Cypriot hammer thrower Iosif Kesidis is among the three finalists for the ‘Rising Star’ award of the European Athletics Federation. Cyprus Amateur Athletics Association (KOEAS) said in an announcement that this distinction ‘is a huge honor for Cypriot athletics.’
It said that the European Athletics Federation announced on Tuesday the three finalists for the ‘Rising Star’ award, based on the voting of its member federations, a committee of athletics experts, journalists and the public, each with a 25% share in the overall vote.
Kesidis, it adds, World U20 hammer leader (6kg), with this year’s top world performance – 82.80m – and sixth all-time best, ‘received international recognition for his great talent, making KOEAS proud’ as well as Pafos Korivos Gymnastics Association, his coach, Panikos Charalambous and his family.
‘I am very happy to be among the top three teenagers of the year in Europe’, Kesidis said, according to KOEAS. Kesidis was invited by the European Federation to attend the ‘Golden Tracks’
awards ceremony, in Skopje on October 26 during which the top athletes of the year in Europe will be announced, in the men, women, teenagers and young adults categories.
Kesidis said that 2024 has been his ‘best year so far’, ‘and I’m looking forward to the ones to come, as now I will be able to focus exclusively on the men’s hammer, with the 2028 Olympics in mind as a long-term goal’, he added, noting, however, that he did not expect this distinction.
According to KOEAS, decathlon athlete Tomas Jarvinen from Czechia, and runner Nils Laros from the Netherlands are the two other athletes nominated for the ‘Rising Star’ award along with Kesidis.
Source: Cyprus News Agency