Cyprus wrapped up its participation in the 20th Mediterranean Games ‘Taranto 2026’ with seven gold, six silver and five bronze medals, making the Games the most successful in the country’s history.

The 18-medal haul surpassed Cyprus’ previous best performance at the Mediterranean Games and came from a record high delegation of 145 athletes competing in 24 sports.

Cyprus’ participation ended on Wednesday, with Marios Georgiou winning gold in the horizontal bar and silver in the parallel bars. Neofytos Kyriakou also took bronze in the horizontal bar.

According to the Cyprus Olympic Committee, Georgiou has now won nine medals at the Mediterranean Games, making him the most decorated Cypriot athlete in the history of the event.

His four gold medals also make him the first Cypriot athlete to achieve that feat at the Games.

The curtain has now come down on the 20th Mediterranean Games with a ceremony celebrating music, culture and the Mediterranean.

The closing ceremony, titled ‘Mediterraneo in Festa’, was held at the Stadio Erasmo Iacovone in Taranto, the same venue that hosted the opening ceremony.

The event brought together athletes from 26 countries, with more than 4,000 competitors taking part across a wide range of sports.

The ceremony included performances by Rockin’1000, with 260 musicians forming what organisers described as a Mediterranean orchestra. The group performed an hour-long programme featuring well known rock songs.

The Orchestra of Magna Grecia, along with artists and music groups from Puglia, also took part in the ceremony.

Organisers said the artistic programme aimed to highlight the cultural identity of Puglia and Taranto and the city’s historic links with the Mediterranean.

The Youth Orchestra of Magna Grecia was also involved, reflecting its role in the cultural and educational life of the region.

The ceremony also included the formal handover of the Mediterranean Games flag to Kosovo, which will host the next edition of the event.

The successful campaign ended a 10-day sporting event that brought together competitors from across the Mediterranean and gave Cyprus its most successful Games to date.