Greek champion Maria Rafailidou has secured Greece’s first medal at the U20 European Championships in Tampere, clinching the gold in women’s shot put with a throw of 16.16 metres.
According to SEGAS (the Hellenic Athletics Federation), the 18-year-old entered the final with a clear goal of taking gold—and delivered exactly that. She opened with a strong 15.58m, placing herself early in contention and easing any pressure or doubt.
Rafailidou followed up with 15.28m, then launched herself into first place with a superb 16.16m on her third attempt. Her fourth throw measured 15.85m, while her final two attempts were fouls. However, by then she had already sealed her European victory, celebrating draped in the Greek flag.
This achievement follows her gold medal at the U18 European Championships, making her the reigning champion now in both youth categories. Remarkably, it also marks Greece’s first-ever medal in women’s shot put at this level. The previous best was a fourth-place finish by Sofia Orfaniotou with 15.97m.
Another strong performance came from Elektra Chioutakakou, who finished fifth with a personal best of 14.84m. The 19-year-old began with 14.60m, followed by 14.25m, 14.60m, and then improved to 14.84m in her fourth attempt. She closed her competition with throws of 14.79m and 14.63m.
Chioutakakou, coached by Anestis Kaltsidis, recorded her best result to date and delivered one of the top Greek performances at the championships.
The Greek team made their presence known in the stadium, turning out in full to support the two athletes during the final.
Source: CNA
Feature photo source: Instagram
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