Greek swimmer Grigoriadis took Gold in European Aquatics Championships!

The Greek Aris Grigoriadis (Αρης Γρηγοριάδης. The Greek word "grigori" means quick/fast!) from Thessaloniki won the Gold medal in 100m backstroke with 53,86 yesterday at the European Aquatics Championships, in Debrecen, Hungary (May 21-27, 2012).

 "This is a great success for me. I wish to dedicate my medal to Greece and the Greeks, with love to my compatriots who are suffering these difficult times" Grigoriadis said afterwards.



This was the 6th important medal for Aris or Aristeidis (Aristidis) which is his real name:

2005 Gold, 50 m backstroke, World Championships in Montreal  (24,95)

2006 Silver, 50 m backstroke, European Championships in Budapest  (25,14)

2006 Bronze, 100 m backstroke, European Championships in Budapest  (54,34)

2008 Gold, 50 m backstroke, European Championships in Eindhoven  (25,13)

2008 Silver, 100 m backstroke, European Championships in Eindhoven  (54,27)

2012 Gold, 100 m backstroke, European Championships in Debrecen  (53,86)

The European Synchronised Swimming Championships are taking place in Eindhoven, the Netherlands, where also the Diving Championships took place 15-20th of May.

Curiosa about Aris: He has really long arms; 2,30 m between his hands (hand to hand, or actually fingertop to fingertop...)!

Congratulations Aris & Greece!

And as I'm Swedish myself of course I'm very happy for Anna Lindberg who has won 2 Gold medals in 1 m and 3 m springboard, Sarah Sjöström Gold in 50 m butterfly and the relay team 4x100 m freestyle: Ida Marko-Varga, Michelle Coleman, Sarah Sjöström (2nd medal for this incredible talented 19-year old swimmer!) and Gabriella Fagundez who won the Silver medal. Congratulations and Celebrations!

31st LEN European Championships, Swimming, official webpage
European Championships, Diving and Synchronised Swimming, Eindhoven 2012, official webpage

Olympic flame ceremony at the Panathinaiko Stadium 2012

Yesterday the Olympic flame was handed over to tne United Kingdom at a rainy ceremony in Athens.

The flame was lit last week at Olympia, where the ancient Olympic games were held every four years, dating back to 776 B.C.
The Olympic torch has been making its way around Greece in a relay and arrived to the Panathinaiko Stadium ("Kallimarmaro") yesterday beneath a rainbow!

At the beautiful historic Greek Stadium (where the first modern Olympic games were held 1896) the flame was handed over to Princess Royal Anne, President of the British Olympic Association, by Spyros Cabralos, President of the Hellenic Olympic Committee.

Princess Anne is a very good equestrian and was actually participating in the Olympic games herself 1976 in Montreal.

The Chinese gymnast Li Ning and the Greek weightlifter Pyrros Dimas , both Olympic Champions, lit the cauldron together as the last torchbearers before the flame was handed over to the U.K.


David Beckham was also participating in the ceremony. He made some Greek kids happy visiting a school afterwards:


The Olympic flame is now in the United Kingdom where it will make a relay of 70 days and then end its journey at London's Olympic Stadium for the opening ceremony of the Summer Olympics July 27th.

Earlier posts might of interest:
Our visit at Panathinaiko Stadium downtown Athens with lots of photos!
Special Olympics in Athens, Greece 2011
Victoria and David Beckham at Costa Navarino, Greece
Dimitris Chondrokoukis took Gold in High Jump (took part in the ceremony of the flame at Acropolis, his hand at the 2nd photo!)

Related links:
2012 Summer Olympics torch relay (route in U.K and dates)
Pyrros Dimas, official website
David Beckham, official website  
David Beckham's channel at YouTube

Pics found at:
David Beckham, Yahoo Sports 
Princess Anne, India Times

Dimitris Chondrokoukis took Gold in High Jump!

Read in Swedish: Dimitris Chondrokoukis VM-Guld i höjdhopp!

The Greek athlete Dimitris Chondrokoukis (Δημήτρης Χονδροκούκης) came home from Athletics World Championships (March 9-11th) in Constantinople (Istanbul), Turkey the other day. In his luggage he had the Gold medal in High jump, after jumping 2,33 m. Another Greek, Konstantinos Baniotis, was sharing the 4th place after jumping 2,31. Well done, guys!

Next: the Olympic games in London this summer!

IAAF profile for Dimitris Chondrokoukis
Results IAAF Istanbul 2012
Program, Olympic games, London 2012

Dimitris Chondrokoukis at facebook


Other posts might of interest:
European Championships: Greece, Silver Medal in Water Polo! (Team & biographies)
The Greek women World Champions in water polo!
Parkour and Free Running at Santorini
Special Olympics 2011 in Athens, Greece

European Championships: Greece, Silver Medal in Water Polo! (Team & biographies)

Read in Swedish: EM: Grekland, Silvermedalj i vattenpolo!

