The 5th place in Europe was taken by Ilias Pagalidis at 82k. Greco-Roman. The Greek champion touched the medal at the U23 European Championship held in Romania, but did not reach the podium in the details.
Pagalidis faced the Polish Adam Garziola and entered the game very strongly. With determination and smart strategy, he took a 2-0 lead, as he took his opponent out of the field as many times as possible.
The 2-0 at the break and the excellent presence of Pagalidis could not be converted into a medal, because of one phase. The Greek athlete, trying to avoid going out, received a double point and the Pole equalized at 2-2 two minutes before the end.
In the last dramatic minutes the… doctor of Greek Wrestling fought with vigor and despite the fact that the Pole should have been given a warning for passive play, it was not done. As a result, Pagalidis was defeated and took 5th place in the competition.
Next comes Drosoula Gianakopoulou, who competes in the women’s 65 kg category. The Greek champion is waiting to know her opponent who will emerge from the pair between Gergana Todorova Stoyanova from Bulgaria and Birgul Soltanova from Azerbaijan.
I am currently a news writer for News Bulletin247 where I mostly cover sports news. I have always been interested in writing and it is something I am very passionate about. In my spare time, I enjoy reading and spending time with my family and friends.
