How Cyprus Is Changing Course in Track and Field
From Kontidis and Pelendritou to Hatzikosta, Panagiotou, and a new generation already setting its sights on the world’s top ranks. The 40 years of athletic cooperation between Greece and Cyprus were not just an anniversary. They were a snapshot of the path we’ve traveled and, above all, a glimpse of the road that lies ahead.
Two generations, one baton
ΣΧΕΤΙΚΑ ΑΡΘΡΑ
There are moments in sports when circumstances make them take on greater significance than what is apparent at first glance. September 16 was one of those moments. At the commemorative event marking 40 years of Inter-State Sports Cooperation between Greece and Cyprus, two eras of sports came together on the same stage.
One had already made history. The other is just beginning to write its own. Olympic gold medalists, champions, and individuals who put Cyprus on the global sports map stood alongside a new generation of athletes who, until recently, were simply chasing their personal bests. Now, however, the comparison is different.
They’re not just competing against themselves. They’re competing against the world. And they’re not bringing up the rear. They’re leading the pack.
Five Athletes in the World’s Top 20
The news is impressive in and of itself. Five Cypriot athletes—both male and female—are among the world’s top 20 in the U18 category for 2026. Five! In a country with a population of just over one million people. On an island that, numerically speaking, cannot compete with Europe’s major sporting powers. And yet, when the global rankings are released, the Cypriot flag appears time and time again. And that’s where the real news lies.
It’s not just the ranking. It’s the scope of the phenomenon. If it were one athlete, we’d be talking about an exceptional talent. If there were two, we’d be talking about a very strong crop of talent. But five—across different events and different age groups—start to point to something bigger. They show consistency. They show hard work. They show depth.
Hatzikosta has already knocked on the door of the top
At the top of this exceptional group stands Marina Hatzikosta. At 17 years old, she ended 2026 as the world’s top 17-year-old discus thrower, with a throw of 56.54 meters. And it wasn’t just a good performance. It was a dream year on the international stage. A gold medal at the European U18 Championships. A bronze medal at the World U20 Championships. And ranked number one in the world in her age group.
A young woman who essentially made her major international debut this year and ended the season having left her mark on an entire global generation. And what’s impressive is that Hatzikosta isn’t limited to just the discus. Even in the shot put, where she made significantly fewer attempts this year, her throw of 14.63 meters ranked her 13th in the world in her age group.
So 2026 was more than just a successful year. It was a statement of her presence on the world stage. Cyprus has one of the top girls in the world in her age group. And it’s no coincidence that she’s among the nominees for Europe’s best junior athlete of the year! The top three finalists will be announced on October 1, and the overall winner will be crowned at a ceremony in Lausanne on October 24.
And behind Marina, there’s depth
Anthi Apostolidou is yet another prime example. Not yet 17 years old, she ranks fifth in the world in the U18 category in the 4-kilo hammer throw, thanks to a throw of 58.57 meters. With the 3-kilogram hammer, she ranks 14th in the world with a throw of 64.88 meters. Anastasios Maratheftis, at 16 years old, tested his strength with different weights.
With the men’s 7.26-kilogram hammer, he threw 56.51 meters, a performance that ranks him 6th in the world among U18 athletes who competed with that weight. With the 5-kilogram hammer for his age group—with which he placed 7th at the European U18 Championships—he ranks 18th in the world with a throw of 71.70 meters. Two more kids. Two more signs. That Cypriot talent isn’t limited to a single event or a single standout case.
And suddenly, the class of 2011 emerges
Here, however, the story gets even more interesting. Because Marios Panagiotou and Marilena Papanikolaou were born in 2011. They’ve just finished middle school. And they’re already among the world’s top young athletes. Panayiotou set all the top Cypriot U16 records in the 80, 100, 150, 200, and 300 meters. In the 200 meters, however, he entered a whole new dimension.
His time of 20.96 sets a new Pan-Cypriot record for the U18 and U20 age groups and ranks as the 15th-best performance in the world among U18 athletes for 2026.For athletes born in 2011 or later, it is the second-best performance in the world and the best in Europe. Marilena Papanikolaou, for her part, cleared 6.20 meters.
