Seven talented athletes from Cyprus have received important Olympic scholarships. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) gave these awards. This shows a strong belief in the future of sports in Cyprus. These athletes are training for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games. The scholarships will help them prepare better for competitions. This program is part of the IOC's Olympic Solidarity. It shows Cyprus is becoming more important in international athletics.
The athletes compete in different track and field events. They have all shown great skill and good results. Elena Koulichenko is a high jumper. She broke national records. She also finished seventh at the Paris 2024 Olympics. She is ranked well globally. This makes her a strong candidate for future Olympic medals.
Sprinter Olivia Fotopoulou is also a recipient. She holds the national record for the 100 metres. She has reached semi-finals at major events. She won a silver medal at the European Games in 2023. Her sister, Filippa Fotopoulou, is a long jumper. She has reached European Championship finals. She finished eighth at the Commonwealth Games in 2022.
Other talented athletes include Valentina Savva. She is a hammer thrower. She broke national records. She is the first Cypriot woman to throw over 70 metres. She won a silver medal at the World Under-20 Championships. Styliana Ioannidou is another high jumper. She won a bronze medal at the World Under-20 Championships.
The male athletes are also strong. Iosif Kesidis is a hammer thrower. He set an under-23 national record. He won gold medals at the World Under-20 Championships. He also won gold at the European Under-23 Championships. Petros Michailidis competes in the shot put. He achieved a personal best this year. He has also won medals at regional championships.
The Cyprus Olympic Committee helped choose these athletes. They worked with Olympic Solidarity. The scholarships provide money for training and travel. They also offer expert advice. These seven athletes show Cyprus's growing role in athletics. It is a commitment to support talented athletes.