Cypriot judoka Sofia Asvesta has officially secured her place in the upcoming 2024 Paris Olympics.

On Tuesday the International Judo Federation (IJF) announced that Asvesta’s 28th place in the Olympic standings officially guarantee her participation to the Olympic Games in Paris.

Asvesta’s qualification marks the culmination of a challenging two-year journey that began in June 2022. The final announcement of all judokas who will compete in Paris is expected on June 23, when the qualification period officially closes.

“Sofia’s success is an example for all Cypriot judokas,” the president of the Cyprus Judo Federation Sotos Trikomitis said.

“Her qualification has paved the way for future successes of Cypriot judo on the international stage.”

Trikomitis’ words were echoed by the federation’s technical director Christos Christodoulides, who highlighted the significance of Asvesta’s achievement.

“It was a long-term goal, and the obstacles were immense,” he said. “But through these challenges, we have all become stronger and more resilient. We are proud that Sofia has led our final push towards Olympic qualification.”

He also noted that aside from Asvesta, six other Cypriot champions were close to qualifying, namely Petros Christodoulides, Giorgos Balarjishvili, Yiannis Antoniou, Kyprianos Andreou, Georgios Kroussaniotakis, and Janet Michailidou.

Christodoulides also thanked the Cyprus Olympic Committee and the Cyprus Sports Organisation for their support.

“The excellent cooperation and financial support programmes offered by both bodies also played a significant role.”