Monday, August 31, is expected to be particularly important for the Cyprus Olympic Committee’s delegation to the “Taranto 2026,” with track and field and gymnastics drawing the most attention. The presence of top athletes on both teams raises expectations for significant achievements and medals, with the Cypriot competitors aiming for the best possible results.

Also of note is the match featuring the women’s 3×3 basketball team, which will compete in the quarterfinals against the loser of the Slovenia-France match, which was scheduled to take place late Sunday night. The team’s goal is to advance to the semifinals and continue its quest for a spot on the podium. Meanwhile, competition is underway in handball, shooting, weightlifting, and sailing, with Cypriot athletes continuing their efforts at the Games.

Track and Field: In just a few minutes at the “Giuseppe Valente Stadium,” some of the biggest names in track and field will take the field. A total of nine athletes will compete on Monday afternoon, including Filippa Fotopoulou in the long jump, Elena Kulitsenko and Styliana Ioannidou in the high jump, and Milan Trajkovic in the 110-meter They aim to take the lead within a few minutes of each other (we’ll most likely see them competing at the same time).

The day will begin with the preliminary heats in the 400-meter race, in which Thekla Alexandrou (1st) and Kalliopi Kountouri (2nd) will compete. With the 10th and 12th best times out of the 12 competitors, advancing to the final would be a success.

Immediately afterward, the High Jump Final will begin, featuring the two Cypriot competitors, Elena Koulitsenko and Styliana Ioannidou. The outcome of the competition is completely up in the air, as six athletes have personal bests this year ranging from 1.90 to 1.92 meters, including Kulitshenko (1.91 m). If Styliana matches or surpasses her personal best this season (1.86 m), she will rank highly.

Pavlos Nikolaou is expected to face a tough challenge in the 400-meter preliminary round, which features 18 athletes. He will compete in the second qualifying heat, and with this year’s time of 46.20, he ranks 13th.

Iosif Papa has a great chance to distinguish himself in the discus throw final. With this year’s throw of 64.14 m, he ranks 5th among 11 athletes. However, if we exclude the Slovenian Kristjian Ceh (72.61 m), the remaining spots will be decided on the day of the competition among the discus throwers vying for medals, as the margins are very close.

Filippa Fotopoulou has before her the competition she has long been seeking to achieve a major distinction. Consistent throughout the year (except at the Commonwealth Games), with a season’s best of 6.78 m, she holds the top mark and will aim to confirm it in a field of 10 jumpers.

Daphne Georgiou will line up at the starting blocks for the 100-meter hurdles final, aiming for a strong race and a solid performance, as her mere presence in the final—having already qualified—is a success in itself.

Finally, Milan Trajkovic, following his performance in the preliminary round, has advanced to the 110-meter hurdles final. He will compete as the best of the night among equally talented opponents in an event that comes down to the smallest details and is usually unpredictable, thereby adding yet another tremendous achievement to his career.

Gymnastics

It has been quite some time since the Gymnastics team has fielded a nearly full roster. The recent return of Ilias Georgiou after a months-long absence has added momentum to the team, which will strive for a major achievement in the team competition, at the high level of the Mediterranean Games. At the same time, Marios Georgiou, Socrates Pilakouris, and Neophytos Kyriakou will aim to qualify for as many finals as possible in their respective events, with Michalis Isaia contributing valuable points toward a medal in the team competition. Nine teams are participating in the competition, and Cyprus will compete in the afternoon session, with our gymnasts facing off against the Spanish athletes in the six-apparatus rotation.

Handball

The national team faces Kosovo for 7th-8th place in a match where, beyond marking its first-ever participation in the Mediterranean Games at this year’s event, it will also be aiming for its first victory. The experience gained from the four previous matches against opponents who were not up to the task is significant. For his part, Andreas Andreou will provide our handball players with guidance on how to improve certain aspects of the team’s overall performance, following a technical analysis of previous matches.

Shooting

In shooting, Christos Gerasimou and Konstantina Pratsi will compete in the mixed event, in the 10-meter Air Pistol event—a competition with 17 participants that concludes the sport’s participation in the Mediterranean Games. Their goal is to improve on the performances they achieved in their respective individual events.

