Cyprus ranks 69thamong the 85 medal winning countries of the London Olympics, which concluded Sunday.
Cyprus has won its first Olympic medal – silver – since it started competing in Olympic Games as an independent nation.
The effort put by Cypriot athletes was commendable, according to organizers, who describe Cyprus’ participation as the most successful so far.
Overall athletes from 205 countries competed in the London Olympics.
“I think it was possibly the most successful effort of Cyprus in Olympic Games ever”, leader of the Cyprus mission at the Olympics Olga Piperidou said, adding that “our athletes gave it their best”.
Pavlos Kontides’ effort in the Men’s Lazer sailing gave Cyprus its first ever medal, the silver medal.
Fellow sailor Andreas Kariolou ranked 17th after competing in the RS-X sailing event.
In track and field, twenty eight year-old high jump athlete Kyriakos Ioannou secured a place in the final and ranked 13th.
It is the first time a Cypriot athlete has managed to qualify for a track and field final since 1980 when Cyprus started competing as an independent state at the Olympics.
Another track and field athlete, Eleni Artymata, who competed in the women’s 200 m, ranked 17th out of 24 in the semi finals.
Cypriot international tennis player Marcos Baghdatis advanced to the 3rd round and lost to Brit Andy Murray, who eventually went on to beat Roger Federer and win the gold.
Cypriot skeet shooting athlete Giorgos Achilleos ranked 11th overall in the qualifying round. Fellow athlete Antonis Andreou ranked 22nd in the same qualifying event. Young skeet shooting athlete Panayiota Andreou ranked 16th.
Discus thrower Apostolos Parellis ranked 13th in the qualifying event.
Swimmer Anna Stylianou competing in the women’s 200 m freestyle heats came 4th and did not manage to pass to the semi finals.
Competing in the men’s hammer throw Constantinos Stathelakos ranked 33rd out of 38 athletes.
Finally, twenty six year-old Cypriot athlete Marios Athanasiades, the first Cypriot cyclist to take part in a men’s cross country cycling in the Olympics, came 40th out of 50 competing athletes.
