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Ion Popa

Mercantile Rowing Club (VIC), Banks Rowing Club (VIC) then Yarra Yarra Rowing Club (VIC)

1981 – Interstate Men’s Eight Championship stroke – Second
1982 – Interstate Men’s Eight Championship stroke – Third
1983 – World Championships – Men’s Eight seven seat – Bronze
1984 – Interstate Men’s Eight Championship seven seat – Third
1984 – Olympic Games – Men’s Eight seven seat – Bronze
1986 – Interstate Men’s Eight Championship seven seat – First
1986 – World Championships – Men’s Eight seven seat – Gold
1986 – Commonwealth Games – Men’s Eight seven seat – Gold
1988 – Interstate Men’s Eight Championship seven seat – First
1988 – Olympic Games – Men’s Eight seven seat – Fifth
1991 – Interstate Men’s Eight Championship seven seat – First

1986 World Champion Eight - Ion in seven seat

Ion was a member of the Romanian rowing team and a member of its police force prior to defecting to Australia in 1978. His great friend, and fellow rower and Romanian immigrant, Ted Sorani, helped him a lot when he arrived in Melbourne. The friendship between the two was superb. He married fellow rowing Olympian Sue Chapman in 1984.

The following information has been supplied by Jim Skidmore covering Ion's time at YYRC.

Joined Yarra in 2011/12

Wins recorded:-

2013 - Albert Park masters regatta, men’s master’s pair minus (bow)

2013 - Geelong Masters regatta, men’s master’s pair minus (bow)

2016 - Head of the Goulburn regatta, men’s masters four (3)

2018 - Rutherglen regatta, mixed quad scull “D” plus (coach)

2018 - Rutherglen regatta, female masters quad scull “E” plus (coach)

2018 - Ballarat regatta, male pair minus “C” (coach)

2018 - Wendouree Ballarat time trial, female pair minus (coach)

2018 - Wendouree Ballarat regatta, female four minus (coach)

2018 - Nagambie time trial men’s “D” scull (coach)

2018 - Nagambie regatta, men’s “D” scull (coach)

2018 - Footscray regatta, men’s “D” scull (coach) and Female masters quad scull plus: E” (coach)

2019 - Carrum master’s regatta, men’s masters eight “D” (3) and Men’s masters pair “F” (bow)

From the YYRC newsletter 'Yarra Yabbie' 2016-3-1

As head coach at Yarra Yarra, Ion Popa can be heard shouting technique instructions from the shores of the Yarra. Ion is a well-respected member of the Yarra Yarra club, and is well liked for his cheeky nature and passion for the sport.

I recently read an old Herald newspaper article about Ion called “They should make a movie about Ion” (Monday April 14, 1986) which provided some insights into his colourful history which I wanted to share.

Ion grew up in Romania. He was a professional sportsman, with excellent financial support from his home country for his sporting pursuits.

“They started looking after me at 16 or 17 and I was basically a professional”.

”That was the advantage. The disadvantage was that I was expected to perform like a machine.”

In 1976 he was selected for the Montreal Olympics, but an illness in his rowing partner forced the pair to withdraw. The following year, Ion rowed at the world championships, finishing 7th”.

In 1978 Ion made a life changing decision “I am an adventurer by nature and I thought I was capable of doing more than I was going to do in Romania.” So he walked into a police station in West Germany and defected. After spending time in West Germany and Paris, Ion applied for a migration visa to Australia.

He joined Mercantile rowing club and entered the Melbourne rowing culture. It was here that Ion met Sue Chapman – and the two began dating in 1981.

By 1983 he had been in Australia long enough to qualify for international selection and represented Australia in the world championships in West Germany, earning bronze medal in the eights.

In 1984 Ion and Sue married, and sooner was the wedding over than they had to leave each other for separate training camps for the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics. In a happy ending they both won bronze medals in their respective fields. 

From this ground breaking win, Ion went from strength to strength, winning gold in the men’s eight in the 1986 World championships in Nottingham UK and at the 1986 Commonwealth games in Edenborough. His men’s eight also finished in fifth place at the 1988 summer Olympics in Seoul. In 2010 Popa was inducted as a member of the Rowing Victoria hall of fame.

Makes you feel lucky to be coached by such an extraordinary person, doesn’t it?

2018 Head of the Yarra in 5 seat

Andrew Guerin 2010 (updated June 2024 with further information from Jim Skidmore on his time at Yarra Yarra Rowing Club)