by Michalis Nikitaridis
The Greek Clubs Championships, which mark the beginning of the outdoor season in
Greece, took place this weekend. The Championships are organised in 8 sessions in several
stadiums and many top Greek athletes were making their first appearances of the 1999
season.
Among them, Atlanta Olympic high jump silver medallist Niki Bakogianni, back after a long
period of injury, cleared a promising 1.93 and seems to have overcome her physical
problems. Bakogianni who had hoped to win her first World Championship medal on her home
soil two years ago, did not participate in Athens’97 because of a serious injury. She
will, therefore, be keen on her peak in Seville ’99 (20-29 August) and bringing home
a medal from Spain.
Paraskevi Patoulidou made another highly anticipated comeback. The 1992
Olympic 100m hurdles champion, now 34, is aiming to make the team for Seville. After
specialising in the sprint hurdles and long jump, Patoulidou has now set her eyes on the
sprints but in her first 200m she only clocked 25.30 so she is a long way off the
qualifying standard.
Greek throwers seem to be in very good shape. Costas Gatsioudis, javelin bronze medallist
in Athens ’97, attempted only one throw and achieved 84.21 while his female
counterpart Mirella Maniani -Tzelili threw the "new" javelin 57.99. Vaios Tigkas
improved his best in the shot put to 18.66, Stella Tsikouna threw the discus 62.20, while
the young hammer thrower Evi Tsamoglou bettered her personal mark by more than 3 metres
with 57.90.
There was also a world class performance in the 5000m walk where Despina Deskou set a new
national record of 21:37.7.
Leading Results
Note: all Greeks except when mentioned
Clubs from Athens - Pireaus - Peloponnese - Crete - North Aegean
Karaiskaki Stadium, Pireaus 16-18 April.
MEN
100 m.
Group A: Georgios Panagiotopoulos10.74; Panayotis Sarris10.74; Alexandros Genovelis 10.74
Group B: Constantinos Kenteris10.52; Constantinos Vogiatzakis 10.67.
200 m.
Group A: Panayotis Sarris 21.57
Group C: Atanasov (BUL) 21. 53; Elias Kellis 21.66.
400 m.
Group A: Stavros Vathistas 48.55.
800 m.
Group C: Aretakis 1:58.12
1500 m.
Group B: Panayotis Papoulias 3:53.66; Georgios Kompogiannis 3:53.84.
5.000 m.
Group A: Vassilis Zambelis 14:23.59.
400 m. h.
Group C: Lambros Zervakos 51.26.
3.000 m. steeple
Group B: Nikolaos Maxouris 8:55.95.
High Jump
Group A: Constantinos Liapis 2.15m.
Long Jump
Group B. Dimitrios Serelis 7.43m.
Group C: Atanasov (BUL) 7.41m.;
Triple Jump
Group B: Christos Meletoglou 16.13m.
Shot Put
Group B: Alexios Leonidis 18.42m;
Group C: Constantinos Kollias 18.76m
Discus Throw
Group B: Alexios Leonidis 50.35m; Evaggelos Alatatsianos 49.92m.
Hammer Throw
Christos Polychroniou 77.37m.
Javelin Throw
Group A: Constantinos Gatsioudis 84.21m.
WOMEN
100 m.
Group C: Efrosyni Patsou12.15
200 m.
Group A: Ogundemi (NGR) 24.60
400 m.
Group A: Constantina Liapikou 55.64
800 m.
Group A: Constantina Liapikou 2:06.96
1.500 m.
Group A: Maria Protopapa 4:27.31
400 m. hurdles
Group C: Georgia Tsikouri 61.78
High Jump
Group C: Tatyana Nikolayeva (UKR) 1.81m; Victoria Styopina (UKR) 1.75m
Pole Vault
Group B: Christina Tsirba 3.80m. Georgia Tsilliggiri 3.80m
Triple Jump
Group B: Paraskevi Tsiamita 14.02m
Javelin Throw
Group B: Mirella Tzelili-Maniani57.99m
Discus Throw
Group B: Ekaterini Voggoli 59.01m
Hammer Throw
Group A: Amalia Lamboura 53.19
Clubs from Attika - Sterea Hellas
Chalkida, 17-18 April. WOMEN
High Jump
Niki Bakogianni 1.93m; Heleni Syropoulou 1.82
Clubs from Ionian Islands - Epirus
Patra, 17-18 April.
MEN
400 m.
Periklis Iakovakis 48.69
1.500 m.
Pavlos Farougkias 3:56.17
3000 m. steeple
Christos Vassiliou 9:22.62
High Jump
Dimitrios Tomaras 2.15m
WOMEN
100 m.
Maria Tsenikoglou12.57
Clubs from Thessaloniki - Western Macedonia - Pieria - Imathia
Kaftantzoglio Stadium, Thessaloniki 17-18 April.
MEN
100 m.
Ioannis Parashopoulos 10.53
1500 m.
Lambros Zaragkas 3:54.67
High Jump
Dimitrios Kokotis 2.20m
Long Jump
Stavros Georgiou 7.71m wind assisted
WOMEN
100 m.
Panayota Koutrouli 12.20
200 m.
Marina Vassarmidou 24.34; Paraskevi Patoulidou 25.30
400 m.
Marina Vassarmidou 55.96
Discus Throw
Stella Tsikouna 62.20m
5.000 m. walk
Despina Deskou 21:37.7 NR
Clubs from Thrace - Kavala - Drama
Serres 17-18 April.
MEN
100 m.
Cristoforos Choides 10.56.
Javelin Throw
Dimitrios Polymerou 73.31m
WOMEN
100 m.
Chryssoula Goudenoudi 12.19
400 m.
Cryssoula Goudenoudi 55.21
Hammer Throw
Evdokia Tsamoglou 57.90m
Thessaly
Larissa 17-18 April.
MEN
100 m.
Kyriakos Economou 10.64
Shot Put
Vaios Tigkas 18.66m
