Greece concluded a successful Paralympics in Paris, walking away with 13 medals – including three golds – achieved by its delegation of 37 athletes.
The medal tally consisted of three gold, three silver and seven bronze medals.
The Greek national anthem played for sprinting champion Athanasios Ghavelas who became the first Greek Paralympian to win back-to-back golds in 100 metres (T11) and confirmed his status as the world’s fastest vision-impaired man.
Fellow track-and-field champion Thanasis Konstantinidis won gold in shot put (F32), as well as silver in club throw (F32).
Swimmer Alexandra Stamatopoulou finished first, securing the gold in the 50m backstroke (S4).
Besides Konstantinidis, Greece secured silver medals from Antonis Tsapatakis in swimming in the 100m breaststroke (SB4) and from sprinter Lida Manthopoulou in the 100m heat (T38).
Greece’s bronze medals came from Lazaros Stefanidis, Konstantinos Tzounis and Manolis Stefanoudakis in track and field, Christina Gentzou and Eleni Papastamatopoulou in taekwondo, Theodora Paschalidou in judo and perennial medal winner in boccia, Grigoris Polichronidis, for his seventh Paralympic medal.
As the Games came to a close over the weekend, Stamatopoulou and Tsapatakis had the honour of being Greece’s flagbearers at the Closing Ceremony on Sunday, September 8.
The two Greek swimmers made an impressive entrance to the Stade de France during the closing ceremony of the event in Paris, representing Greece in the best way and moving onlookers with their powerful presence in the packed stadium.
Source: Ekathimerini.
