Greek judoka Theodoros Tselidis has won Greece its first medal at the Paris Olympic Games after taking home the bronze medal for the Men’s 90kg judo event.
Tselidis defeated Spaniard Tristani Mosakhlishvili for the bronze medal a few days before his 28th birthday.
This was the country’s third ever medal in judo.
In an interview with Athens-Macedonian News Agency (AMNA) after the match, Tselidis shared his excitement over the win.
He described it as “the best day of my life” and said the achievement is “incredible”.
The Greek also expressed his joy at fulfilling his promise to bring a medal to Greece.
“A crazy miracle happened,” he said, while also pointing to it being a team effort, not just one of his own.
“You can’t achieve anything alone without proper support. The secret is in teamwork.”
Tselidis gave a shout out to his team and everyone involved.
“This medal belongs to all of us, and I am truly happy.”
“Thank you very much to all Greeks. Greece is the best nation. I’m happy to have had the opportunity to give something back.”
Greek President Katerina Sakellaropoulou took to social media to congratulate the athlete.
She called it “a victory that brings joy to all of us and fills us with pride.”
Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis also conveyed his congratulatory message on X, saying “we are all very proud.”
