Nicosia: Cyprus celebrated its first medals at the 23rd Commonwealth Games in Glasgow after Iosif Kesidis claimed silver in the men's hammer throw and Milan Trajkovic won bronze in the 110 metres hurdles within minutes of each other.
According to Cyprus News Agency, Kesidis produced a best throw of 76.97 metres on his fifth attempt to finish second behind Canada's Olympic champion Ethan Katzberg. The 20-year-old recovered from an opening foul and steadily improved throughout the competition, moving into the medal positions with his second throw and taking second place with his third.
Alexandros Poursanidis, the 2022 Commonwealth bronze medallist, also competed in the hammer final, finishing seventh with a best throw of 66.79 metres.
Shortly afterwards, Trajkovic completed Cyprus' medal double by clocking 13.32 seconds in the 110 metres hurdles final, his best performance of the season and close to the national record of 13.25. Jamaica's Demario Prince won gold in 13.17, while England's Samuel Bennett took silver in 13.30.
The result gave Trajkovic his first Commonwealth medal in four appearances and marked Cyprus' first-ever athletics medal in a track event at the Games. The two podium finishes were also the ninth and tenth medals won by Cypriot athletes in Commonwealth athletics.
After the competition, Kesidis said the silver medal justified years of hard work and training. He explained that the cold conditions had affected his start but that he gradually found his rhythm. He thanked his family, sponsors, supporters and the Cyprus Olympic Committee, while identifying the European Championships in Birmingham and the Mediterranean Games as his next major targets.
Poursanidis admitted that his own performance did not reflect his ability, but said he was delighted for Kesidis, describing a throw close to 77 metres as worthy of a major championship final.
Trajkovic said he had hoped for more than bronze but recognised the significance of winning a medal at 34. He added that he remained determined to compete at another Olympic Games and promised further strong performances.
The hurdler dedicated his medal to his daughter, Amaryllis, whom he described as his source of strength.