Greek pole vault champion and Rio gold medalist Katerina Stefanidi fell short of a medal in the final of the completion in the Paris Olympics.
Stefanidi cleared 4.70 meters in her first attempt but failed three times at the next height of 4.80 meters.
Australia’s world number 1 Nina Kennedy and world number 2 Katie Moon of the USA, the strong favorites for gold before the final have been battling it out. Moon is the reigning Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 champion and became the 2022 world champion shortly after.
In 2023, at the World Athletics Championships in Budapest, she claimed her second world title, alongside Kennedy who also cleared 4.90m.
Much like the heart-warming moment from the men’s high jump in Tokyo 2020, Moon and Kennedy opted to share the world title, a decision that led to their recognition for the International Fair Play Award.
To qualify for the final of the Olympics 34-year-old Stefanifi cleared 4.55 meters on the qualification round in her second attempt earlier in the week.
Greece’s participants in the Olympics on Wednesday
Earlier on Wednesday Greece’s water polo team lost to Serbia (12-11) on Wednesday and missed the chance to qualify for the semi-final of the Paris Olympics.
It was a tense game that was decided four seconds before the end when Serbia clinched the victory.
Elina Jengo qualified for the javelin final at the Olympic Games in Paris, with the 5th-best throw in the qualification round.
The Greek javelin thrower competed in Group B and qualified in her third attempt, throwing her javelin a distance of 63 meters and 22 centimeters, above the qualifying distance of 62 meters.
Stefanidi’s career in the Olympics and other competitions
Apart from winning the gold in Rio, Stefanidi also competed at the 2012 London and the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. She was the 2017 World champion and earned bronze at the 2019 World Championships.
At the European Athletics Championships, she won two gold medals (2016, 2018) and three silvers (2014, 2022, 2024). Indoors, she is a two-time World Indoor bronze medalist from 2016 and 2018 and was the 2017 European Indoor champion. She earned silver at the 2015 European Indoor Championships.
At age 15, Stefanidi became the 2005 World Under-18 champion and earned silver at the 2007 edition of these championships. The 18-year-old won bronze at the 2008 World U20 Championships.
She then placed second at the 2011 European U23 Championships and third at the 2011 Universiade. She won four Diamond League Trophies between 2016 and 2019.
Stefanidi was voted the European Women’s Athlete of the Year in 2017 and the Greek Female Athlete of the Year in 2017 and 2019. Because of her achievements, she is widely regarded as the greatest female athlete in the history of Greek sport.
She was born to athletes Georgios Stefanidis and Zoi Vareli, who competed internationally in the triple jump and sprints, respectively. Her younger sister, Georgia, is also a pole vaulter. In 2015, she married Mitchell Krier, her future coach and also a former pole vaulter. She lives in the United States.
Related: Emmanouil Karalis Wins Bronze in Pole Vault at Paris Olympics
