Cypriot high jump starlet Leontia Kallenou continued her impressive rise in the sport this weekend after winning gold in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Outdoor Championships in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
The Georgia University freshman had previously smashed the Cypriot record in her event with her jump of 1.90m and attempted to go one better at the Games in the United States but couldn’t clear the 1.91m mark.
The 19-year-old economics student had breezed to first place in her event with her jump of 1.87m before attempting to topple her own record.
Her achievement earned her praise from the Cyprus Amateur Athletics Association which stated in a written announcement, “Kallenou’s success is the biggest ever achieved by a Cypriot female athlete in student games in the United States and is without doubt one of the biggest feats in Cypriot athletics.”
Her achievement earned her praise from the Cyprus Amateur Athletics Association which stated in a written announcement, “Kallenou’s success is the biggest ever achieved by a Cypriot female athlete in student games in the United States and is without doubt one of the biggest feats in Cypriot athletics.”
Although NCAA Championships are only exclusive to college athletes, it is nonetheless a respected tournament that has paved the way for thousands of US Olympic athletes.
Some of Dali-born Leontia’s other achievements on the international stage include winning the gold medal at the 2011 Commonwealth Games at the Isle of Man, a silver medal at both the 2011 European Youth Festival in Trabzon and at the 2011 Games of the Small States in Europe and a bronze medal finish in the 2011 European Team Championships and at the National Indoor Athletics Meeting in Athens.
She has also scooped up numerous domestic medals and accolades in Cyprus.
Cyprus weekly
