Greek athletes are making headlines at the Paris Olympics, with notable performances in rowing and gymnastics, although not all participants managed to advance to the finals in their respective events.
Stefanos Ntouskos has secured a spot in the quarterfinals of the men’s single sculls. The Greek rowing champion finished second in his preliminary heat, covering the 2,000-meter course in 7 minutes and 1.79 seconds. Ntouskos, who won gold in Tokyo three years ago, is aiming for another podium finish in Paris.
Lefteris Petrounias has qualified for the gymnastics rings final, which is scheduled for Sunday, August 4, at 4pm. With a score of 14.800 and a difficulty rating of 6.300, Petrounias led the preliminaries in his event.
Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and his wife, Mareva Grabowski-Mitsotakis, attended the performance at the Bercy Arena and wished Petrounias “good luck” for the final.
Petrounias expressed his gratitude, stating, “Thank you to everyone, all the Greeks for their support. I believe we will do well and leave with a smile next week.”
In the women’s 10m air pistol event, Greek athletes Anna Korakaki and Christina Moschi did not advance to the final. Korakaki, a double Olympic gold medalist, and Moschi failed to secure a top-eight spot in the qualifiers. Moschi placed 29th with 569 points, while Korakaki, who had 304 points by the start of the fourth shooting round, withdrew and finished 44th.
In swimming, both Katerina Dountounaki and Sofia Damasioti did not progress to the semifinals of the 100m butterfly.
Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis has been in France since Friday, attending the opening ceremony of the Paris Olympics. In an interview with the Athens-Macedonian News Agency (AMNA) and correspondent Nikos Lakatas, Mitsotakis discussed the opening ceremony and Lefteris Petrounias’s performance, offering encouragement to all participating athletes.
Mitsotakis praised the Athens Olympics opening ceremony as a benchmark and expressed his admiration for Greek athletes striving for excellence.
Commenting on the Paris ceremony, he said, “It was certainly very impressive. Some aesthetic elements might not have been to our taste, but it was a commendable effort. We may be a bit biased, but the 2004 ceremony is a reference point for us. It might have been better designed for television than for live spectators.”
Regarding Petrounias’s performance, Mitsotakis noted, “He is always an impressive athlete. Seeing him live really highlights how challenging his sport is.”
Mitsotakis also shared his personal connection to the Olympics: “I hadn’t attended the Olympics since 2004. For us Greeks, the Olympics hold special significance. I am deeply moved and thrilled as a sports fan to see our athletes striving for excellence.”
Mitsotakis highlighted that 2024 has been a strong year for sports so far, emphasising the importance of building proper infrastructure and providing opportunities for young people to pursue their sports passions.
“Collaboration with the Hellenic Olympic Committee and federations must always be close. The message is simple: Let’s go strong and achieve the best possible results.”
*with AMNA
