Cypriot athletes have been competing in the Olympic Games since they were revived in 1896, despite wars and numerous other obstacles, showing the world that the Olympic spirit cannot be contained.
For 84 years, Cyprus competed under the Greek flag, preparing for the Olympics through gymnastics associations, ushered in by British colonial rule.
In 1892, ‘Olympia’ was set up in Limassol and was followed by ‘Pankypria’ in Nicosia in 1894 and ‘Zenon’ in Larnaca and ‘Koroivos’ in Paphos in 1896, all with the purpose of maintaining ties with Greece and passing Greek education to the Cypriot athletes.
“The Olympic spirit began to be cultivated and nurtured deeply in Cyprus and the aim was from then on the participation in the first modern Olympic Games in 1896 in Athens,” the Amateur Athletic Association of Cyprus (Koeas) says in a historical review of Cyprus’ track and field in the Olympics.
Competitions were held in Cyprus to choose the best athletes to represent the island at the Athens 1896 Olympics. They then went on to compete in Greece for a place on the Greek Olympic team.
The first modern Olympic Games were held in Athens in 1896, with Cyprus participating under the Greek flag with three athletes – Anastasis Andreou in the 110m hurdles, Ioannis Frangoudes in shooting and Aristeidis Constantinides in cycling.
Cyprus rejoined the Greek team at the fourth Olympics, in London 1908, with track and field athlete Georgios Skoutarides.
British colonial rule in Cyprus made training for the Olympics difficult. This, coupled with Greek domestic competition for a place in the Games and the repercussions of World War I, left Cyprus out.
In Paris 1924, Cyprus reappeared with track and field athletes Ioannis Talianos and Costas Pantelides. Both also ran the relay race in the Greek team, which reached the semi-finals.
Amsterdam 1928 – the first games to allow female athletes to compete – saw Costas Petrides and Renos Frangoudes in track and field competitions.
In Los Angeles 1932 Cyprus participated with Renos Frangoudes and in Berlin 1936 with Renos Frangoudes, Domnitsa Lanitou and Stelios Kyriakides, who ten years later would go on to the win the Boston marathon.
World War II put a halt on the Olympics, with 1940 and 1944 being cancelled. The Games resumed in London 1948, with Domnista Lanitou Kavounidou and Stelios Kyriakides from Cyprus.
Munich 1972 went down in history for the terrorist attack against the Israeli team. The Cypriot team comprised Stavros Tziortzis, who finished sixth in the 400m hurdles final, Loucas Louca, Lakis Psimolofitis and Kyriacos Onisiforou.

In Montreal 1976, Stavros Tziortzis, Maroulla Lambrou and Panayiotis Hadjistathis joined the Greek team.
Moscow 1980 was the last time Cyprus participated under the Greek flag, with athletes Lambros Kefalas and Maroulla Lambrou closing the 84-year-old chapter.
From then onwards, Cyprus had its own Olympic committee and participated as an independent state.
Cyprus’ track and field, which had been under the Greek association for over 90 years, set up Koeas in 1983 and was formally recognised by World Athletics (then Iaaf) in 1984, during the Los Angeles Games.
In Los Angeles 1984, Cyprus competed with track and field athletes Demetris Araouzos, Philippos Philippou and flag-bearer Marios Kassianides.
Cyprus went to Seoul 1988 with Marios Hadjiandreou, Maroulla Lambrou Teloni, Spyros Spyrou and Andri Avraam, with the latter breaking two Cyprus records in the 3,000m and 10,000m.
In Barcelona 1992, Cyprus counted five athletes in track and field – Marios Hadjiandreou, Yiannis Zisimides, Photis Stephani, Andri Avraam and Elli Evangelidou.
Atlanta 1996 was an historical year for the Olympics, marking 100 years from the first modern Games in Athens, which had its hopes dashed that it would be hosting the centenary event.
Cyprus competed in five disciplines with 17 athletes, eight of which were in track and field.
Anninos Marcoullides reached the semi-finals in the 100m. Yiannis Zisimides, Prodromos Katsantonis, Evripides Demosthenous, brothers Elias and Michalis Louca, Loucas Spyrou and Dora Kyriakou completed the track and field team.
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