A new Cyprus U18 record. 13th in the world in the U18 category. And third in the world and in Europe among girls born in 2011 or later. Two young athletes who still have their entire athletic careers ahead of them. And yet, they have already put Cyprus on the world stage. It’s not just these five. It’s a whole chain
And perhaps this is the most important point. Behind these five lies an even larger group of young athletes who demonstrate that the talent pool is expanding. Katerina Karagianni, with a time of 11.64 in the 100-meter dash, ranks 12th in Europe in the U18 category. Andreas Savva, with a time of 13.75 in the 110-meter hurdles, ranks 25th in Europe. Marios Panagiotou also has an outstanding time in the 100-meter dash: 10.55. So this isn’t just a snapshot of five kids. It’s a frame from a longer film. And this film has something that Cypriot athletics needs more than anything else:
continuity.
From participation to a leading role
The progress of Cypriot sports in recent years shouldn’t be measured solely in medals. It must also be measured in mindset. Once upon a time, success meant having a Cypriot athlete compete in a major event. Then it was about qualifying for the finals.
Then came the podium. And today we see something even more important: young athletes growing up with the understanding that reaching the world’s pinnacle is not an unattainable goal. This does not happen by chance. Behind every achievement are coaches, sports clubs, academies, families, infrastructure, scientific support, and, above all, time and patience. Talent is the starting point. Nurturing it is the hard part. And that’s where progress becomes evident.
Role models shape generations
There is, however, something that doesn’t appear on any global list: role models. A child who sees Pavlos Kontidis climb onto the Olympic podium can now believe that the same dream isn’t out of reach.They see Karolina Pelendritou making her own remarkable history. They see Trajkovic, Parellis, and so many others competing at the highest level. And now they see Hatzikosta, Apostolidou, Maratheftis, Panagiotou, and Papanikolaou.
The distance between dream and reality shrinks when the dream has a face. And Cyprus now has many faces. Forty years is not the end. It is the beginning of a new chapter. That is why the anniversary event on September 16 held a symbolism worth remembering. In 1986, the first Protocol on Sports Cooperation between Greece and Cyprus was signed. Forty years later, the two countries are not just looking back. They are looking ahead.
Cooperation is not merely a signature on a document. It is the exchange of knowledge. Coaching experience. Sports science. Expertise. People. Opportunities. And above all, the creation of an environment in which a child can dream bigger.
For Cyprus, such a partnership is particularly valuable. It does not have the size of a large European country. It cannot rely on sheer numbers. It can, however, invest in quality. Identify talent early on. Support it. Protect it. Give it access to knowledge and the best possible conditions. And above all, not expect a 16-year-old to become an Olympic champion overnight.
The real challenge begins now
Because that’s where the big trap lies. Making it into the world’s top 20 in the U18 category is a huge success. Moving from the U18s to the U20s and from there to the men’s and women’s divisions is a completely different journey. Sports offer no guarantees. Some will continue. Some will change. Some will quit. Some, however, may reach great heights. And what Cyprus needs today is not to predict who will be the next Olympic champion. It is to create the conditions so that all of them have the opportunity to try.
The baton has been passed
Perhaps, in the end, this was the most beautiful image of September 16. The champions who made Cyprus’s history standing side by side with the children who may write the next chapter. Two generations. One baton. And a journey that never ends. Because the 40 years of athletic cooperation between Greece and Cyprus are now part of history. The next 40, however, can belong to a new generation. To the generation of Hatzikosta. Of Panagiotou. Of Papanikolaou. Of Apostolidou. Of Maratheftis. And to all the young athletes who are just a step behind, waiting for their own moment. And here lies the real news. It’s not that Cyprus has five athletes in the world’s top 20. It’s that Cyprus has begun to produce enough young athletes who can dream of one day reaching that level. A small country doesn’t need to have millions of athletes.
It needs to find, develop, and protect its talents. And 2026 gave it a very strong indication that this can happen. Cyprus may be small on the map. On the world stage, however, it has begun to make its mark. And these five young athletes are not the end of the story. They are perhaps the beginning of the next one.
