Mediterranean Games: Greece 64 medals

As the Pescara Mediterranean Games concluded, Greece’s collection of 64 medals saw it good enough to retain fifth place on the overall medals table.

After an impressive five gold medals in rowing, four golden track and field performances, two each in karate and gymnastics, Greece celebrated on Sunday its second gold medal in judo, as favourite Ilias Iliadis triumphed in the 90-kilogram category.

Iliadis, gold-medallist in the 2004 Olympics in Athens and Greece’s flag bearer in the Beijing Olympics last summer, scored three rather easy wins at Pescara to show he is back in top form.

Vangelis Himonas gave Greece its only medal in sailing by finishing third in the Laser class.

In team sports the men’s basketball saw Greece finish second as the national team lost to Croatia 72-60 in the final on Saturday.

In water polo Greece was seventh, in football fifth, in women’s volleyball fourth and in men’s sixth.

The good showing was important for Greece, as Volos and Larissa will host the 17th Mediterranean Games in 2013.

The games are sure to boost the local economy, as it is expected that more than 4,000 athletes from 24 countries will participate. There will be a total of 260 medal events from 27 different sports.

Greece won four medals in two separate European championships for Paralympic athletes, in boccia and judo last week.

Paralympian Grigoris Polychronidis won gold in the singles event of the BC3 category at the European Boccia Championships held from June 27 to July 2 in Povoa de Varzim, Portugal.

Polychronidis, one of the top athletes in the world in the sport, also led Greece to the bronze medal in the pairs event in the same category, along with Nikos Pananos and Maria Kordali.

The tournament also served as a test for next year’s boccia world championship in Lisbon from May 30 to June 11.

In judo Maria Keramida won bronze in the 57-kilogram category at the IBSA European Championship for visually impaired athletes held in Hungary on July 3-5.

Greece also won a bronze medal in the juniors competition with Nikoletta Fassa finishing third in the 57-kilogram category.