Mihai Apostol earned a berth in the men's K-1 1,000 metres by winning the race at both team trials this spring. The event was considered wide open with several contenders for the Olympic spot but Apostol saved his best for the all important races. "I hadn't raced a solid 1,000-metre in quite a long time," said Apostol, who has recovered from a lower back injury which forced him to miss the entire 1998 season.

  He defected to Canada from his native Romania at age 18 when the world junior championships were held in Dartmouth, NS. He first raced for Canada at the international level in 1991 and competed at his first senior level world championships two years later. In 1996 he qualified for the Olympic Games in the K-4 crew and they finished a respectable seventh.

  His girlfriend is teammate and Olympic medal contender Karen Furneaux.

2000 Games
Sept. 27: Men's K-1, 500m: Mihai Apostol, Dartmouth, N.S., placed fifth in heat, advanced to semifinals.
Sept. 26: Men's K-1 1,000: Mihai Apostol, Dartmouth, N.S., finished eighth in heat, eliminated from medal competition.


2000 Games Canoe & Kayak Coverage