The first historic medal at the Olympic Games comes to Cyprus from the sport of sailing. Pavlos Kontidis writes his name in "golden" letters in the history of Cypriot sports, winning the silver medal in the Laser category in London.
Upon arrival in Cyprus, at Larnaca airport…
The athlete was crowned with a laurel wreath, while fire trucks formed a water arch for the Cyprus Airways plane that transported him from the British capital. In fact, many citizens gathered at the airport, reserving a warm welcome. They rhythmically cheered his name and held a large banner with the slogan "Thank you Paul, you made us proud". Pavlos Kontidis was born on February 11, 1990 in Limassol. He started sailing when he was 9 years old and at the Pancyprian Junior Laser Championship in 2003, he got his first victory. At the age of 15 he was included for the first time in the world ranking of Lasers, as No. 541 in the world, while at the age of 18 he entered the 100th (No. 96) for the first time and competed in the Beijing Olympics, occupying the 13th place.
In August 2009…
Kontidis climbed to No. 8 in the world, while in June 2011, he reached No. 6. In August 2010 he took 5th place at the World Laser Championship in the English Channel. He won the silver medal at the London Olympics. At the same time, he became the first modern Cypriot athlete to win an Olympic medal with the colors of Cyprus. (In 1896 the Cypriot Ioannis Fragoudis had won a gold, a silver and a bronze medal by participating with Greece).
Pavlos has since won many medals and in 2017, he is in the 1st place of the world ranking (ISAF Rankings). These days, he is in Denmark, at the World Sailing Championships, claiming his qualification for the Tokyo Olympics. It is also important to mention that the Cyprus Post chose to honor Pavlos Kontidis with the issuance of the € 0,34 Cents stamp.
The Cypriot athlete also stands out for his ethos and principles. He is simple, kind and always willing to help everyone who needs him.
Pavlos Kontidis mentions in ant1ıwo:
"August 2012… There are no words to describe all those feelings… I felt the greatest emotion when I saw our flag so high. It was definitely the most beautiful day of my life!
I remember that on August 4, my father took a photo of me and the blood was visible from my wounded finger. This shows how hard I worked until I succeeded. I fought with all my soul and I thank all those who believed in me, all those who were by my side.
My dream is to fill the seas of our Cyprus with sails. It is unfair with such a beautiful sun that we have, such a beautiful sea and such pleasant weather, that more and more young people do not go sailing. When I quit sports I aim to help young children to love and engage in this sport.
To all the young people of our place…
I hope they never stop dreaming and setting goals. Without dreams and goals, humans look like robots that do everything mechanically. We have to fight until we reach our goal and if we do not succeed, we have to try again and again.
I never said the word "failure" but I always said "side effects" that if you try again, you will definitely succeed.
to reach your goal, this is my motto. "Always dream and fight for them, that's the only way we live!"