Eleftherios Petrounias
Eleftherios "Lefteris" Petrounias is a Greek artistic gymnast. He is the 2016 Olympic champion, 2020 and 2024 Olympic bronze medalist, three-time World champion and a ten-time European medalist on the still rings. He was named the Greek Male Athlete of the Year, for the years 2015, 2016, 2017, and 2018.
Early life and education
Petrounias has a degree in communications and marketing from the Athens University of Economics and Business. Besides gymnastics, he practices parkour. He takes part in anti-bullying campaigns, as he was bullied himself when he was child due to his small size.Career
2011–2012
Petrounias' debut major international medal came when he competed at the 2011 European Championships in Berlin, at the age of 20. During the competition Petrounias won the bronze medal on the rings. He scored 15.675 during the final, behind Konstantin Pluzhnikov and Aleksandr Balandin of Russia.At the 2012 European Championships Petrounias placed fifth on rings. Throughout the year he won five medals while competing in the 2012 World Cup series.
2013–2016
At the 2013 European Championships Petrounias placed fifth on rings. At the 2013 Mediterranean Games he won gold on the apparatus ahead of İbrahim Çolak of Turkey and Javier Gómez Fuertes of Spain. At the 2013 World Championships Petrounias placed ninth during qualifications and did not advance to the final.In early 2014 Petrounias competed at the 2014 European Championships where he placed sixth on rings. Later that year at the World Championships he once again placed sixth on rings.
In April 2015, Petrounias competed in the 2015 European Championships in Montpellier, France. He won gold during the rings final, scoring 15.866 during the final - 0.300 points ahead of tied silver medalists Samir Aït Saïd of France and Denis Ablyazin of Russia. In June he competed at the inaugural European Games where he won gold on rings ahead of Nikita Ignatyev and Çolak.
In late 2015 Petrounias competed in the 2015 World Championships in Glasgow. He qualified for the rings final in first place, scoring 15.900. During the final, Petrounias won his first World Title on ring with a scored 15.800; You Hao of China was the silver medalist, followed by bronze medalist Liu Yang of China.
In May 2016, Petrounias attended the 2016 European Championships in Bern, Switzerland. He qualified in first place for the rings final, scoring 15.700.
Petrounias was the Olympic torch relay originating torchbearer after its ignition at Olympia on 21 April 2016, and he has a further distinction of being the first Greek gymnast selected in modern Olympics torch relay history.
At the 2016 Olympic Games Petrounias won the gold medal on rings ahead of Arthur Zanetti of Brazil and Denis Ablyazin of Russia.
2017–2021
In April 2017, Petrounias competed at the 2017 European Championships at the Polyvalent Hall in Cluj-Napoca, Romania. During the competition Petrounias secured his third European Championship rings title, scoring 15.433 during the final - above silver medalist Courtney Tulloch of Great Britain, who scored 15.066, and bronze medalist Igor Radivilov of Ukraine, who scored 15.033.In late 2017 Petrounias competed at the 2017 World Championships in Montreal. Petrounias successfully defended his World title on rings, scoring 15.433 during the final - 0.100 points above Denis Abliazin of Russia, who won silver, and 0.167 points above Liu Yang of China, who won bronze.
Petrounias won the gold medal on rings at the 2018 European Championships in Glasgow despite a shoulder injury.
At the 2018 World Championships in Doha Petrounias successfully defended his title and earned his third World Championship gold on rings with a score of 15.366. Arthur Zanetti, the 2012 Olympic champion on rings, earned the silver and Marco Lodadio earned bronze.
Petrounias competed at the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo, where he was also the flag bearer of Greek team along with Greek shooter Anna Korakaki. He won bronze on rings behind Chinese athletes Liu Yang and You Hao.
2022–2024
At the 2022 European Championships in Munich Petrnounias won his sixth European title on rings, ahead of Adem Asil and Courtney Tulloch.At the 2023 European Championships Petrounias won bronze behind Adem Asil and Vahagn Davtyan.
Petrounias competed at the 2023 World Championships in Antwerp. He won silver on rings, once again sharing a podium with Chinese athletes Liu and You. As the highest ranking athlete on rings not part of a qualified team, Petrounias qualified as an individual to the 2024 Olympic Games.
At the 2024 European Championships Petrnounias won his seventh European title on rings.
Petrounias competed at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris. He won bronze on rings behind Chinese athletes Liu Yang and Zou Jingyuan. In doing so, Petrounias became the first person to win three medals on rings at the Olympic Games.