medals between 1997 and 2007. This includes eleven golds (C-1 200 m: 1999
, 2002
, 2003
; C-1 500 m: 1998
, 1999, 2001
, 2002, 2006; C-1 1000 m: 1999, C-4 200 m: 2002, 2005), six silvers (C-1 200 m: 2001, 2005, 2007; C-1 500 m: 2003, C-1 1000 m: 2002, C-4 1000 m: 1997
), and three bronzes (C-1 500 m: 2005, C-1 1000 m: 2003, C-4 200 m: 2001). Opalev also won two more medals at the 2003 world championships
in Gainesville, Georgia
, United States
with golds in the C-4 200 m and C-4 500 m events, but were stripped of those medals when teammate Sergey Ulegin
failed a doping
test.
Volgograd
Volgograd , formerly called Tsaritsyn and Stalingrad is an important industrial city and the administrative center of Volgograd Oblast, Russia. It is long, north to south, situated on the western bank of the Volga River...
) is an athlete from Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
, who competes in sprint canoeing
Canoe racing
This article discusses canoe sprint and canoe marathon, competitive forms of canoeing and kayaking on more or less flat water. Both sports are governed by the International Canoe Federation ....
. Competing in three Summer Olympics, he has won a complete set of medals in the C-1 500 m event (gold: 2008
2008 Summer Olympics
The 2008 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIX Olympiad, was a major international multi-sport event that took place in Beijing, China, from August 8 to August 24, 2008. A total of 11,028 athletes from 204 National Olympic Committees competed in 28 sports and 302 events...
, silver: 2000
2000 Summer Olympics
The Sydney 2000 Summer Olympic Games or the Millennium Games/Games of the New Millennium, officially known as the Games of the XXVII Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event which was celebrated between 15 September and 1 October 2000 in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia...
, bronze: 2004
2004 Summer Olympics
The 2004 Summer Olympic Games, officially known as the Games of the XXVIII Olympiad, was a premier international multi-sport event held in Athens, Greece from August 13 to August 29, 2004 with the motto Welcome Home. 10,625 athletes competed, some 600 more than expected, accompanied by 5,501 team...
).
Opalev's potential was evident when he won two gold medals as a sixteen-year-old at the 1995 World Junior Championships in Yamanashi
Yamanashi, Yamanashi
is a city located in Yamanashi Prefecture, Japan. In spite of the name, it is not the capital of the prefecture, which is Kofu.On June 1, 2011, the city had an estimated population of 37,927 with 14,453 households...
, Japan. Competing against opponents two years older than himself he won the C-2 1000 m title (with Konstantin Fomichev
Konstantin Fomichev
Konstantin Fomichev is a Russian sprint canoer who competed from the late 1990s to the mid 2000s. He won nine medals at the ICF Canoe Sprint World Championships with four golds , three silvers , and two bronzes .Formichev also finished ninth in...
) as well as the C-4 500 m gold. At the next edition of the world junior championships, in Lahti
Lahti
Lahti is a city and municipality in Finland.Lahti is the capital of the Päijänne Tavastia region. It is situated on a bay at the southern end of lake Vesijärvi about north-east of the capital Helsinki...
, Finland, in 1997, Opalev won the C-1 1000 m title.
At the ICF Canoe Sprint World Championships, Opalev has won 20 medals between 1997 and 2007. This includes eleven golds (C-1 200 m: 1999
1999 ICF Canoe Sprint World Championships
The 1999 ICF Canoe Sprint World Championships were held in Milan, Italy at the Idroscalo.The men's competition consisted of nine Canadian and nine kayak events. Women competed in eight events, all kayak....
, 2002
2002 ICF Canoe Sprint World Championships
The 2002 ICF Canoe Sprint World Championships were held in Seville, Spain.The men's competition consisted of nine Canadian and nine kayak events...
, 2003
2003 ICF Canoe Sprint World Championships
The 2003 ICF Canoe Sprint World Championships were held September 10–14, 2003 in Gainesville, Georgia, United States at Lake Lanier. Located north of Atlanta, this was also where the canoe sprint and rowing events for the 1996 Summer Olympics took place....
; C-1 500 m: 1998
1998 ICF Canoe Sprint World Championships
The 1998 ICF Canoe Sprint World Championships were held in Szeged, Hungary.The men's competition consisted of nine Canadian and nine kayak events. Women competed in eight events, all in kayak....
, 1999, 2001
2001 ICF Canoe Sprint World Championships
The 2001 ICF Canoe Sprint World Championships were held in Poznań, Poland at Lake Malta. The Polish city had hosted the event previously in 1990....
, 2002, 2006; C-1 1000 m: 1999, C-4 200 m: 2002, 2005), six silvers (C-1 200 m: 2001, 2005, 2007; C-1 500 m: 2003, C-1 1000 m: 2002, C-4 1000 m: 1997
1997 ICF Canoe Sprint World Championships
The 1997 ICF Canoe Sprint World Championships were held in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, Canada on Lake Banook.The men's competition consisted of nine Canadian and nine kayak events. Eight events were held for the women, all in kayak...
), and three bronzes (C-1 500 m: 2005, C-1 1000 m: 2003, C-4 200 m: 2001). Opalev also won two more medals at the 2003 world championships
2003 ICF Canoe Sprint World Championships
The 2003 ICF Canoe Sprint World Championships were held September 10–14, 2003 in Gainesville, Georgia, United States at Lake Lanier. Located north of Atlanta, this was also where the canoe sprint and rowing events for the 1996 Summer Olympics took place....
in Gainesville, Georgia
Gainesville, Georgia
-Severe Weather:Gainesville sits on the very fringe of Tornado Alley, a region of the United States where severe weather is common. Supercell thunderstorms can sweep through any time between March and November, but are concentrated most in the spring...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
with golds in the C-4 200 m and C-4 500 m events, but were stripped of those medals when teammate Sergey Ulegin
Sergey Ulegin
Sergey Ulegin is a Russian canoer who has been competing since 2001 He won a silver in the men's C-2 500 m event at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing....
failed a doping
Doping (sport)
The use of performance-enhancing drugs in sport is commonly referred to by the term "doping", particularly by those organizations that regulate competitions. The use of performance enhancing drugs is mostly done to improve athletic performance. This is why many sports ban the use of performance...
test.