Greek News 1997

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December 1997: The Greek athletes featuring in T&F News' World Rankings for 1997
The Track & Field News magazine, has published the 1997 Lists, as they were formed by its readers. Among the Top T&F athletes there are two men and five women, confirming the progress of greek Athletics over the past years. Nicki Xanthou was voted #1 in women's long jump, while the other Greeks were Olga Vasdeki (6-Triple Jump), Kostas Gatsioudis (6-Javelin), Lambros Papakostas (7-High Jump), Tassoula Kelesidou (8-Discus), Stella Tsikouna (9-Discus) and Katerina Thanou (10- 100 m.)
26/11/97: Olga Vasdeki asks bronze medal back!
The Greek triple jumper 5th in Atlanta and 4th in Athens claims a bronze medal at her home hosted World Champs, saying that her 6th jump was not measured correctly. This can be seen clearly at the video of the games. The IAAF will decide if it will accept or not the Greek demand. Remember that in the 1987 WC in Roma, Evangelisti was deprived of his Long Jump medal, after the video proved that the jump was not measured correctly.
25/8/97: Panayotis Stroumbakos makes a new record even at 1.500 m.!
After his new 800 m. records and his wonderful races in Athens' World Championships, Panayotis Stroumbakos proved that he's the best Greek runner also at 1.500 m., by creating a new record of 3' 36" 74. at the meeting of Koln.
13/8/97: Panayotis Stroumbakos does it again!(Link to the "Golden Four" site)
For Panayotis this will be an unforgettable year. He started with 1' 49" at the Spring Championships in Piraeus and today he reached the fantastic time of 1' 45" 00. Keep in mind that he was the one that broke Moutsanas' record of 800 m. after 13 years and brought it to a 1' 45" 38. Now he did it again! After his fantastic performance at the Athens' 97 World Champs, he had the opportunity to run at a Golden Four meeting...and here are the results!
10/8/97: Seven Greek National Records broke at the World Championships.
Angelos Pavlakakis with 10" 11 at the 100 m., Olga Vasdeki with 14, 49 m. and 14, 62 m. at the triple jump, Christos Meletoglou with 17, 04 m. and 17, 12 m. also at the triple jump, the Greek teams at 4 X 100 m. with 38" 74 and at 4 X 400 m. with 4' 05" 43 have created new National Records for Greece at the 6th World Champioships.
9/8/97: Nicki Xanthou wins Silver.
The home favorite Nicki Xanthou finally managed to get the silver medal at the World Championships with a jump at 6, 95 m. in the women's Long Jump final. She lost to Russia's Ludmila Galkina who had a jump at 7, 05 m. Xanthou's silver medal was the biggest success ever for Greece in the World Championships.
5/8/97: Kostas Gatsioudis gets first Greek medal.
With a throw at 86, 64 m. Gatsioudis won the bronze medal at the 6th World Championships, in front of his crowd, in Athens. It was the second medal for Greece in a world outdoor championship ever, after Anna Verouli's bronze at the Javelin of the Helsinki games.
4/8/97: Olga Vasdeki creates new record and gets fourth place at the World Games.
Olga Vasdeki, fifth in Atlanta, did not let down the Greek fans that filled the Olympic Stadium this Monday to watch her. Although she did not get a medal, she made a new National Record in Women's Triple Jump with 14, 62 m., after the one that she made at the Qualifying round on Saturday morning (14, 49 m.). Vasdeki lost the medal only by five centimeters by Ukranian Govorova at the fifth attempt, but she had the strength to jump, on her last try, at 14, 60 m. and prove that she was more than ready for these games, although she had injuries after the Atlanta Olympics and was supposed to be unfit for the World Championships.
2/8/97: Angelos Pavlakakis sets a new National Record at 100 m.
Angelos Pavlakakis, 21, was the star of the morning events of the first day of the 6th World Championships in Athletics. He was running at the 4th Heat of Men's 100 m. against the World Record holder Donovan Bailey when the enthusiastic Greek fans encouraged him to set a new national record. He didn't let them down: He won with 10" 11., and finished first at the morning preliminaries, in front of all the big stars, together with Ato Boldon who made the same time. The previous Greek Record (10" 13.) was also set by Pavlakakis at the Mediterranean Games this year.
27/7/97: Second medal for Greece and Iakovakis at the European Junior Champs.
The Greek 4X400m. relay team has brought home the second silver medal for Greece at the European Junior Championships of Ljubljana, Slovenjia. Vangelis Moustakides, Georgios Ekonomides, Ioannis Lessis and the 400 m. silver medalist Perikles Iakovakis made a time of  3' 08" 29., which is a new National Record, and lost only to David Canal's Spain (3' 08" 18.).
25/7/97: Perikles Iakovakis wins Silver in Ljubljana.(Link to the official site of the games)
Perikles Iakovakis, 18 years-old, the athlete which is supposed to be the most talented among Greek Juniors, has won the silver medal at the European Juniors Champioships. He ran the 400 m. in 46" 68. and lost only to the spaniard David Canal who made a great 46" 04. Iakovakis with a personal best of 46" 49. is expected to run for the Greek 4 X 400 m. team at the World Championships.
18/7/97: Panayotis Stroumbakos sets a fantastic 1' 45" 38. new record in 800 m. at the Greek Championships.
Panayotis Stroumbakos, the 25 years-old Balkan Champion in Middle Distances, was the star of the Greek Championships held in Athens this weekend (18-20/7/97). He ran alone the 800 m. to set a new National Record at the distance. The new time (1' 45" 38. which gives him the 23rd place among the Athens '97 rivals) was about one second better than the previous record (1' 46" 34. was the time that D. Moutsanas made at the Olympics of Los Angeles) and more than a second better than Stroumbakos' personal best, which was 1' 46" 81. from the Mediterranean Games this year, and is supposed to be a "fantastic" time for Greek levels, as in Greece (unlike sprints, throws and jumps) middle distances events were in a low level until now.