By Eleni Koukouma – Correspondent for the Cyprus Olympic Committee
Triumphant Kesidis Wins Gold in the Hammer Throw
ΣΧΕΤΙΚΑ ΑΡΘΡΑ
Joseph Kesidis was unstoppable, capping off an impressive year in the best possible way. With a massive third throw of 77.99 m, he claimed the gold medal in the hammer throw, kicking off the Cypriot track and field events in the best possible way. It was the fourth gold medal for the Cyprus Olympic Committee delegation and, at the same time, a striking confirmation of the great potential of our young champion, who has his whole future ahead of him. In second place was Frantzeskakis of Greece (77.59 m), and in third was Matija Gregurić of Croatia.
Kesidis’ throws in order: (X, 75.93, 77.99, 74.88, 75.47, 75.28).
Milan Trajkovic was in a league of his own, sending a clear message ahead of the final by finishing first in the first qualifying heat of the 110-meter hurdles with a time of 13.65, which was also the best among the 11 participants in the heat.
In the 100-meter hurdles, Daphne Georgiou placed 7th in the first qualifying heat with a time of 14.07 and did not advance to the final of the event.
Triumph for the Women’s 3×3 Basketball Team
In basketball, the women’s 3×3 team scored two more major victories and advanced first and undefeated from Group D to the quarterfinals of the tournament. Following their victory over Algeria on the first day, they first defeated Tunisia 14–8, securing a spot in the top two from Group D. But they didn’t stop there; in the evening match against Turkey—which was also undefeated and would determine first place—they played even better and defeated them 12-7. It was a victory that was duly celebrated by Heracles Pittakas’s girls.
In the men’s competition, the team lost its third Group A match to Croatia 19-8 and was eliminated from the tournament.
An outstanding debut for Alexa Stais
In equestrian events, Alexa Stais, riding the horse Kantu 3, was the first to compete among 45 athletes, and together they completed a flawless first round without knocking down a single obstacle, in a time of 72.48.
Artistic Gymnastics
In Artistic Gymnastics, the women’s team—composed of Georgia Charalambous, Eva Dionysiou, and Kalypso Papaioannou, strove to deliver the best possible performance in the team event. They finished in 9th place, tied with several other teams, with a score of 116.700.
The competition served as a qualifier for the individual events, and Georgia Charalambous advanced to the All-Around final with a total score of 42.700, while Eva Dionysiou followed as the first alternate, with a score of 39.300.
Sailing
Andriani Georgiou remains firmly in the medal hunt in the ILCA 6 class, after completing six races. With a second-place finish and an 18th-place finish—which she “discarded”—she is in second place in the overall standings with 18 penalty points, just one point behind Marie Barrue of France.
It was a very good day for Marilena Makri, who, after a sixth-place and a second-place finish in the two races, moved up to fifth place in the overall standings with 28 penalty points.
In the ILCA 7 class, Aimilios Poeros finished 16th and 13th in the two races held and, with 45 penalty points, remains firmly in 10th place. Errikos Karatzis recorded an 8th and an 18th-place finish and is in 13th place in the overall standings, with 57 penalty points.
Shooting
In shooting, the duo of Marilena Konstantinou (air rifle) and Achilleas Sophocleous (pistol) competed in the 10-meter air rifle event, recording a total score of 605.9 and finishing in 20th place.
Table Tennis
In table tennis, neither Georgia Avraam nor Siarpel Ilias managed to advance past the round of 32 in the singles competition. They faced Serbian players, to whom they were both defeated 4-0, as the difference in skill level was too great. Avraam lost to Sabina Surjan, and Ilias lost to Dimitrije Levajac.
