Makedonas

2008-born Antonia Rakopoulou swam 1500 freestyle today in 16:54.70 to win the national winter championship. Her previous PB was 17:09.32. Greek women's swimming has almost always been extremely less successful than Greek men's swimming for some strange reason (and as our men keep improving year after year, our women keep declining), so it's nice to finally have a decent female prospect after many years. Especially since it would be hard to see Anna Ntountounaki sticking around much longer as she's already 26 years old. It would be interesting to see what her time would be at an event abroad with a higher level of competition. Obviously her time is nothing special but considering her age, one would expect her to make huge improvements each year for the next several years.

When Greece hosted the 2004 Olympics, so many people from the Anglosphere were complaining and criticising us 24/7. Perhaps they should have been more appreciative because now we are stuck with the likes of Russia, China, Qatar, etc. hosting everything

I am against the Russian invasion of Ukraine, but the EBU allowed Efendi from Azerbaijan to compete last year, so this is just a slap in the face to Armenians in my opinion. No one cared about them, and the Azeri singer openly supported Aliyev's actions numerous times on her social media. I guess because his name wasn't Putin, no one cared. Shame. Ironically Armenia were the ones who did not compete in Eurovision last year due to the conflict (although they voluntarily withdrew).

Swiatek finally beat Sakkari. I wonder if she'll follow Sakkari back on Instagram now (she unfollowed Maria last year after one of their matches, I guess it was hard to follow someone who beat her three times in a row)

And now Iceland beat Italy by...two points Greece beat Turkey 72-71. It seems like we always find a way to beat Turkey in basketball no matter what. We have a really good record against them from memory. Sadly, I'm not sure if this record will remain as we play them again on Monday, in Turkey. Big respect to the two major Greek clubs for letting some of their guys play today. Olympiacos had four players on the team (who played in yesterday's win over Olimpia Milano), and Panathinaikos risked their game against Red Star Belgrade (which they ended up winning today) by sending Papagiannis to the national team instead. We really needed a strong center today and he had a great game. Greece, Olympiacos, and Panathinaikos all won so in the end it seemed like a good strategy . Of course this was still not our "normal" national team but for such an important game it was necessary to try to get some of these guys, especially after that embarrassing loss to GB in November with our random non-NBA/non-Euroleague players.

@dcro What's her story? Married to an Armenian? Has an Armenian mother?

Greece will have a very small team. Karalis and Tentoglou will be our biggest medal hopes. It looks like the "old guard" of Stefanidi, Papachristou, Kyriakopoulou, and Filippidis will not be there. None of them have competed yet in 2022. The Greek indoor championships are next weekend so maybe 1-2 of them will show up but it seems unlikely. Stefanidi definitely isn't retiring yet. Kyriakopoulou gave an interview a few months ago saying she had big goals for 2022 which included the World Indoor Championships so it's a bit surprising. Filippidis last year seemed like he had nothing left in him and he's already 35. Perhaps the girls are injured and/or pregnant? Papachristou's coach said a few months ago that he hadn't heard anything from her since Tokyo. Also the other three have all already won medals at the World Indoors, but it is the one medal (along with an Olympic medal which is too unrealistic) missing from Kyriakopoulou's CV.

I will also be participating once again

Also, the qualification process for aquatic sports for Paris 2024 would be such a mess if they go through with hosting World Aquatics Championships in both 2023 and 2024. Would they use the 2023 World Championships or 2024 for quotas? Or both?

It looks like this Albanian teenager is from Italy. I imagine he'll be around for many years to come. Greece's Antoniou still got 29th place. Our best result so far in Beijing, and our best result in alpine skiing at any Olympics since 2006. Aside from a 23rd place finish in skeleton in Sochi, this is our best overall Winter Olympic result since 2006. For us, this is like winning a medal

Of the 14 players selected, she is the oldest (1996). One player was born in 1999. The rest are all 2001-2004. So it's a good sign for her that the federation/coach are considering her as one of the possible future players for the national team. Other girls her age didn't get selected (not including those 10 or so main players who are 'too good' for these qualifiers), so I think it's more that the coach wants to give her an opportunity and I'm sure Carolina appreciates this chance. Probably the real test for her will be how she does in practices, as Greece will likely win all matches easily so it is hard to judge players in these types of games.

@phelps Carolina Ioannou got selected to the Greek team for the upcoming European Championship qualifiers. This will be her first time representing our national team. Although we are sending basically our second team, only five of the girls have previously played for the national team and they are all teenagers. Still, it is a good chance for Ioannou to gain experience with the national team and try to impress the coach. For the tournament we will use our main players, but since qualifying will have easy games they are not needed and our coach is using this opportunity to test out some of the young players.

