Start for the Vassilikos athletics group

Andreas Pantazis returned to Dimitris Vassilikos’ athletics group. The triple jump champion began his training with the coach who led him to the bronze medal at the U20 European Championships.

The group of Dimitris Vasilikos is now made up of three members of the National team, Nikos Andrikopoulos, Andreas Pantazis and Artemis Anastasiou and three executives of the smaller National teams, specifically the triple jumpers, Despina Passiou (b. 2008), Eleni Mama (b. 2007), and him, too. triple diver Konstantinos Papasykiotis (born 2007).

The “silver” high jumper at the 2022 European Championships, Montenegrin Marija Vukovic, is still training with the experienced coach.

A demanding year awaits all of them with important matches.

Dimitris Vassilikos emphasized that: “Starting with indoor track and field, Andrikopoulos, Pantazis and Anastasiou will claim their participation in the major international events, European and World, through the ranking. The time frames are very narrow and their mission very difficult, as they should have five very good matches. Still, even if they don’t make it, it will be very important to collect valuable points ahead of the summer competitions. Essentially, that is, in the winter we will ‘build’ for the summer, collecting points.

The two boys come from a year where they didn’t get the grades they could have. Nikos had to deal with injuries that left him out of the important games, while Andreas failed to find a competitive rhythm. Artemis is working on the 200 meters in training, but in the winter she will enter the 60 meters, since the 200 is not included in indoor track. Of course, in the open track she will be available to help the National team and in the relays, where, anyway, she is a key member.

All three are sure to aim for their participation in the European Team Championship. Of course, only one can participate in the triple jump”.

For the younger members of his group, Mr. Vassilikos emphasizes that: “For Eleni and Konstantinos, this year is the year of pan-Hellenic exams. Their goal is to star in their category and be selected for the National U20 team for the Tampere European Championship. Despina is a year younger and we also want her to represent the National team in the U18 category”.

Marija Vukovic also suffered from a serious injury in 2024 and simply participated in some matches unprepared and in order not to be left out of the matches. For the Montenegrin vaulter, who has been living in Greece since 2019, Dimitris Vassilikos is waiting for 2025 to show her true self again:

“She has come back strong in training. He has a great appetite and appears to be in very good condition. And Maria will claim to qualify and be distinguished in all the top competitions”.