The incredible Thodoris Tselidis has given Greece its first medal at the Paris Olympic Games by winning the bronze medal in the 90kg judo repechage final, defeating Spain’s Tristani Mosaklisvili 1-0.

In his first Olympic appearance, having missed out in 2021 due to injuries, Tselidis was spectacular, securing four wins out of five matches, with his only loss coming in the quarterfinal against France’s Abu in “golden score.”

“I will try to win the medal for Greece,” Tselidis stated minutes after his elimination, and he made good on his promise. Even after eliminating the category favorite Nemanja Majdov in the Round of 16…

After defeating Aram Grigoryan in his first repechage match, Tselidis faced Spain’s Mosaklisvili in the bronze medal bout. Despite being considered the underdog, Tselidis triumphed with another stunning performance, winning 1-0. Following each victory, he embraced and consoled his opponents.

A truly remarkable athlete, Tselidis has battled numerous severe injuries since 2018, including a torn ACL. His perseverance was rewarded today with this significant achievement.

Tselidis: Proud to Have Won a Medal for My Country – The Happiest Day of My Life

Shortly after his match, Tselidis expressed his joy over the bronze medal, though he also voiced some disappointment at not achieving a higher finish.

“I am glad I kept my word,” he said in the mixed zone, reflecting on his promise after the lost quarterfinal. “My dream has come true, and it is the happiest day of my life,” he added emotionally. “I believed I could go even higher… But what happened, happened, and I am happy with the bronze. I am proud to have won this medal for my country!”

When asked about the most crucial match of the day, his answer was surprising. He did not mention his major upset against Serbia’s Majdov or his lost quarterfinal but highlighted his first repechage match against Aram Grigoryan. “For me, it was the most important match because he is a very good friend.”

The Brightest Day for the Greek Delegation in Paris

Until today, Greece had missed several chances for distinction at the Olympics. However, Tselidis’s medal brought significant joy, on a day full of positive results for Greece.

The rowing events provided the initial excitement, with three successful qualifications for the finals.

Christina Bourbou and Evangelia Anastasiadou advanced to the women’s pair final, securing third place in their heat. This marks Greece’s second consecutive final in women’s pair at the Olympics, following Bourbou’s qualification in Tokyo 2021 with Maria Kyridou.

Later, Antonis Papakonstantinou and Petros Gaidatzis also advanced to the lightweight men’s double sculls final, securing second place in their semifinal behind Italy, ensuring their spot in the top six in their first Olympic appearance.

The trio of successes was completed by Zoe Fitsiou and Milena Kontou, who finished second in their lightweight women’s double sculls semifinal with a time of 6:57.90, earning one of three final spots.

At the Olympic Velodrome in eastern Paris, Stefanos Tsitsipas reached the Olympic quarterfinals for the first time in his career. He came back to defeat Argentina’s Baez and will face Novak Djokovic, the player who defeated him in the 2021 Grand Slam final at Roland Garros, in the quarterfinals.

In swimming, Apostolos Christou celebrated his qualification to a second final in Paris. After narrowly missing a bronze in the 100m backstroke, Christou set a personal record of 1:56.33 in the 200m backstroke semifinals, placing fourth overall.

Christou will compete in the 200m backstroke final on Thursday (1/8) at 21:38.

Nineteen-year-old Apostolos Siskos did not match his personal best and finished 14th in the 200m backstroke semifinals with a time of 1:57.77, failing to advance.

Georgia Damasio concluded her participation in the 200m butterfly with a time of 2:10.25 in the semifinals, ranking 15th overall, after setting a national record of 2:09.55 in the preliminaries.

The women’s water polo team lost 10-8 to Spain, marking their second defeat in Group B. They must win against Italy on Friday (2/8, 16:35) to secure a quarterfinal spot.

Byron Kokkalanis finished 17th in the tenth race of the Windsurfing (IQFoil class) competition, maintaining 21st place overall with 125 penalty points.

Panagiotis Gionis’s journey in the men’s singles table tennis ended in the Round of 32, losing 4-2 to American Kanak Jha in his sixth Olympic appearance.

Elisavet Teltsidou did not advance in the women’s 70kg judo, losing by Ippon to Belgium’s Gabriella Willems.