Georgiou to get Cypriot athletes underway in Tokyo

As the Olympics in Tokyo get underway (albeit with no spectators and reduced pomp), 23-year-old hopeful Marios Georgiou is Cyprus’ best hope for a medal in the artistic gymnastic events.

Georgiou, who has previously represented Cyprus in both the 2016 Rio Olympics and the 2018 Commonwealth Games – in which he took golds in the floor and parallel bars disciplines and the bronze medal in the individual all-around event – will be competing on Saturday morning (4am Cyprus time) in a bid to secure his place in the final eight.

“I have prepared quite well and I am quite good in terms of my physical condition,” says the young gymnast.

“Though it requires a very high level of concentration and ability to qualify, I’m optimistic that I will get my programs right, and find myself in some finals.”

Georgiou, a resident of Limassol who took up artistic gymnastics in 2003, is accompanied in Tokyo by his coach, Panagiotis Petridis.

“Marios is ready to give it his best and fight to qualify for the finals,” says Petrides. “If he avoids mistakes and everything goes to plan, I think he will succeed. Artistic gymnastics,” he adds, “is an exacting sport and every detail counts.”

24 of the athletes competing in the event will go to the final, scheduled to take place on Wednesday, July 29.

While some of the athletes will take part only in the individual disciplines (which include the floor exercise, pommel horse, rings, vault, parallel bars and horizontal bar), Georgiou hopes his performance across all disciplines may not only secure him a medal in an individual event, but also put him in the running for the men’s all-around final.