Five young Cypriot track and field athletes are now among the world’s top 20 in their respective events at U18 level, according to the Cyprus Amateur Athletic Association (KOEAS).
Marina Hadjicosta led the way, ending the year at the top of the world U18 rankings in the discus with a throw of 56.54 metres, KOEAS said in a statement.
Hadjicosta also enjoyed major success at international level, winning gold at the European U18 Championships and bronze at the World U20 Championships. She is also ranked 13th in the world in the U18 shot put with 14.63m, a mark she achieved at the Cyprus Championships.
World hammer throw
Anthi Apostolidou and Anastasios Maratheftis also feature prominently in the world hammer throw rankings.
Apostolidou is fifth in the world with the 4kg hammer, with a throw of 58.57m, and 14th with the 3kg hammer, with 64.88m.
Maratheftis is sixth in the world with the senior men’s 7.26kg hammer, with a throw of 56.51m, and 18th with the 5kg hammer, with 71.70m.
Two athletes born in 2011 are also among the world’s top 20.
Notable Cypriot performances
Marios Panayiotou is ranked 15th in the 200m with a time of 20.96 seconds, a new Cyprus U18 and U20 record. Among athletes born in 2011 or later, his time is the second fastest in the world and the fastest in Europe.
Marilena Papanikolaou is 13th in the long jump with 6.20m, a new Cyprus U18 record. Among athletes born in 2011 or later, her mark is the third best in both the world and Europe.
KOEAS also highlighted several other notable Cypriot performances in 2026. Katerina Karagianni ran 11.64 seconds in the 100m, placing her 55th in the world and 12th in Europe, while Andreas Savva clocked 13.75 seconds in the 110m hurdles, ranking 55th in the world and 25th in Europe. Panayiotou is also ranked 78th in the world in the 100m with a time of 10.55 seconds.
According to KOEAS, the rankings were based on the leading performances recorded worldwide and in Europe during the year, while several of the athletes will remain eligible for the U18 category in 2027.
Source: CNA
