Kyriakos Ioannou

Kyriakos Ioannou
Personal information
Born (1984-07-26) 26 July 1984
Limassol, Cyprus
Height 1.93 m (6 ft 4 in)
Weight 66 kg (146 lb)
Sport
Country Cyprus
Event(s) High jump
Achievements and titles
Personal best(s) 2.35 m
2.32 m (indoors)

Kyriakos Ioannou (Greek: Κυριάκος Ιωάννου; born 26 July 1984) is a Cypriot high jumper. He's a three-time world championships medalist (Osaka 2007, Valencia 2008 & Berlin 2009), the only medalist for Cyprus since the creation of the Championships in 1983. He's also the Cypriot record holder, both outdoors (2.35 m) and indoor (2.32 m). Ioannou took the gold medal at 2005 and 2009 Mediterranean Games.

Biography

His personal best jump and Cypriot national record is 2.35 metres, achieved at the 2007 World Championships held in Osaka where he won the bronze medal. He became the first World Championships medalist from Cyprus.[1] Two years later, at the 2009 World Championships in Berlin, he won the silver medal (2,32 m), only beaten by Yaroslav Rybakov. He also took the bronze medal at the 2008 World Indoor Championships and finished 4th two years later at the same competition in Doha.

His best jump, outdoors in 2010, came at Lausanne on July 8, when he took third place with a jump of 2.30. Doha, 6 May: Ioannou began his outdoor season at the first Diamond League meet in Doha, Qatar, on Friday 6 May. He and American Jesse Williams set a new Meet Record of 2.33 (7' 8") when each cleared on their third attempts. After both failed at 2.35, Williams was the winner on the basis of his first jump clearance at 2.31.[2]

Injured, he didn't come in the qualifying rounds at the World Championships in Daegu where he was one the favourite for a medal.

In 2012, still injured, he arrived to qualifying to the Olympic final in London where he finished 12th with 2.20 m. The following year, he didn't compete. Back in 2014 at the Commonwealth Games, Ioannou wins the silver medal with a SB of 2.28 m. Derek Drouin of Canada takes gold (2.31 m).

In March 2015, Ioannou makes the final of the European Indoor Athletics Championships but didn't arrived to make any jump due to an injury. In June, he makes the olympic standards by clearing 2.29 m.

In February 2016, for his first competition of the year, the Cypriot equals his own indoor national record made in 2008 (and equaled by Dimitrios Chondrokoukis in 2015) by clearing 2.32 m in Hustopeče on his third try.

Competition record

Year Competition Venue Position Notes
Representing  Cyprus
2001 World Youth Championships Debrecen, Hungary 29th (q) 1.90 m
2002 World Junior Championships Kingston, Jamaica 18th (q) 2.12 m
2003 European Junior Championships Tampere, Finland 6th 2.15 m
2004 Olympic Games Athens, Greece 19th (q) 2.25 m
2005 European Indoor Championships Madrid, Spain 18th (q) 2.18 m
Games of the Small States of Europe Andorra la Vella, Andorra 1st 2.18 m
Mediterranean Games Almería, Spain 1st 2.24 m
European U23 Championships Erfurt, Germany 4th 2.27 m
World Championships Helsinki, Finland 10th 2.25 m
2006 Commonwealth Games Melbourne, Australia 3rd 2.23 m
2007 World Championships Osaka, Japan 3rd 2.35 m (NR)
Universiade Bangkok, Thailand 2nd 2.26 m
2008 World Indoor Championships Valencia, Spain 3rd 2.30 m
Olympic Games Beijing, China 18th (q) 2.25 m
2009 European Indoor Championships Turin, Italy 2nd 2.29 m
Games of the Small States of Europe Nicosia, Cyprus 1st 2.25 m
Mediterranean Games Pescara, Italy 1st 2.30 m
World Championships Berlin, Germany 2nd 2.32 m
2010 World Indoor Championships Doha, Qatar 4th 2.28 m
2012 European Championships Helsinki, Finland 21st (q) 2.15 m
Olympic Games London, United Kingdom 13th 2.20 m
2014 Commonwealth Games Glasgow, United Kingdom 2nd 2.28 m
2015 European Indoor Championships Prague, Czech Republic 7th (q) 2.28 m1
2016 European Championships Amsterdam, Netherlands 10th (q) 2.25 m1
Olympic Games Rio de Janeiro, Brazil 7th 2.29 m

1No mark in the final

References

  1. "Cyprus gets its first ever medal winner at worlds". Kathimerini. Agence France-Presse. 30 Aug 2007. Retrieved 2007-08-30.
  2. iaaf.org, News, 6 May 2011, "Ten world leads in Doha’s flag-waving opener – Samsung Diamond League"; accessed 7 May 2011.
Sporting positions
Preceded by
Andrey Silnov
Men's High Jump Best Year Performance
alongside Donald Thomas, Yaroslav Rybakov and Stefan Holm

2007
Succeeded by
Andrey Silnov
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