Gymnast Lefteris Petrounias clinched a bronze medal for Greece in the men’s rings event at the Tokyo Olympics on Sunday, marking his third consecutive Olympic podium finish. Petrounias previously won gold in 2016 and another bronze in 2021.
China’s Liu Yang and Zou Jingyuan captured gold and silver, scoring 15.300 and 15.233, respectively.
Petrounias aimed for a score of 15.300 but concluded with 15.100, comprising 6.300 for difficulty and 8.800 for execution. He attributed his performance to two avoidable mistakes during his routine.
“I have worked a lot these past three years, since the Tokyo Olympics,” Petrounias told reporters.
“This time, there were three years between Olympics, not four. In between, there were three European Championships, one World Championship, and a surgery.”
The 33-year-old gymnast, already considered advanced in age for his sport, vowed to start preparing for the 2028 Olympics after a short break. He noted that upcoming changes in the event’s rules would work to his advantage.
“I can’t wait to return to Greece and my little kids,” Petrounias, who has two daughters 4 and 3 respectively with former gymnast Vassiliki Milloussi, said.
