Former Mr Bulgaria misses fame

Martin Marinov is very proud to be canoeing at the Olympics for his adopted country Australia but he still misses the fame and stardom he won in his native land from being 'Mr Bulgaria 1993'.

"I used to be famous," he said after his race yesterday. "I used to be the centre of attention."

Marinov, an Olympic medallist for Bulgaria in 1988 and 1992, won the Mr Bulgaria contest after being pushed into it by his wife - and he really quite enjoyed it.

"It was good fun," he said. "I'm still very famous in Bulgaria. I like the media and they still like me."

After winning his national title, Marinov tried for Mr Europe but was edged by a "pretty ordinary" Frenchman and finished sixth.

He couldn't contest the Mr Universe competition because it clashed with canoeing commitments and the pressure to learn how to walk and smile properly would have been too much.

Asked which he preferred out of the canoeing or beauty contests, he replied with a smile: "Well there was fun every night (at Mr Bulgaria contests). Good parties."