Michal MARTIKAN (SVK)

Liptovsky Mikulas

Athlete

Started aged 9

ice hockey, golf, windsurfing, ski mountaineering, ultra light aircraft

Kanoe Tatra Klub Dukla Liptovsky Mikulas

Jozef Martikan

Slovakian

1988

Canoe slalom - 4 hours a day Regeneration - 12 hours a day Compensation exercise - 1 hour a day Other training - 1 hour a day

1994

UK

World Cup

Nottingham

Olympic golds. Winning gold at the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta

Jozef Martikan

British paddler Richard Fox

"Victories are wonderful, but losses give much more motivation. You cannot win without analysing your losses and mistakes."

Athens canoe slalom course

"bryndzove halusky", sushi

He was named Slovak Canoe Association whitewater Athlete of the Year eight times between 2003 and 2014. (canoeslalom.sk, 23 Dec 2015)In 2010 he was inducted into the Whitewater Hall of Fame in Bretton Woods, NH, United States of America. (NOC, 14 Jul 2012)He was named Slovakian Athlete of the Year four times, in 1996, 1997, 2007 and 2008. (tvnoviny.sk, 22 Dec 2015)

At Athens in 2004 he became the first slalom canoeist to win three Olympic medals. Since then he has become the only slalom canoeist to win five Olympic medals, which he achieved at five consecutive Games from 1996 to 2012 [also an unprecedented feat]. In 2014 he won his fifth overall World Cup title, more than any other C1 paddler, and he won a medal at 13 consecutive world championships from 1995 to 2014. In 1995, at age 16, he became the youngest canoe slalom World Cup winner. Then in 1996, at age 17, he became the first Olympic champion in any sport from the newly independent nation of Slovakia. (IOC, 13 Sep 2005; sport.pravda.sk, 20 Sep 2014)

His father and coach, Jozef Martikan, also competed in slalom canoeing