Nicosia: The Cypriot athletes returned back home from the 77th Balkan Athletics Championships, which took place in Greece, with five medals.
According to Cyprus News Agency, Cyprus reached its average of five medals in Balkan Championships, with its athletes winning two silver and three bronze medals.
The silver medals were won by twin sisters Olivia and Philippa Fotopoulos, with Olivia finishing 2nd in the 200m race and Philippa taking 2nd place in the long jump with 6.65m.
The two girls are also the athletes with the most overall medals at the Balkan Championships (including among men), with Olivia Fotopoulou winning nine (2-5-2) and Philippa Fotopoulou six (0-4-2).
After three gold medals, Milan Trajkovic won his first bronze in the 110m hurdles with a time of 13.75, and is the Cypriot male athlete with the most Balkan medals (4), along with Apostolos Parellis, but remains first overall in gold ones (3), according to Cyprus News Agency.
Twenty-year-old Valentina Savva won her third consecutive Balkan bronze medal in hammer throw (69.21m).
Grigoris Nikolaou won a bronze medal after landing for the first time over 16 meters in the triple jump, recording the 6th best performance of all time with 16.05m, the same as his coach Elias Agapiou, Cyprus News Agency said.
In total, Cyprus News Agency, in its 10 appearances at the Balkan Athletics Championships, has celebrated 50 medals – 14 gold, 17 silver, and 19 bronze – won by 23 male and female athletes.