Jump to content

Eleftherios Petrounias

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Eleftherios Petrounias
Ελευθέριος Πετρούνιας
Petrounias at the 2016 Olympics
Personal information
Country represented Greece
Born (1990-11-30) 30 November 1990 (age 33)
Athens, Greece
Spouse
(m. 2019)
Height1.64 m (5 ft 5 in)[1]
Weight62 kg (137 lb)
DisciplineMen's artistic gymnastics
LevelSenior International
Head coach(es)Dimitris Raftis[1]
Medal record
Event 1st 2nd 3rd
Olympic Games 1 0 2
World Championships 3 1 0
European Championships 7 0 2
Total 11 1 4
Representing  Greece
Artistic gymnastics
Olympic Games
Gold medal – first place 2016 Rio de Janeiro Rings
Bronze medal – third place 2020 Tokyo Rings
Bronze medal – third place 2024 Paris Rings
World Championships
Gold medal – first place 2015 Glasgow Rings
Gold medal – first place 2017 Montreal Rings
Gold medal – first place 2018 Doha Rings
Silver medal – second place 2023 Antwerp Rings
European Games
Gold medal – first place 2015 Baku Rings
European Championships
Gold medal – first place 2015 Montpellier Rings
Gold medal – first place 2016 Bern Rings
Gold medal – first place 2017 Cluj-Napoca Rings
Gold medal – first place 2018 Glasgow Rings
Gold medal – first place 2021 Basel Rings
Gold medal – first place 2022 Munich Rings
Gold medal – first place 2024 Rimini Rings
Bronze medal – third place 2011 Berlin Rings
Bronze medal – third place 2023 Antalya Rings
Mediterranean Games
Gold medal – first place 2013 Mersin Rings

Eleftherios "Lefteris" Petrounias (Greek: Ελευθέριος "Λευτέρης" Πετρούνιας, IPA: [elefˈθeri.oz lefˈteris peˈtruɲas]; born 30 November 1990) is a Greek artistic gymnast.[2] He is the 2016 Olympic champion, 2020 and 2024 Olympic bronze medalist, three-time World champion (2015, 2017, 2018) and a nine-time (2011, 2015–18, 2021–24) European medalist on the still rings (seven gold and two bronze). He was named the Greek Male Athlete of the Year, for the years 2015, 2016, 2017, and 2018.

Early life and education

[edit]

Petrounias has a degree in communications and marketing from the Athens University of Economics and Business. Besides gymnastics, he practices parkour. He takes part in anti-bullying campaigns, as he was bullied himself when he was child due to his small size.[1]

Career

[edit]

2011 European Championships

[edit]

Petrounias's debut major international medal came when he competed at the 2011 European Championships in Berlin, at the age of 20. During the competition Petrounias won a bronze medal on the rings. He scored 15.675 during the final, behind Konstantin Pluzhnikov (15.850) and Aleksandr Balandin (15.775) of Russia.

2015 European and World Championships

[edit]

In April 2015, Petrounias competed in the 2015 European Championships in Montpellier, France. He won gold during the rings final during the championships, scoring 15.866 during the final - 0.300 points ahead of tied silver medalists Samir Aït Saïd of France and Denis Ablyazin of Russia.[3]

In late 2015 Petrounias competed in the 2015 World Championships in Glasgow. He qualified for the rings final in first place, scoring 15.900.[4] During the final, Petrounias won his first World Title on ring with a scored 15.800; You Hao of China was the silver medalist, followed by Bronze medalist Liu Yang of China.

Petrounias at the 2015 European Championships

2016 European Championships and Olympic Games

[edit]

In May 2016, Petrounias attended the 2016 European Championships in Bern, Switzerland. He qualified in first place for the rings final, scoring 15.700.

