Bisbikou, Limpanavnos Win Greek Titles

Stefani Bisbikou and Christos Lympanovnos won the senior women's and men's all-around titles, respectively, at the Greek Championships that took place March 3-4 in Thessaloniki.

Bisbikou, who finished 15th all-around at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, successfully defended her title. She had the highest score of the all-around on balance beam, but fell in the event final and placed fourth.

"I am very satisfied with my performance in all-around, but not so in the apparatus finals," Bisbikou said. "Anyway, it is still the beginning of the season and I was not perfectly ready, because of some injury problems. At the Europeans (in April), I will aim to make it to the balance beam final and then fight for the best result possible. Also, I will try to get a good place in the all-around final."

Viktoria Tsakalidou took the all-arouund silver medal, ahead of first=yeat senior Maria Parsantanian, who placed fourth on vault at the 2006 Junior European Championships.

2000 Olympian Vasiliki Milloussi, who had not competed in the Greek Championships since 2003, finished seventh all-around and first on balance beam. Milloussi, who competed at the 2006 World Championships, said she is carefully proceeding with her return to the top level.

"My coaches, Anastasia and Olivia Donti, convinced me that (a comeback) was worth doing, and I felt that I still had some more things to offer to the sport," she said. "I am not thinking about the 2008 Olympics yet. I just want to be helpful to the team and give a good performance at the European Championships. One step at a time."

In the senior men's competition, five-time champion Vlasios Maras competed on four events only because of an ankle sprain. He won individual titles on pommel horse and high bar.

Lympanovnos, who took the all-around title for the first time, said he was pleased with his performance and his all-around victory.

"As it was the first competition of the season, I had set a target of reaching 90 points, and I made it," he said. "My aim at the Europeans will be a good placing in the all-around final."

Lympanovnos's coach, Thanassis Kosmidis, had two additional reasons to celebrate: his older son, Xenophon Kosmidis, finished second in the senior men's all-around; and his younger son, Lefteris Kosmidis, won the junior men's all-around.

Maras, a two-time world champion on high bar, said he was cautious to avoid performing on floor exercise and vault because of his ankle injury.

"I always tried to compete in the national championships all-around, even if sometimes I was injured," he said. "However, this time it was a last-minute injury and it was not possible for me to take such a risk and compete, given the fact that there are more important competitions coming up. In the European Championships, I will try to do well on high bar, as well as on vault, as I believe that I will have plenty of time to recover from my ankle sprain. Of course, I will also compete in the all-around, seeing it mostly as a test towards the World Championships."

Maras won high bar in Thessaloniki, in spite of a fall in the event final.

"I felt tired in Sunday's final," Maras said. "I still need to work on my new routine, as I lost some practice time because of injuries. However, I am confident that I will be perfectly ready at the right moment."

Vasilis Tsolakidis, the 2002 European champion on parallel bars, did well on that event during the all-around, but skipped Sunday's apparatus finals in order to rest for the upcoming French International (March 16-17 in Paris). Six Greek men and four women are scheduled to compete in Paris.

2004 Olympic rings champion Dimosthenis Tambakos did not compete, because he is still working on his new rings routine.

"His 'A' score will have a Start Value of at least 7.00 and he is planning to have it perfectly ready for September's Worlds," IG Greek correspondent Stelios Karaoglanidis said, "although it is possible that he will make it in time for the Europeans."

2007 Greek Championships
March 3-4, Thessaloniki

Senior Women's All-Around
1. Stefani Bisbikou (Proteas Egaleo) 57.750
2. Viktoria Tsakalidou (Panthessalonikios) 57.250
3. Maria Parsantanian (Spartakos Thessalonikis) 55.550
4. Despina Grigoriadou (Diagoras Ambelokipon) 55.450
5. Evgenia Zafiraki (Irini Peristeriou) 54.750
6. Vasiliki Georgakopoulou (Irini Peristeriou) 54.250
7. Vasiliki Milloussi (GS Kallitheas) 52.700
8. Elisavet Mitrakou (Spartakos Thessalonikis) 49.200

Senior Women's Vault
1. Maria Parsantanian (Spartakos Thessalonikis) 14.037
2. Viktoria Tsakalidou (Panthessalonikios) 14.012
3. Evgenia Zafiraki (Irini Peristeriou) 13.412

Senior Women's Uneven Bars
1. Evgenia Zafiraki (Irini Peristeriou) 14.175
2. Stefani Bisbikou (Proteas Egaleo) 13.925
3. Despina Grigoriadou (Diagoras Ambelokipon) 13.875

Senior Women's Balance Beam
1. Vasiliki Milloussi (GS Kallitheas) 15.775
2. Despina Grigoriadou (Diagoras Ambelokipon) 15.075
3. Maria Parsantanian (Spartakos Thessalonikis) 14.875

Senior Women's Floor Exercise
1. Maria Parsantanian (Spartakos Thessalonikis) 14.300
2. Evgenia Zafiraki (Irini Peristeriou) 13.900
3. Viktoria Tsakalidou (Panthessalonikios) 13.600

Junior Women's All-Around
1. Andriana Syrigou-Antoniou (Irini Peristeriou) 56.000
2. Ioanna Xoulogi (Orfeas Kalamarias) 53.400
3. Pavlina Pantelidou (Spartakos Thessalonikis) 52.700
4. Marilena Barmaxizoglou (Proteas Egaleo) 51.450
5. Irini Kagalou (Panionios) 50.050
6. Mera Dalantyse (Panionios) 48.900
7. Antigoni Theodorou (Diagoras Ambelokipon) 48.850
8. