The support of the people gives me strength and shows me that I am competing for the whole of Cyprus, said Pavlos Kontides, gold medalist at the European Championships in Hyeres.
In statements at Larnaca airport on his return from Munich, Kontides said that “it was very difficult to be ready mentally and that’s what I am particularly pleased about, that in the end I competed with the English sailor and in the last few heats, when it seemed impossible to win, I didn’t give up and managed to take the gold medal from him.”
Asked about his next steps and goals, the Cypriot sailor said that he will rest for a few days in Cyprus and then “at the beginning of December I will start preparing in Croatia because the 2023 season is very important. We will qualify for the Olympics which will be held in August in the Netherlands, while there are other competitions, the classics and the World Cup in March and April”, adding that “the European Championships will be in early March, so there is no time to rest.”
Kontides thanked all the people who sent messages during the week and continued to send messages “especially after the huge success, and this support shows me that I am not competing for myself but for the whole of Cyprus and this gives me strength.”
“When you love what you do and you have will, vision, patience, perseverance and goals then you can achieve anything,” he noted.
Commenting on the fact that the sea of France has brought him many medals, Kontides said “it’s the Mediterranean, it’s the sea we have in Cyprus and it seems to work for me.”
Source: Cyprus News Agency