Chatziliadou and Korakaki on top of the world

With just under nine months to go until the 2020 Olympics, AGONAsport takes a look at which Greek athletes have fared well in the most recent World Championships of their respective sports at the senior level.

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Shooter Anna Korakaki will go to Tokyo as the reigning world champion in the 10 m air pistol event. The 2016 Olympic bronze medalist in that event (and gold medalist in the 25 m pistol) won gold at the 2018 World Championships in Changwon, South Korea. The World Shooting Championships take place every four years, so she will remain the reigning world champion until 2022.

Karateka Eleni Chatziliadou is also the reigning world champion in her event, which happens to be the women’s kumite +68 kg. The World Karate Championships are held every two years, so Chatziliadou will remain the reigning world champion until late 2020, when the next World Karate Championships will be held.

Winning silver medals in World Championships in 2019 were swimmer Kristian Gkolomeev (men’s 50 m freestyle) and taekwondo practitioner Apostolos Telikostoglou (men’s 80 kg). Fencer Theodora Gkountoura (women’s sabre) and pole vaulter Ekaterini Stefanidi won bronze medals at this year’s World Championships in their sports.

In addition to the six medal winners, Greece was also close to winning World Championships medals in several other Olympic events this year. Gymnast Eleftherios Petrounias finished fourth in the men’s rings at the World Gymnastics Championships. In sailing, Byron Kokkalanis finished fourth at the Windsurfing World Championships, and the duo of Pavlos Kagialis and Panagiotis Mantis finished fourth at the 470 World Championships. Wrestler Maria Prevolaraki came in fifth place at the World Wrestling Championships in the women’s freestyle 53 kg event.

Also coming relatively close to winning medals at World Championships this year were the Greek men’s national water polo team, finishing seventh, the Greek women’s national water polo team, finishing eighth, and the Greek women’s artistic swimming team (previously known as synchronized swimming), also finishing eighth.

It must also be mentioned that several Greek athletes have won medals at World Championships that took place after the 2016 Olympics, but are not the most recent World Championships in their respective sports. These include 2016 Olympic gold medalists Petrounias and Stefanidi. Petrounias won gold at both the 2017 and 2018 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships, and Stefanidi won gold at the 2017 World Athletics Championships. Additionally, Chatziliadou won silver at the 2016 World Karate Championships, and Prevolaraki took bronze at the 2017 World Wrestling Championships.

by Andrew Stamas

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