Τώρα ο Αντωνάτος έχει 18.93 και είναι 3ος στον κόσμο! Και η Αδαμοπούλου έχει 4.35. Αν είναι υγιής, θα περάσει τα 4.50 φετος. Είμαι σίγουρος. Update με νέα φετινά ρεκόρ: 5.70-Κοϊκοπουλου (αποτελεί και μεγάλο ατομικό ρεκόρ) 8.22-Τεντογλου 5.81-Καραλης (απόλυτο ατομικό ρεκόρ) 7.49-Εμμανουηλιδου (ατομικό ρεκόρ παίρνοντας το χρυσό στο Βαλκανικό Κ20) Στα 60μ γυναικών, η Αναστασίου σημείωσε ατομικό ρεκόρ με 7.48. Είχε 7.60 από πέρυσι, και 7.75 από το 2020. Τρομερή βελτίωση και μας δίνει ελπίδες στο 4x100 γυναικών μαζί με Σπανουδάκη, Εμμανουηλιδου κτλ. Η Ραπτη Σωτηρία έκανε απόλυτα ατομικά ρεκόρ και στο μήκος (6.15 ενώ είχε 6.12 στον ανοιχτό από το 2020) αλλά και στο τριπλούν (13.01 έχοντας 12.96 στον ανοιχτό από πέρυσι). Στο επι κοντώ, ο Ριζος πέρασε τα 5.31 να κάνει ατομικό στον κλειστό στίβο (έχει 5.35 στον ανοιχτό). Στο αντίστοιχο αγώνισμα των γυναικών, η 17χρονη Φλωρου-Δημητριαδου πέρασε τα 3.95, που αποτελεί απόλυτο ατομικό ρεκόρ αφού είχε 3.90 από τον ανοιχτό. Στο μήκος, ο Σταματονικολος έκανε 7.44, το οποίο αποτελεί απόλυτο ατομικό ρεκόρ. Είναι 18 και είχε 7.35 στον ανοιχτό από το 2020. Ο 17χρονος Χητας έκανε 7.21, το οποίο είναι μεγάλο ατομικό ρεκόρ και πρώτη φορά που πέρασε τα 7μ. Σφαιροβολία γυναικών: Η Μαγκουλια έκανε 15.74, επίδοση που αποτελεί απόλυτο ατομικό ρεκόρ (είχε 15.70 πέρυσι στον ανοιχτό, ενώ το προηγούμενο της ρεκόρ στον κλειστό ήταν 15.02 από το 2018). Η Ντραγκομιροβα έκανε ατομικό κλειστού με 15.28 (είχε 15.00 από το 2020).

They should just do one of Doha/Fukuouka in 2023 and move the other to 2029 or something.

Sakkari and Tsitsipas both into semifinals of 500 events this week as top seeds. I really hope at least one of them could lift the trophy. Neither has ever won a 500 event. Sakkari has only won a 250. Tsitsipas has won the ATP Finals, a Masters 1000, and several 250 events, but is 0-7 in finals of 500 events.

Marios Kapotsis announced his retirement from the Greek national team. So since our silver medal in Tokyo, we lost three players (Kolomvos and Mourikis also retired from the national team). Honestly, this is quite disappointing. In Tokyo we had such a young team compared to the other two medalists, Serbia and Hungary. I was really hoping we'd be able to build on this for 2024. We still have great young players so I'm not too concerned, and Kolomvos and Mourikis are both already 33 so it's not a huge surprise, but Kapotsis would only be 32 in Paris. I really think he's a bit too young to leave the national team, especially since he only really started playing for the senior national team in 2017. Of course Fountoulis, Vlachopoulos and Genidounias are still playing until 2024 (at least for now), and some of our young stars like Papanastasiou and Argyropoulos will have bigger roles by then, but it's quite frustrating that our guys keep retiring from the national team at young ages compared to other countries' players, especially since we finally started to achieve good results at the senior level after many years of underachieving.

Karalis 5.81, finally a new PB after 4 years. He attempted 5.92 which would've been an overall Greek record (the current records are 5.85 indoor and 5.91 outdoor), but couldn't clear the bar. Still, good to see him healthy again the past year. I hope he can continue to stay healthy and fulfill his potential. I believe he will get both NRs in the near future.

This was the most I have ever celebrated a winter Olympic medal. Congratulations @hckošice

VLHOVA on the podium! @hckošice First ever alpine skiing medal for Slovakia!

