The third Olympic medal was added to his incomparable collection by the magnificent Lefteris Petrounias: bronze, as three years ago in Tokyo. His first, in 2016 in Rio, was gold.
The 34-year-old “lord of hoops” shared the hoops podium with two athletes from Chinaas well as in 2021.
The two Chinese started the final with a show of strength: 15,233 Zhu Jingyuan, 15,300 Tokyo Olympic gold medalist Liu Yang. Petrounias followed, with a program he had highest degree of difficulty and ideal landing, with the feet “nailed” to the mat. His score put him in third place with 15,100 (6,300 for difficulty, 8,800 for execution) and the excruciating wait began.
The Belgian Glenn Coyle… fumbled on landing and stayed too low (13,833). The remarkable Turk Adm Asilwho was feared by the coach of Petrounias, Dimitris Raftis took him 14,966. The French Samir Ait Saidwho had the support of 12,000 fans at “Bersy”, took 15.000 and climbed fourth.
And somewhere there the celebrations began, since the last two athletes in the final were of a lower level: 14,800 the British Harry Hepworth and 14,866 the Armenian Vahan Davtian. Petrounias, who watched the efforts of his fellow athletes standing up, will proudly climb the podium in the finale of today’s program.
The “lord of the rings” was lost in the arms of the coach and his own people as soon as the match was over. “Hello Greece,” he shouted to the cameras.
THE Lefteris Petrounias brought the fifth Olympic medal for Greece, after the silver of Apostle Christou at 200m. supine, the two bronze in rowing with Papaconstantinou/Gaidatzis and Kontos/Fitsiou but also of Theodorou Tselidis in judo.
Lefteris Petrounias: His performance in the final
The ranking of the final
Yang Liu – 15,300
Jingyuan Zhou – 15,233
Lefteris Petrounias – 15,100
Samir Ait Said – 15,000
Adem Asil – 14,966
Vahangk Davtian – 14,866
Harry Hepworth – 14,800
Glen Coyle – 13,833
“I’m 33. Next time (Olympic Games in Los Angeles in 2028) I’ll be 37. I’ll definitely do a competition for a few months and come back. The code of gymnastics is changing in my favor,” said the “Lord of the Rings” Lefteris.
He said, in this regard:
“I definitely need a good break to spend a little more time that I would like to spend with my children, my family, my mother, my brother, my people and of course the Basilica.
But nothing stops here. The Armenian athlete is 37 years old and very strong. He was in the final of the Olympic Games and although he did not have the degree of difficulty he could have claimed an even better position.
He is very good and very stable even though he is 37, I am 33. Next time I will be 37. I will definitely take a competitive break for a few months and come back. The code of gymnastics is changing in my favor.
Fortunately for me, the exercises are reduced and all the programs will be easier for me because I am getting older, so I will be able to do an excellent performance with 8 exercises versus 10 exercises (…).
We will see my opponents this year when I will be a little more out of competitive activity and we will build a program that will be unbeatable.”
#Lefteris #Petrounias #great #Bronze #rings #medal #Greece #Video
