The attention of the Cypriot mission to 32s Olympic Games, will be focused on Tuesday at the Tokyo Olympic Stadium, where Eleni Artymata (400m) and Milan Traikovic (110m hurdles) will run in the first round of their competitions. These two athletes are the last to compete in this year's Olympics and their primary goal is to qualify for the next round and beyond that whatever happens.
According to the EAK envoy Argyris Argyrou, the leading Cypriot track and field athlete will be the first to enter the qualifying battle, as the six rows of the first round of the 400m. are part of the breakfast program. Eleni Artymata will run at 6η series from 9ο runway, at 10:25 Tokyo time (04:25 Cyprus time), aiming to find a fast pace and maintain its speed in the very open turns of 9th runway, so that she has enough time, which will secure her a place in the semifinals.
Out of the 8 athletes in her series, Artymata has 5ο best time. The first three (3) from each series and the six (6) best times go to the semifinals. In total, at 400m. 46 athletes are taking part, with Siaune Miller - Wibo from the Bahamas, who has our Savva Panavoglou as her chiropractor, having the best time with 49.08. Eleni Artymata's individual record is 51.14 (pan-Cypriot record) and this year's performance is 51.79.
"I feel quite good, I am used to the conditions and hours here, and I am ready to give my best to fulfill my goal. I have prepared quite well for this race and I just want to apply the tactics I have worked with my coach (s.s. Antonis Giannoulakis), to make the necessary passes, to run according to my abilities and whatever go out ", said among others Eleni Artymata, who will become the first Cypriot athlete with four participations in the Olympic Games.
Asked if she was afraid of the big turns of the ninth treadmill, she said: "There were definitely better treadmills to run, but also worse. That is, I would prefer the outer corridors to the first or the second. I can develop my speed better from the outside than from the inside. Of course, for a long distance it is like running alone, when you are in the outer corridors, for that, the most important thing is to do my race, to run as I know, with the hope of qualifying for the semifinals ".
The first lap of 110m is included at the beginning of the evening program. with men obstacles. Milan Trajkovic placed in the second row, in the 2ndο treadmill, with American Roberts and Jamaican Thomas having the best time of the year with 13.11. The European champion in 2019 in indoor track and 7th Rio Olympian, comes from a difficult year, in which he faced significant injury problems, so his best performance this year is recorded at 13.82. However, lately he trained intensively under the guidance of Andreas Bem and hopes that at 19:18 (13.18 Cyprus time) he will do his best race this year and will be able to advance to the semifinals.
The flag bearer of the Cypriot team at the opening ceremony, was sparing in his positions, before the important race on Tuesday, wanting to stay focused on the big goal of the year. "The preparation went well, I feel okay and we will see tomorrow…", were the only words of the champion, a few hours before his own battle for distinction in Tokyo.
From the five series of the first round, the first four (4) of each series and the four (4) best times advance to the semifinals. In total, at 110m. with men obstacles 42 athletes will take part, among them Costas Douvalidis (5η series). At 4η Antonis Giannoulakis's athlete, Spaniard Orlando Ortega, who is facing some injury problems, will run, as well as Trajkovi συνα's athlete at "Altis", with whom they have the same coach, the Chinese Benjun Xie.
In case of qualification of Eleni Artymata, in the semifinals, these will be held on the night of 4th August (19:30, 13:30 Cyprus time). The paradox happens at 110m. with obstacles, since the athletes will compete in the night in the first round (3/8) and the next day they will run in the morning in the semifinals. If Milan Trajkovic goes to the top 24, then he will run again in one of the three semifinal series on the morning of 4th August (11:00, 05:00 Cyprus time).