Tsiovolou DNF once again

ΔΙΌΡΘΩΣΗ: Eκανε 8.56

Και τώρα έκανε 8.60 στις γυναίκες. Ας μην ξεχνάμε ότι ζει στο Διδυμοτειχο, όπου προπονεί χωρίς τάπητα (ούτε σε ανοιχτό στίβο!). Πραγματικά απίστευτη. Επισης η Ντελιου έκανε 8.64. Μόλις έκλεισε τα 18 της. Φαίνεται οτι έχουμε μέλλον στα 60/100 εμπόδια γυναικών. Και στο μήκος γυναικών έχουμε μέλλον. Η Τσαρσιταλιδου είναι 14 (!!!) και έκανε 5.78 το ΣΚ στη Θεσσαλονίκη. Έχει ατομικό 5.80 στον ανοιχτό από το καλοκαίρι. Η Λυρή είναι 15 και έχει κανει 6.04 φέτος! Πέρυσι είχε ατομικό 5.66 στον ανοιχτό. Απίστευτη εξέλιξη από τότε. Η Κοϊκοπουλου είναι 17 και έκανε 5.55 το ΣΚ στη Θεσσαλονίκη. Είχε ατομικό 5.15 από τον ανοιχτό. Στα αλλά αγωνίσματα του στίβου, ο Τεντογλου (8.15) και ο Καραλής (5.72) φαίνονται να είναι σε καλή φόρμα και περιμένουμε διακρίσεις από αυτούς στο Βελιγράδι. Η Φερρα έτρεξε τα 400μ σε 54.11. Το ατομικό της στον κλειστό είναι 53.94 από το 2017. Πιστεύω με περισσότερο ανταγωνισμό θα κατέβει τουλάχιστον τα 53.50. Η Εμμανουηλιδου εκανε 7.52 στα 60μ, ισιφαροντας το ατομικό της από το 2020. Είναι 18 και πιστεύω με ανταγωνισμό στο πανελλήνιο (το 7.52 ήταν από την ημερίδα της Θεσσαλονίκης χωρίς ανταγωνισμό), θα πετύχει μεγάλο ατομικό ρεκόρ. Δυστυχώς η Ρωμαίου έχει κάνει μόνο 12.44 φέτος. Είναι 24. Το ατομικό της στον ανοιχτό είναι 13.55 από το 2016. Ελπίζω να ξαναβρεί το ρυθμό της σύντομα… Στα αλλά αθλήματα έχουμε ευχάριστα νέα στην κωπηλασία. Ο Στεργιος Παπαχρηστος κλήθηκε στο κοινόβιο της εθνικής. Είχε σταματήσει τον πρωταθλητισμό το 2012 στα 23 του, έχοντας 2 αργυρά μετάλλια στη τετράκωπο σε Παγκόσμια Πρωταθλήματα, 2 χρυσά και 1 αργυρό σε Πανευρωπαϊκά, 1 χρυσό (δίκωπος) και 1 χάλκινο (μονο σκιφ) σε Παγκόσμια Κ23, και μια 4η θέση στους Ολυμπιακούς του Λονδίνου, όπου αγωνίστηκε για τελευταία φορά στα γαλανόλευκα. Στο Survivor, ο Πιλιδης αποχώρησε οικειοθελώς και τώρα φαίνεται πως θα αγωνιστεί κανονικά φέτος σε όλες τις μεγάλες διοργανώσεις της πάλης.

After a little over one month, Pilidis quit Greek Survivor due to health issues. So in the end it looks like he will compete in 2022 after all, as he was expected to win Survivor which meant he would be on the show until June or July and miss many competitions. Meanwhile, one of our female rowers has now entered the show...

Tsiovolou I was hoping to see her have a respectable time and ranking. The fall looked pretty bad but then she was up shortly after, so hopefully she is not injured and will be able to compete in her other event.

Stergios Papachristos has returned to the sport and will join the Greek national team's training camp this week He last rowed in 2012 when he finished 4th in the men's four at the London Olympics. He was 23 years old at the time. In his career he won two silver medals in the men's four at the World Championships (2010 at age 21, and 2011 at age 22). He also won three European Championship medals in the men's four (gold in 2009 and 2011, silver in 2010). At the World U23 Championships, he won gold in 2009 in the men's pair and bronze in 2010 in the men's single sculls. Greece has unfortunately had many similar cases in rowing where these great young athletes with many medals disappeared from the sport, so it's really a nice surprise to see him come back. He would be 35 years old in Paris, I really hope to see him there and also hope that many more of these lost Greek rowing talents can follow him and also come back to the sport.