OUR Apostolos to Christat a recent international meeting “Acropolis”, held in the OAKA, won a “ticket” for Olympic Games in Paris and completed the “frame” in the Greek qualifying tournaments.

For our 26 year old champion it will be 3^V his participation in the largest sporting event. With a resume full of honors and records, in a difficult sport he does not… reap the laurels of publicity, because, as he stated on www.kathimerini.gr, “in sports you become famous with an Olympic medal.”

On August 15, 2022, the Apostle Christ became the 3rd^O The Greek who took first place on the podium of the European Championship. He started from the 50m head and the cheer he gave when he saw the result on the light board was as if he had come from Rome and reach Petersburg. Where he had his first contact with… chlorine.

OUR Apostolos to Christ started swimming at the age of seven. His parents, Mr Thomas and Mrs Elpida, enrolled him in Aeolus of Petroupolis and the child began to … count the tiles in the pool. At first he did not like this sport, but the liquid element slowly “enveloped” him with its magic, and it quickly became obvious that the little boy had a talent for something more …

The championship also made sacrifices in his life. Tolis, as his friends call him, saw his classmates live the joys of teenage life, and he himself had to wake up in the morning to train. But now swimming has become part of his daily routine, so he didn’t complain. Gradually, discrimination began. First at the pan-Hellenic, and then at the international level. His first major award was a bronze medal (50m breaststroke) at the European Championships in Poznań in 2013.

A year later, at the European Junior Championships in the Netherlands, he set the junior world record with a time of 54.41. The collection may have grown from 2014 until today, but achieving this world record holds a special place in his heart. “It was something I didn’t expect. Being the fastest teenager in the world is a big achievement,” he told us.

The championship has joys and sorrows. Many times a bad result has forced great talents off the field. Apostolos Christou sometimes faced this dilemma, but his love for swimming was so great that he continued to count the tiles. “There were times when I thought about leaving. Then I looked at the whole picture and said to myself that you should not do something like this because of one bad moment, ”he emphasized.

A few days ago, a qualification was added to the collection of medals and insignia. Olympic Games. will be 3^V his participation. “I am very glad that this goal came during the preparation period and, indeed, in my country. I achieved this time without too much pressure and I feel … relieved that I got rid of it and can devote myself to my preparation,” he told us, and when we asked him about his goal for the upcoming World Championships, he replied: “The event in Fukuoka is the main goal of the year. We want to show a good performance there. I am preparing with the goal of reaching the final, and then, whatever happens, let it be. I will compete in the 50 and 100 meters. I would like to get closer to my time or improve it.

“Hard road to the championship”

Olympic qualifications, medals of international competitions, records. Is there any support from the authorities for a swimmer of this level? “When you are at a high level, there is support to some extent. The most difficult thing for an athlete is the path to a high-level championship,” he told us.

About a year ago he became the champion of Europe. There are dozens of medals and cups in his trophy case. We asked him if it was possible to become recognizable by swimming. “It’s not that easy. It’s an amateur sport. In the field of sports, kids who swim know us. They ask us for a photo or an autograph. It’s only with an Olympic medal that you become famous.”

Greece is steeped in the wet element, but on a sporting level, it is now beginning to create a tradition of excellence in swimming. “We have grown a little, but the competition is very high. In swimming, we gradually become a force to be reckoned with. Steps are being taken in the right direction. If there is good work in small categories, then in the coming years the swimmers of our country will shine in many foreign competitions,” Apostolos Christou stressed.