TRIESTE, 30 marzo 2009 - La Slovenia del canottaggio ha un nuovo Presidente. 37 anni, sloveno nato a Jesenice a pochissimi chilometri da Bled, Denis Žvegelj č il nuovo Presidente della Federazione Slovena.

Un glorioso passato in squadra nazionale, Žvegelj č stato per anni compagno di due senza di Iztok Cop, conquistando in questa specialitŕ due mondiali junior (Szeged ‘89 e Aiguebelette ‘90), ma poi un argento mondiale assoluto nel 1991 a Vienna con i colori della Yugoslavia, il bronzo olimpico a Barcellona, e ancora un bronzo al mondiale del 1993 a Roudnice, ed una finale olimpica nel 1996 ad Atlanta (4°) con quelli della Slovenia.

 Maurizio Ustolin

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Denis Žvegelj, born on June 24, 1972 in Jesenice, SR Slovenia is an ex Slovenian rower and Olympic medallist.

Rowing Achievements

Olympic Games

• 1992: Barcelona (SPA) – 3rd place (coxless pair with Iztok Čop)
• 1996: Atlanta (USA) – 4th place (coxless four with Sadik Mujkić, Milan Janša, Jani Klemenčič)

Junior World Rowing Championships:

• 1989: Szeged (HUN) – 1st place (coxless pair with Iztok Čop)
• 1990: Aiguebelette (FRA) – 1st place (coxless pair with Iztok Čop)

World Championships:

• 1990: Lake Barrington (AUS) – 7th place (coxless four with Sadik Mujkić, Bojan Prešern, Iztok Čop)
• 1991: Vienna (AUT) – 2nd place (coxless pair with Iztok Čop)
• 1993: Roudnice (CZE) – 3rd place (coxless pair with Iztok Čop)
• 1995: Tampere (FIN) – 8th place (coxless four with Sadik Mujkić, Milan Janša, Jani Klemenčič)
• 1997: Aiguebelette (FRA) – 4th place (coxless four with Sadik Mujkić, Milan Janša, Jani Klemenčič)

Bio

Denis started rowing at the age of 12 at local rowing club in his hometown Bled. Serious rowing racing started in the coxless pair with Iztok Čop, when they won two junior world championships in a row (1989, 1990), then they finished 2nd in the World Championships in 1991, and won Bronze at the Barcelona Olympics in 1992 with Iztok Čop (the first Olympic medal for independent Slovenia). In 1993 Denis and Iztok got bronze medal despite Denis's severe shoulder injury after bicycle accident. Denis carried on with going to study in US at Brown University where he was rowing for men Brown Crew and studying Mechanical Engineering. He was member of, at that time, unbeatable Brown varsity eight, which also won National Collegiate Rowing Championship in years 1994 and 1995.

After return for summer holidays in 1994, he got in a car accident which prevented him to finish rowing season in pair with Iztok Čop, who went on in single to 1994 WRC. Only a few months later, another rower, Sašo Mirjanič from Slovenian four, died in car accident. So next year Denis, joined other three boys form four, to qualify for 96 Olympics. There they achieved 4th place in an incredible fours race, where all six boats were even almost from start to finish line. As next year's similar scenario repeated in WRC in France, when Slovenia was already called to pick up bronze medal, and later (after detail photo finish examination) moved to 4th place, and due to back problems, he finished his career.

Denis than focused in working, along with his father, in their machining design firm Basing in neighboring town Jesenice, which was moved to Bled in Jan. 2006.

Denis is a father of three sons Gal (17 March 1994), Maksim (25 September 1998) and Isak (3 July 2000) and lives with younger two sons, partner Nina Čelesnik and her daughter Evita.