Galery

1

The 26^th International Athletics Meeting in Rethymno have started. Numerous athletes from Greece and abroad take part in them this year. And if they fail to break world or European records, they will have the opportunity to compete for good results with which to qualify for the European Championship in Barcelona. The European Championship will be held at the end of this month, so the meeting in Rethymno is the last chance of the athletes wishing to compete in the Spanish capital.

Traditionally, the meeting is held in memory of the Greek politician Pavlos John Vardinoyannis who deceased years ago. Vardinoyannis comes from Rethymno, Crete and remains as a great patriot in the country’s history. At the same time, he is remembered for his great love of sport, for his overwhelming support of the Greek athletes. After his death in 1984, each year in Rethymno is held athletics tournament named after the politician Vardinogiannia.

This year Tonya Stergiu will try to classify for Spain during Vardinogiannia in the high jump discipline. Sotiris Iakovakis hopes to take a ticket to Spain in the 400 m hurdles. Dimitris Tsiamis and Adriana Fer (200 m), and Maria Karastamati (100 m) will chase triple jump results. Georgios Tsakonas will pursue good time for 100 m and 200 m. Konstantinos Douvalidis has leg complaints that constrained his participation in the 110 m hurdles. Michalis Merdzanidis and Tsakonas will compete in the long jump. Arabadzis gave up his participation in discus-throwing. The Hungarian Fazekas distinguishes very much in this discipline. The athlete from Latvia Alekta withdrew from participation too. In the pole vault will compete Aphrodite Skafida, Dimitra Emmanuel and Mariana Zahariadi. The hammer thrower Alexandra Papageorgiou will participate in the championship too.

Cash awards, which the organizers have provided are as follows: first place - € 1,800, second place - € 1,400, third place - € 900, fourth - € 600, while the fifth and sixth - € 400 and € 300  respectively. The sum for setting a new European record is € 25,000 and € 40,000 for a world record.

The ninth championship Vardinogiannia in 1993 was “a halt” in the history of the games. Then it was held in the new sports center “Pavlos J. Vardinoyannis”, Olympic size stadium, accordingly called later “Stadium of Records”. 29 national records, one European and one world record have been achieved there during the games in the period 1993 - 2007. In December 1999 the European Athletics Federation have assessed highly the quality of the meeting and included the Vardinogiannia league in the EAA PERMIT, and in 2006 in the higher category EAA PREMIUM.

Champions like Patulidu, Tanu, Bakoyannis, Tsiamita, Ksantu, Vasdeki, Veruli, Koffa, Kelesidu, Tsikuna, Kenteris, Yakovakis, Papadimitriou, Polihroniu, Teodoridis, Saris and many other Greek names have participated in the competitions since the tournament is held at the Pavlos. J. Vardinoyannis stadium. Here were and the world famous: Zelezny, Zvereva, Surin, Bailey, Nazarova, Hemmings, Marinova, Lebedeva, Hovorova, Fynes, Block, Dietzsch, Grasu, Ottey, Kasparkova, Dimitrova, Ajunwa, Cuevara, Opara, Parris, Paschke, Gerrtys, Riedel, Cardenas, Kimwetich, Camossi, Astapkovich, Schneider, Laynes, Toledo, Ogunkoya, Aliu, Collins, Moncur, Garcia, Isinbayeva and many others.