Petrounias was the Olympic torch relay originating torchbearer after its ignition at Olympia on 21 April 2016, and he has a further distinction of being the first Greek gymnast selected in modern Olympics torch relay history.[5]

At the 2016 Olympic Games Petrounias won the gold medal on rings ahead of Arthur Zanetti of Brazil and Denis Ablyazin of Russia.[6]

Petrounias at the 2016 Olympic Games

2017 European and World Championships

[edit]

In April 2017, Petrounias competed at the 2017 European Artistic Gymnastics Championships at the Polyvalent Hall in Cluj-Napoca, Romania. During the competition Petrounias secured his third European Championship Rings Title, scoring 15.433 during the final - above Silver Medalist Courtney Tulloch of Great Britain, who scored 15.066, and Bronze Medalist Igor Radivilov of Ukraine, who scored 15.033.

In late 2017 Petrounias competed at the 2017 World Championships in Montreal. During the World Championsips, Petrounias successfully defended his World Title on Rings, scoring 15.433 during the final - 0.100 points above Denis Abliazin of Russia, who took the silver medal, and 0.167 points above Liu Yang of China, who took the bronze.[7]

2018 European and World Championships

[edit]

Petrounias tied the European record of 4 gold medals in European championships, held by the (now retired) athlete Jury Chechi from Italy. Eleftherios won the gold medal in the European Championships in Glasgow, on 12 August 2018, despite his shoulder injury.[8]

At the 2018 Artistic Gymnastics World Championships in Doha, Petrounias successfully defended his title and earned his third world championship gold on Rings with a score of 15.366 in event finals. 2012 Olympic champion on Rings Arthur Zanetti earned the silver and Marco Lodadio earned the bronze.[9]

2020 Summer Olympics

[edit]

Petrounias competed at the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo. He won bronze on rings behind Chinese athletes Liu Yang and You Hao.[10]

2022 European Championships

[edit]
Petrounias at the 2022 European Championships

At the 2022 European Championships in Munich Petrnounias won his sixth European title on rings, ahead of Adem Asil and Courtney Tulloch.[11]

2023 European and Championships

[edit]

At the 2023 European Championships Petrounias won bronze behind Adem Asil and Vahagn Davtyan.

Petrounias competed at the 2023 World Championships in Antwerp. He won silver on rings, once again sharing a podium with Chinese athletes Liu and You. As the highest ranking athlete on rings not part of a qualified team, Petrounias qualified as an individual to the 2024 Olympic Games.[12]

2024 European Championships and Summer Olympics

[edit]

At the 2024 European Championships Petrnounias won his seventh European title on rings.[13]

Petrounias competed at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris. He won bronze on rings behind Chinese athletes Liu Yang and Zou Jingyuan. In doing so, Petrounias became the first person to win three medals on rings at the Olympic Games.[14]

Personal life

[edit]

Petrounias has been married to fellow Greek gymnast Vasiliki Millousi since July 2019.[15] They have two daughters, Sofia and Eleni.[16]

