Greece Wins Two More Medals At The European Rowing Championships
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Loading... - Naas Brynjar
- 12 Jun 2023
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Greece achieved further success at the 2023 European Rowing Championships held in Bled, Slovenia, as two esteemed Greek rowers secured additional medals.
Evangelia Anastasiadou and Stefanos Ntouskos, an Olympic gold medalist, demonstrated exceptional skill and determination, earning silver medals in the Lightweight Women's Single Sculls and Men's Single Sculls categories, respectively.
Similarly, Evangelia Fragkou and brothers Dimitrios and Zisis Boukouvalas showcased their talent and finished in fourth place in the Women's Single Sculls Final B and the Men's Pair Final C, respectively.
On the preceding day, Greek athletes Dimitra Eleni (Milena) Kontou and Zoi Fitsiou secured the silver medal in the Lightweight Women's Double Sculls, while Petros Gkaidatzis and Antonios Papakonstantinou claimed bronze in the Lightweight Men's Double Sculls.
Greek Rowers' Struggle for Medals
Renowned Greek rowers Anastasiadou and Ntouskos fiercely competed for the title of European champions in Bled but ultimately finished in second place in their respective races.
Anastasiadou initially established a commanding lead in the latter half of the race. However, Romania's Cozmiuc, the reigning world and European Champion, intensified the pressure on the Greek sculler as they approached the 1500m mark.
During the final quarter of the race, the Romanian began to pull ahead, leaving Anastasiadou with the silver medal.
Ntouskos also demonstrated a strong start, but it was Dutch sculler Lennart van Lierop who initially took the lead. Germany's Oliver Zeidler, the reigning world champion, swiftly closed the gap, trailing Ntouskos by a mere 0.46 seconds at the 500m mark. In the second quarter of the race, Zeidler overtook Ntouskos and claimed the lead, with van Lierop securing the bronze medal position.
At the 1,000m mark, the race remained fiercely contested, as Ntouskos relentlessly challenged Zeidler stroke after stroke. In the third quarter of the race, the Greek sculler once again surged ahead and claimed the lead. However, in the final quarter, van Lierop surpassed both Zeidler and Ntouskos, securing the gold medal.
Significant Achievements of Greek Rowing Athletes
The emergence of a new generation of Greek talent is solidifying Greece's potential to become a dominant force in the world of aquatic sports.
Anastasiadou previously won the silver medal for Greece at the 2022 European Rowing Championships in Munich. Additionally, she clinched gold in the European Under 23 Rowing Championships in 2020.
On the other hand, Ntouskos not only secured the gold medal in men's single sculls at the Tokyo Olympics but also set a new record with his exceptional performance. Prior to his Olympic triumph, he participated in the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, competing in the men's lightweight coxless four and finishing in sixth place.
Ntouskos's gold medal in Tokyo marked Greece's first-ever Olympic gold medal in rowing.
