Petar Merkov
{{short description|Bulgarian sprint canoer (born 1976)}}
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{{MedalSport|Men's canoe sprint}}
{{MedalOlympic}}
{{MedalSilver|2000 Sydney|K-1 500 m}}
{{MedalSilver|2000 Sydney|K-1 1000 m}}
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{{MedalSilver|1999 Milan|K-1 500 m}}
{{MedalSilver|2002 Seville|K-1 500 m}}
{{MedalBronze|2002 Seville|K-4 1000 m}}
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Petar Hristov Merkov ({{langx|bg|Петър Христов Мерков}}, born 3 November 1976 in Plovdiv) is a Bulgarian sprint canoeist who competed in the late 1990s and early 2000s (decade). Competing in three Summer Olympics, he who won two silver medals at Sydney in 2000 (K-1 500 m, K-1 1000 m). Prior to those games, Merkov was subjected to controversy for failing a doping test in Bulgaria which led to over a dozen canoeing nations petitioning the International Canoe Federation for an investigation, only to have Bulgarian officials stonewall on his behalf to compete. He would later refuse to attend the post-race press conference of K-1 1000 m in the wake of those allegations.
Merkov was K-1 500 m European champion in 1999.
At the ICF Canoe Sprint World Championships, Merkov won silver medals in the K-1 500 m event in 1999 and 2002. In 2002, he also won a bronze in K-4 1000 m.
Merkov is {{convert|188|cm|ftin|abbr=on}} tall and weighs {{convert|95|kg|lb|abbr=on}}. He is currently a member of the Levski Canoe/Kayak Club in Sofia.
References
- {{Webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100105013709/http://canoeicf.com/site/canoeint/if/downloads/result/Pages%201-41%20from%20Medal%20Winners%20ICF%20updated%202007-2.pdf?MenuID=Results%2F1107%2F0%2CMedal%5Fwinners%5Fsince%5F1936%2F1510%2F0 |date=2010-01-05 |title=ICF medalists for Olympic and World Championships – Part 1: flatwater (now sprint): 1936–2007}}
- {{Webarchive |url=https://www.webcitation.org/5l9vPO85Y?url=http://www.canoeicf.com/site/canoeint/if/downloads/result/Pages%2042-83%20from%20Medal%20Winners%20ICF%20updated%202007.pdf?MenuID=Results%2F1107%2F0%2CMedal%5Fwinners%5Fsince%5F1936%2F1510%2F0 |date=2009-11-09 |title=ICF medalists for Olympic and World Championships – Part 2: rest of flatwater (now sprint) and remaining canoeing disciplines: 1936–2007}}
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20200417235526/https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/me/petar-merkov-1.html Sports-reference.com profile]
- Wallechinsky, David and Jaime Loucky (2008). The Complete Book of the Olympics: 2008 Edition, London: Aurum Press Limited. pp. 470, 473.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Merkov, Petar}}
Category:Bulgarian male canoeists
Category:Bulgarian sportspeople in doping cases
Category:Canoeists at the 1996 Summer Olympics
Category:Canoeists at the 2000 Summer Olympics
Category:Canoeists at the 2004 Summer Olympics
Category:Doping cases in canoeing
Category:Olympic canoeists for Bulgaria
Category:Olympic silver medalists for Bulgaria
Category:Olympic medalists in canoeing
Category:ICF Canoe Sprint World Championships medalists in kayak
Category:Medalists at the 2000 Summer Olympics
Category:20th-century Bulgarian sportsmen
Category:21st-century Bulgarian sportsmen
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