The three-time Paralympic gold medalist of Cyprus, Karolina Pelendritou, and flag bearer of the Cypriot National Paralympic Committee mission to the 17th Paralympic Games, Paris 2024, today opens the competitive “dance” in this Paralympics for the Cypriot team.
The leading Cypriot swimmer in the history of the Paralympic Games competes today at noon, at the Paris La Défense Arena, in the 50m qualifiers. free in category S11. 16 gymnasts take part in the event, who have been divided into 2 qualifying series of 8. Karolina Pelendritou competes in the 2nd. The match is expected to start, according to the organizers' schedule, at 11:46 local time (12:46 Cyprus time). The athletes with the 8 fastest times will advance to the final.
Carolina's aim is to record one of the eight best times to advance to the final which will take place that evening (20:41 local time, 21:41 Cyprus time), in the hope of a second consecutive podium finish .
Carolina's coaches are Stelios Kakavoiannis and Ioannis Alexakis.
Karolina Pelendritou will re-enter the Paris La Défense Arena on September 5, this time competing in the 100m breaststroke. The qualifiers will take place in the morning and the final will be held in the afternoon of the same day. 11 athletes take part in the competition and the 8 with the fastest times will advance to the final.
Carolina will compete in the 1st qualifying round and the competition will start at 10:19 local time (11:19 Paris time ). The final is set for 18:24 local time (19:24 Cyprus time).
It is Karolina Pelendritou's 6th participation in the Paralympics and the same number of medals she has won.
< p>Details of Carolina's Paralympic Games medals:
The beginning was made at the Paralympic Games in Athens in 2004. In the country that gave birth to the Olympic Games, Carolina won the Gold medal in the 100m breaststroke and the National Anthem of Cyprus was heard for the first time at a Paralympic Games.
In Beijing. in 2008 Carolina proved that the success four years earlier was not just a fluke. In addition to the gold in the 100 meters breaststroke, he also won the bronze in the 200 meters.
In London 2012 Carolina continued the successes. She gave Cyprus another medal, this time the silver in the 100m breaststroke.
At the Paralympic Games in Rio 2016, Carolina touched the medal again, but she finished in 4th place, but this made her even more stubborn and at the Paralympics of Tokyo 2021 (2020) Carolina raised Cyprus to the highest step again. The national anthem was played again there in distant Japan, spreading pride throughout Cyprus. Bronze medal in the 50m and gold in the 100m breaststroke, making her Paralympic medals six in total (3 gold, 1 silver and 2 bronze).
The world record and the Paralympic record in the 50m. Ma Jia from China has held the freestyle since August 29, 2021, at the Tokyo Paralympics, with a time of 29.20.
The world record in the 100m breaststroke has been held since April 23, 2024, in the city of Funchal, Portugal , Lukianenko Daria from Russia with a time of 1:17.65, while the Paralympic record has been held since September 1, 2021, in Tokyo, with a time of 1:19.78 by Karolina Pelendritou.
