Iulian Șerban

Iulian Șerban

Medal record
Men's paracanoe
Representing  Romania
World Championships
	2010 Poznań	K-1 LTA
	2011 Szeged	K-1 LTA
	2012 Poznań	K-1 LTA
	2013 Duisburg	K-1 LTA
	2014 Moscow	K-1 LTA

Iulian Șerban (25 February 1985 – 6 January 2021) was a Romanian paracanoeist who competed from the late 2000s onwards. He was a three time world champion, five time European champion and the first Romanian man to compete in canoeing in the Paralympics.

Biography

Early life

Șerban was born in Olănești, Vâlcea County.^[1] He grew up with his mother and brother in Colentina, after his father died when he was 11 years old.^[2] He began canoeing in 1998 after following his mother and brother into the sport, who were both national champions.^[3] He would continue canoeing in his youth, before leaving the sport aged 19 to pursue work.^[2]

Injury

In May 2006, he was rushing to catch a train at Bușteni station when he fell under the wheels, losing his right leg and suffering multiple injuries. Șerban was 21 years old. He would spend over seven months in bed enduring 20 operations.^[4]

Return to canoe

After recovery, Șerban turned back to the water and to canoeing. He would be the first Romanian male paralympic canoeist. In 2010, the first European and World Championship events in paracanoe were introduced. Șerban would go on to win a gold medal in the K-1 200 m LTA event at the 2010 ICF Canoe Sprint World Championships in Poznań. He would defend his title in 2011 and in 2012.^[5][6] In 2013, he won his fourth gold medal at the European Kayak-Canoe Championships in Montemo-o-Velho.^[7]

He became the first Romanian male canoeist to compete at the Paralympics when he participated in the 2016 Summer Paralympic games in Rio de Janeiro.^[3][8] He would eventually place fourth at the Rio games.^[9] After the Olympics, in 2017, Șerban placed 12th at the world championships and sixth at the European championships.^[2]

Death

Șerban died in Bucharest at the age of 35 on 6 January 2021.^[1] The cause of death was not disclosed. His death was announced by his paddling club, Club Steaua Bucharest.^[10]

In April 2021, Şerban's Olympic canoe and his world championships canoes were stolen from a boathouse partly owned by Mihaela Lulea.^[11]

See also

• Mihaela Lulea, Șerban's close friend and fellow Romanian paracanoeist.

References

1. "Un triplu campion mondial român la paracanoe a decedat la 35 de ani". www.digisport.ro (in Romanian). Retrieved 2021-01-16.
2. "Iulian Șerban: Sportul paralimpic mi-a dat o nouă șansă - Neînvinșii | Lead.ro". lead.ro. Retrieved 2024-09-30.
3. "Iulian SERBAN". ICF - Planet Canoe. 2019-09-21. Retrieved 2024-09-30.
4. "ICF pays tribute to Iulian Serban". ICF - Planet Canoe. 2021-01-07. Retrieved 2024-09-30.
5. "B1TV.ro - Mihaela Lulea şi Iulian Şerban, medaliați cu aur la paracanoe, a Campionatele Europene de la Zagreb - B1TV.ro". www.b1tv.ro. Retrieved 2024-09-30.
6. "Mihaela Lulea şi Iulian Şerban, medalii de aur la paracanoe, la Campionatele Europene". Mediafax.ro (in Romanian). Retrieved 2024-09-30.
7. Sport, ZDS-Ziarul De. "Iulian Șerban, aur, iar Mihaela Lulea, argint, la europeanul de kaiac-canoe rezervat paralimpicilor". www.ziaruldesport.ro (in Romanian). Retrieved 2024-09-30.
8. "12 athletes represent Romania at the 2016 Rio Paralympic Games". Romania Insider. 2016-09-07. Retrieved 2024-09-30.
9. "Sportivul paralimpic Iulian Şerban, campion mondial de trei ori, a decedat la vârsta de 35 de ani". www.digi24.ro (in Romanian). 2021-01-06. Retrieved 2024-09-30.
10. https://www.agerpres.ro/sport-intern/2021/01/06/sportivul-paralimpic-iulian-serban-a-decedat-la-varsta-de-35-de-ani--638594
11. Horeboiu, Adrian (2021-04-19). "Hoți fără niciun Dumnezeu. Au golit vestiarul lotului național paralimpic". Evenimentul Zilei (in Romanian). Retrieved 2024-09-30.

• "Iulian Serban". CanoeICF.com. International Canoe Federation. Retrieved 25 October 2017.
• "2010 ICF Canoe Sprint World Championships men's K-1 200 m LTA results". Kayak2010.com. Archived from the original on 24 August 2010. Retrieved 20 August 2010.

External links

• Iulian Șerban at the International Canoe Federation