Weightlifting

In weightlifting, Dimitra Ioannou will compete in the -61 kg category. This is a new category, and practically anything she lifts will be considered a Cypriot record. Her goal is to reach 75 kg in the snatch and 95 kg in the clean and jerk—and perhaps even more if the competition goes well. Two medals will be awarded in this event—one in each category—but not a third for the overall total.

Sailing

The problems with the wind died down on Monday, and the races went ahead as scheduled in the iQFoil class. We need the same conditions on Tuesday, when the 7th and 8th races for the ILCA are scheduled, a day that will be decisive in the medal race, especially in the Women’s division, where Andriani Georgiou and Marilena Makri are in 2nd and 5th place in the standings, respectively, and the continued efforts of Aimilios Poeros and Errikos Karatzis. Four races are scheduled for the iQFoil class: races 8–11 for the men (Iakovos Christofides) and races 7–10 for the women (Natasha Lappa).

The schedule (Cyprus time):

WEIGHTLIFTING / San Giorgio Jonico

5:00 PM – 61 kg Snatch (Women) Dimitra Ioannou

6:00 p.m. – 61 kg Clean & Jerk (W) Dimitra Ioannou

SHOOTING – 10m AIR PISTOL (Mixed) / Torricella F. Albano

10:00 a.m. Mixed – 1st Qualifying Round Christos Gerasimou / Konstantina Pratsi 17 participants

HANDBALL / Fasano Sport Hall

12:00 7th–8th Place Match: Cyprus vs. Kosovo

3×3 BASKETBALL / Peripato Garden’s

Quarterfinal (C): Cyprus vs. France or Slovenia

TRACK AND FIELD / Salinella – G. Valente

6:30 p.m. 400m (Women) 1st Qualifying Round: S. Thekla Alexandrou, 12 participants

6:35 p.m. 400m (Women) 2nd Qualifying Round: S. Kalliopi Kountouri, 12 participants

6:45 p.m. High Jump (Women) Final: Elena Koulitsenko, 10 competitors

6:45 p.m. High Jump (C) Final: Styliana Ioannidou, 10 participants

6:55 p.m. 400m (Men) 2nd Qualifying Round: S. Pavlos Nikolaou, 18 participants

7:00 p.m. Discus Throw (A) Joseph Papa 11 participants

7:10 p.m. Long Jump (Women) Filippa Fotopoulou, 10 participants

7:30 p.m. 110m Hurdles (Men) Milan Trajkovic *

ARTISTIC GYMNASTICS / Grottaglie Sports Hall

6:30 p.m. Team (Men) Cyprus (Marios Georgiou, Socrates Pilakouris, Neophytos Kyriakou, Giorgos Aggonas, Michalis Isaías, Ilias Georgiou)

Rings (M. Isaías, M. Georgiou, S. Pilakouris, I. Georgiou)

Vault (M. Isaías, M. Georgiou, N. Kyriakou, I. Georgiou)

Parallel Bars (N. Kyriakou, I. Georgiou, M. Georgiou, M. Isaías)

Horizontal Bar (M. Isaías, H. Georgiou, M. Georgiou, N. Kyriakou)

Floor Exercise (I. Georgiou, M. Isaías, M. Georgiou, N. Kyriakou)

Pommel Horse (N. Kyriakou, I. Georgiou, M. Georgiou, M. Isaías)

SAILING / Torpediniere Center

13:03 iQFoil (A) 8th race: Iakovos Christofidis

13:05 ILCA6 (C) 7th race: Marilena Makri, Andriani Georgiou

1:08 p.m. iQFoil (C) 7th race: Natassa Lappa

1:15 p.m. ILCA7 (A) 7th race: Emilios Poeros, Errikos Karatzis

1:33 p.m. iQFoil (A) 9th heat: Iakovos Christofidis

1:38 p.m. iQFoil (C) 8th heat: Natassa Lappa

2:03 p.m. iQFoil (C) 10th race: Iakovos Christofidis

14:05 ILCA6 (C) 8th heat: Marilena Makri, Andriani Georgiou

14:08 iQFoil (A) 9th place: Natassa Lappa

14:15 ILCA7 (A) 8th place: Aimilios Poeros, Errikos Karatzis

2:33 p.m. iQFoil (A) 11th place: Iakovos Christofidis

2:38 p.m. iQFoil (C) 10th heat: Natassa Lappa