The Greek female water polo team, the current gold medalists from the World Aquatics Championships in Shanghai 2011, won the silver medal in the European Championships in Holland on friday. They lost with 13-10 against Italy. Congratulations Italy and Congratulations to our talented Greece women's national water polo team!

Alexandra Asimaki, 23, got the amazing award "Best World female Water Polo player for the year 2011" after her appearances in Shanghai in July. Congratulations Alexandra!


More results: European Water Polo Championships,  Eindhoven 2012 (16-29 January)
Found biographies in English of three players only: Alexandra Asimaki, Giouli Lara and Angeliki Gerolimou, biographies

The women in the team with links to their biographies in Greek:
Asimáki, Alexandra -  Ασημάκη, Αλεξάνδρα
Chidirióti, Joanna -  Χυδηριώτη, Ιωάννα
Chidirióti, Stavroula - Χυδηριώτη, Σταυρούλα Μαρία
Gerolimou, Angeliki - Γερολύμου, Αγγελική
Kalogeráko, Michaela - Καλογεράκο, Μιχαέλα
Koutéli, Konstantina - Κουτέλη, Κωνσταντίνα
Koúvdou, Elena - Κούβδου, Έλενα
Koúvdou, Nikoletta - Κούβδου, Νικολέτα
Ksenáki, Elena - Ξενάκη, Έλενα
Lará, Georgia - Λαρά, Γεωργία
Lavi, Federica - Λαβη, Φεδερίκα
Liósi, Kiriaki - Λιόση, Κυριακή
Melidóni, Andi - Μελιδώνη, Άντυ
Pantelidi, Markela - Παντελίδη, Μαρκέλα
Petri, Heather - Πετρη, Χέδερ
Roubési, Antigoni - Ρουμπέση, Αντιγόνη
Tsoukalá, Christina - Τσουκαλά, Χριστίνα


Other posts might of interest:
The Greek women World Champions in water polo!
Dimitris Chondrokoukis took Gold in High Jump
Parkour and Free Running at Santorini
Special Olympics 2011 in Athens, Greece

About Alexandra Asimaki at Greek Reporter

Parkour and Free Running at Santorini

Click here for Swedish

This saturday it was a competition in parkour and free running at Santorini. 15 top practitioners from all over the world took part. The Greek volcanic island Santorini is probably the best "natural" place for this impressing sport, with the white houses built on the caldera and the completely stunning view.

The athletes got a track of about 250 m to make in 90 sec, as impressive as possible.
Red Bull are arranging the competitions, "Red Bull Art of Motion".


Awesome, isn't it? (All pictures from Red Bull.)

This time the competition was won by Pavels Petkuns from Latvia, 2nd Yoann Leroux, France and 3rd place Gaetan Bouillet, Belgium. Congratulations!
A Greek took part as well; the 19 year old Zaza Markoulia, and like a gentleman he took the last place...(Never mind - better luck next time!).


It seems kind of easy when you see these well-trained athletes...

bits and bytes (Greek)
Complete result list
Interview with Zaza Markoulia


Other posts might of interest:
European Championships: Greece, Silver Medal in Water Polo! (Team & biographies)
The Greek women World Champions in water polo!
Dimitris Chondrokoukis took Gold in High Jump
Special Olympics 2011 in Athens, Greece

The Greek women World Champions in water polo!

Oh yes! Yesterday the Greek women's team in water polo won the final with China in Shanghai, where the 14th FINA World Championships are held 15th-31st of July 2011. Congratulations Greece!

Other posts might of interest:
European Championships: Greece, Silver Medal in Water Polo! (Team & biographies)
Dimitris Chondrokoukis took Gold in High Jump
Parkour and Free Running at Santorini
Special Olympics 2011 in Athens, Greece

Special Olympics 2011 in Athens, Greece

Read this in Swedish: Special Olympics i Aten 2011

This video with the singers Alkistis Protopsalti and Vittorio Grigolo is from the opening ceremony:


Do you know that we have had Special Olympics here in Athens this summer? From the 25th of June until the 4th of July many competitions have been held in 22 different sports for athletes with intellectual disabilities. This is a great event every second year (summer/winter) since 1968 with about 7.500 participants from 185 countries.

Unfortunately I wasn't there myself. I usually prefer to watch big events at TV, but this time I have regretted not being there. Everybody who has been there are like blessed! Love and happiness! You get touched to see these people struggle and how happy they are to take part. We have a lot to learn there! Like they said in TV here; "We need them more than they need us!"

Both the opening and the closing ceremony were very beautiful and well done, with many famous artists participating. (These games has been planned for a long time, long before the Greek crise became official...)


Natassa Bofiliou was singing at both the opening and closing ceremony.

Websight for the Special Olympics 2011, with results and more.

The Special Olympics Wintergames 2013 will be held in South Korea.
Special Olympics 2013 at Facebook


Other posts might of interest:
European Championships: Greece, Silver Medal in Water Polo! (Team & biographies)
The Greek women World Champions in water polo!
Dimitris Chondrokoukis took Gold in High Jump
Parkour and Free Running at Santorini