Makedonas

I am very proud of Stefanos. His blind grandmother died today also, so sad. She used to always say that she wished she could be able to watch him play. I remember the Greek media interviewed her a few years ago.

Thank you. I'm very glad to hear that! I saw a Greek sports site talking about her possibly getting a wildcard but thought maybe it was an error on their part. She was so unlucky with injuries during the past two years (she was almost certain to qualify by ranking before getting injured), and her boyfriend is our best boxer who was one win away from qualifying for Tokyo, then covid hit and he had to wait 15 months for the qualifying tournament to resume, and by then he was in hospital getting surgery and had to withdraw. So it would be really nice if one of them can make it!

Props to Liechtenstein for having home-grown athletes in this event, while Austria still uses the Greek sisters lol (yes I know they have been living in Austria since they were 15)

^Unless Iakovidis gets in somehow (he's currently missing out by one spot), it will be the first time since 1964 that Greece didn't qualify any weightlifter, because Konstantina Benteli has tested positive for a banned substance and will be out of Tokyo

Heartbreaking for Chatziliadou to miss out She won medals at the last two World Championships and last three European Championships and is the reigning world champion. Really a shame.

Kalliopi Araouzou (swimming) Not a big surprise because she was at the European Championships as a board member of the Greek swimming federation and not as an athlete, but she still competed until today which was her last race at the National Championships. She also struggled with injuries the past few years. I honestly thought she would try to qualify in open water for Tokyo but I guess not. She competed in Rio in that event and finished 11th. That was her only Olympic appearance. She had two World Championship medals in open water (silver in team from 2013 and silver in 5km from 2015). She was a big part of Greek women's swimming (which the level is already quite low) for the past decade, and it's surprising that she only managed to go to the Olympics once. She also had OST for Tokyo in 800 and 1500 freestyle but I guess she's not going to try to see if she'll get in or not. In 1500, OQT is 16:32.04 and OST is 17:01.80. She has 16:34.49 from 2019 so she was really close. Maybe she knew that there wouldn't be a spot for her in Tokyo via OST because so many people already achieved OQT in her event (I'm not too familiar with swimming qualifying procedures). Greek women's swimming is really dead. We had 7 athletes in Beijing, 6 in London, 4 in Rio and now probably just 2 in Tokyo

First time since 1984 that no Greeks in rhythmic gymnastics at the Olympics

Women's standard is 51,35 though

First time since 1964 that Greece didn't qualify any male weightlifter

I hope I am not saying this for Eleni Chatziliadou this weekend but I have a bad feeling

So Konstantina Benteli qualified, very good. Would've been so sad if we didn't qualify anyone in weightlifting! Theodoros Iakovidis is one spot out, I guess if they ban Colombia then he gets to go. EDIT-Actually no, he would still miss because the European continental quota wouldn't change

And formerly of Panionios and Olympiacos

I really hope Eleni Kelaiditi can make it! It would be the first time since 1988 that Greece isn't qualifying anyone in rhythmic gymnastics (usually the group always makes it but they won't this year)

I don't know who I want to win this semifinal, I think I just hope for a long 5 sets so they get tired

Wow so it's official! So wonderful! Our girls really worked so hard and they're all so young. 5 of the 8 girls are teenagers, so hopefully this is the beginning of many more qualifications in the future. It was disappointing to not qualify in women's water polo, and our women's rhythmic gymnastics team 99% won't qualify for the first time since Atlanta 1996, so this is a very nice thing for our women to make it.

I thought it doesn't start for another 3 minutes, maybe I got the time mixed up?

Thank you @MHSN for sharing all of your knowledge about some of these sports, also weightlifting. Makes it a lot easier for us to understand these qualification processes.

Vinci was a surprise though, and Bartoli was also in a Wimbledon final and former top 10 player, plus Lisicki always did well at Wimbledon and reached some QF and SF there before making the final in 2013. I still think Pennetta-Vinci was more surprising than Bartoli-Lisicki.

Thank you for this but are you sure that Teltsidou will miss out in women's 70kg? It looks like there are extra spots and she will get one.

Thank you, hopefully Petrounias can qualify first. He just needs a high score at Doha World Cup, something similar to what he achieved at European Championships this year and he will be in. If he qualifies for Tokyo then I think he will definitely win a medal. He's in good shape now that he's fully recovered from injuries. Colak was good in 2019 and 2020 but didn't do well at this year's European Championships. Still I think he can win a medal in Tokyo too.

Really? What about Pennetta vs Vinci at the 2015 US Open?

I am absolutely heartbroken and won't be able to sleep tonight (I'm already not sleeping and it's super late here). Maria was so close to making the final. She had match point This really hurts, but what an amazing run it was from her. Hopefully she can build on this and not be too hard on herself.

https://www.fina.org/competitions/15/fina-olympic-games-artistic-swimming-qualification-tournament-2021/results?discipline=&event=a8e510dd-f161-4273-aeb4-85b879a78e48&unit=team-technical-prelims We see after Day 1, Greece has the edge over France and USA, but it's still very close

They're counting both of them if you look at this week's rankings. Wow.

I guess I'll stick with my prediction of 8 for now. Probably sounds too optimistic but whatever. Of course if Petrounias doesn't qualify I will say 7. Tentoglou looking like he has a better chance at winning a medal than Stefanidi at this point, but hopefully both can do it. We don't have any clear medals in sailing but we have a few contenders and I feel like someone will come home with a medal. And at this moment I think we have a better chance of getting a medal in tennis than we do in shooting. I still think Gkolomeev will win a medal in the men's 50m freestyle. I feel like karate it depends who qualifies this weekend. Wrestling I think Prevolaraki has a really good chance at getting a bronze or something, and I'm starting to think we might win a rowing medal in the men's single sculls with Stefanos Ntouskos. If I had to predict our eight medals I would say: Gold: Eleftherios Petrounias (gymnastics) Silver: Kristian Gkolomeev (swimming) Silver: Stefanos Ntouskos (rowing) Silver: Miltiadis Tentoglou (long jump) Silver: Stefanos Tsitsipas (tennis) Bronze: Ekaterini Stefanidi (pole vault) Bronze: Vasileia Karachaliou (sailing) Bronze: Maria Prevolaraki (wrestling) Of course I will probably be wrong. In London I thought we would win 6-7 medals and we won two. I thought we would win 3-4 in rowing including gold from Giazitzidou/Tsiavou but we just got bronze from them and no other rowing medals. Also thought Gianniotis would definitely win a medal in marathon swimming and he got 4th. Then in Rio I thought we'd win 5-6 and we got 6. Didn't expect 3 gold though. I thought at most two (Petrounias and Stefanidi) but Korakaki surprised.