The 25-year-old gymnast was the first torch bearer in Greece when the flame was initially lit in Olympia in April of 2016, and at the summer Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, he came in second place in the qualification round, earning him a spot in the finals.
In the finals, which was held on August 15, he triumphed with an excellent score of 16.000, (6.800 for difficulty and 9.200 for execution), which was significantly higher than Arthur Zanetti’s final score of 15.766, who was the 2012 Olympic gold medalist from Brazil, and the local favorite to win.
This marks Greece’s second gold medal, and third medal in total, at the 2016 Olympic Games. The first gold was in the Women’s 25 meter shooting, where Anna Korakaki reigned supreme.
Petrounias’ gold medal was the second gold that Greece has ever won in the sport of still rings since Dimosthenis Tampakos took home the gold at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens. Prior to his gold, Tampakos won the silver medal at the Olympic Games in Sydney in 2000.
To learn more about Greek Olympic gold medalist Eleftherios Petrounias, check out his official website and on Facebook.
Photo Credit: Fernando Frazão, Agência Brasil