Competitive history

[edit]
2016 Olympic podium
2016 Olympic test event podium
2022 European Championships podium
Year Event Team AA FX PH SR VT PB HB
Junior
2008
European Championships 7 7
Senior
2009 Cottbus World Cup 4
Glasgow World Cup 4
Doha World Cup 3rd place, bronze medalist(s)
World Championships 13
2010 Ghent World Cup 3rd place, bronze medalist(s)
Glasgow World Cup 6
2011 Cottbus World Cup 2nd place, silver medalist(s)
European Championships 3rd place, bronze medalist(s)
Ghent World Cup 1st place, gold medalist(s)
Maribor World Cup 1st place, gold medalist(s)
Ostrava World Cup 1st place, gold medalist(s)
2012 Cottbus Challenge Cup 3rd place, bronze medalist(s)
Zibo Challenge Cup 2nd place, silver medalist(s)
Osijek Challenge Cup 3rd place, bronze medalist(s)
European Championships 5
Ghent Challenge Cup 2nd place, silver medalist(s)
Ostrava Challenge Cup 1st place, gold medalist(s)
2013 La Roche-sur-Yon World Cup 1st place, gold medalist(s)
Cottbus Challenge Cup 1st place, gold medalist(s)
European Championships 5
Ljubljana Challenge Cup 1st place, gold medalist(s)
Mediterranean Games 1st place, gold medalist(s)
World Championships 9
2014 Cottbus Challenge Cup 2nd place, silver medalist(s)
European Championships 14 5
World Championships 22 6
2015 Cottbus Challenge Cup 2nd place, silver medalist(s)
European Championships 1st place, gold medalist(s)
European Games 10 1st place, gold medalist(s)
World Championships 20 1st place, gold medalist(s)
2016 Olympic Test Event 2nd place, silver medalist(s)
Doha Challenge Cup 1st place, gold medalist(s)
European Championships 13 1st place, gold medalist(s)
Olympic Games 1st place, gold medalist(s)
2017 Baku World Cup 1st place, gold medalist(s)
European Championships 1st place, gold medalist(s)
Paris Challenge Cup 1st place, gold medalist(s)
World Championships 1st place, gold medalist(s)
2018 Baku World Cup 1st place, gold medalist(s)
European Championships 1st place, gold medalist(s)
World Championships 26 1st place, gold medalist(s)
2019
World Championships 4
Cottbus World Cup 2nd place, silver medalist(s)
2020 Melbourne World Cup 1st place, gold medalist(s)
Baku World Cup 1
2021
European Championships 1st place, gold medalist(s)
Doha World Cup 1st place, gold medalist(s)
Olympic Games 3rd place, bronze medalist(s)
2022
European Championships 1st place, gold medalist(s)
2023 Cottbus World Cup 1st place, gold medalist(s)
Cairo World Cup 12
European Championships 3rd place, bronze medalist(s)
Szombathely World Cup WD
World Championships 2nd place, silver medalist(s)
2024
European Championships 1st place, gold medalist(s)
Olympic Games 3rd place, bronze medalist(s)

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b c http://www.gymnastics.sport/site/athletes/bio_detail.php?id=25233 . www.gymnastics.sport
  2. ^ Baku 2015 1St European Games - Athletes - PETROUNIAS Eleftherios[usurped]. Baku2015.com. Retrieved on 2016-08-16.
  3. ^ "European Gymnastics" (PDF).
  4. ^ "Results - 2015 World Gymnastics Championships".
  5. ^ "Greek gymnast chosen as first torchbearer". IOC. 14 April 2016. Retrieved 21 April 2016.
  6. ^ "Gymnastics: Greece's Petrounias wins rings gold". Reuters. August 15, 2016.
  7. ^ "MTL2017GYMCAN – Magazin & Blog für Leistungssportler" (PDF).
  8. ^ Πρωταθλητής Ευρώπης στους κρίκους ο Λευτέρης Πετρούνιας, The TOC, 12-8-2018, accessed 12-8-2018, (in Greek)
  9. ^ "Fédération Internationale de Gymnastique".
  10. ^ Kouras, Bill (August 2, 2021). "Bronze medal for Eleftherios Petrounias in men's rings". Greek City Times.
  11. ^ "Greece's Petrounias wins sixth continental still rings gold as European Championships conclude". International Gymnast Media. August 21, 2022.
  12. ^ "Petrounias Wins Silver Medal at World Championships in Antwerp". Greek Reporter. October 7, 2023.
  13. ^ Kouras, Bill (April 27, 2024). "Lefteris Petrounias makes history after crowned 7 time European Champion". Greek City Times.
  14. ^ Kouras, Bill (August 5, 2024). "Lefteris Petrounias Makes History Again: Bronze at Paris 2024". Greek City Times.
  15. ^ "Millousi and Petrounias got married". Gymnovosti. July 15, 2019.
  16. ^ "Greece's Eleftherios Petrounias: 'I have my kids in my mind'". International Gymnast. August 27, 2021.
[edit]