Dimopoulos and Sarapis are fighting for the bronze medal at the European Championships

With two Greek champions running for the winners’ podium, the 3rd day at the U15 European Championship, held at the indoor gym “G. Galanopoulos”.

Dimitris Dimopoulos at 44 kg of the Hellenic-Roman and Dimitris Sarapis at 57 kg performed impressively throughout the day, with their efforts being rewarded. The two Greek athletes await their opponents in the bronze medal matches and will have a first-class opportunity to reach a huge European distinction.

Dimopoulos made a dynamic start. He initially faced the Estonian Kaliolas and showed from the start that he will be the protagonist. With technical superiority, he ceremoniously advanced to the round of 16, where he offered a great spectacle and intense emotions, eliminating the Italian Armenise by fall. With tremendous perseverance, faith in his powers and determination he then celebrated his entry into the semi-finals. He may have found himself losing 2-0 to the Bulgarian Markov, but he fought back and with catalytic energy scored a huge success, advancing to the semi-finals with technical superiority. In the medal zone match he faced the independent athlete Krivoseev. In a match where the two rivals put their weight on tactics, the qualification was decided in the details. Dimopoulos managed to take a 1-0 lead, but Krivoseev’s reaction made it 4-1. But the Greek champion had an answer. It was reduced to 4-3 and there was a breather from the big upset in the final seconds.

In the match for the bronze medal, he will face the winner of the match between the other Greek in the category, Nikos Zinisa, and the independent athlete Salias. It should be noted that Zinisa was also eliminated by the independent athlete Krivoseev, while earlier he eliminated in order and in an emphatic way the Polish Zoltowski and the Italian Stripoli.

Dimitris Sarapis will also fight for the bronze medal on Saturday (18/5) in the Hellenic-Roman 57 kg category. The Greek champion in the qualifiers needed a little less than a minute to prevail with technical superiority over the Israeli Domatievsky. Without leaving any room for reaction to his opponent, he passed spectacularly in the quarter-finals and defeated the Pole Zygulski with technical excellence, reaching the eight with a breeze. His progress continued as he added another stunning performance in the quarter-finals as he also derailed Estonia’s Vaartnu 6-1.

He was drawn into the bronze medal match after the semi-final with the independent Tychkin. The road to glory remains wide open as he has a chance to claim the prized medal with an opponent to emerge from the two races ahead. The potential opponents are the Ukrainian Nasibov, the Hungarian Jacob and the Latvian Bormotovs.

Five more Greek entries in the Greek-Roman repechage



Apart from Dimopoulos and Sarapis who are in the final and Zinisa (44k.) mentioned above, four more Greeks can dream of distinction through the second chance offered by repechages.

At 41 kg, Angelos Vasdekis could not win against Azero Hosseinli, who, however, reached the final of the category. Now, the young Greek will face independent athlete Abdulmuslimov, while in order to win a medal he will have to beat Georgian Lobyanidze and independent athlete Chachenko in order.

At 48 kg, respectively, Pavlos Tsentidis defeated the Croat Balabanic in the qualifiers, but then he could not reach the qualification against the independent athlete, Lambazanov. In the repechages he will face the also independent athlete Semianenka and in the bronze medal match Georgian Savatze is waiting.

At 62 kg, Ovod Poursanidis lost to Armenio Nazarian, while the road to the medal that opened before him includes in order the obstacles of Deatsu (Romania), Mezlumian (Armenia) and Lafishev (independent).

Polykarpos Servetas at 68 kg started with a qualification against Slovakos Raikovic, but then the independent athlete Diakonitsa proved to be an insurmountable obstacle. In repechages he will fight the winner of the match between Mammadov from Azerbaijan and Sargsyan from Armenia. In case of victory, he will claim the bronze medal against Vuzi from Ukraine.

At 38 kg, Giorgos Chondronasios celebrated a huge victory in the “16” phase in the match against Tarelunga from Moldova, while despite his very strong will, he then lost to the Ukrainian Dimchisin.

Argyris Spyridakis at 52 kg initially eliminated the Albanian Sopai, but then he could not defeat the Moldavian Smetansas. In the same category, Michalis Tzimourtos fought with Azero Habibli.

At 41 kg, Charalambos Bouzas faced Budai from Hungary, at 75 kg Sotiris Bouzas met Pork from Estonia and Stefanos Vasdekis met Teta from Italy.

Meanwhile, in the women’s repechage, four Greek champions fought their own battles. At 48 kg Eleni Goldatsi fought Mechnas from France, while at 50 kg Argyro Kokolaki played with Puztai from Hungary and Flora Zerzelidis with Podgorska from Poland. Thomais Ververi faced the independent Svistonova.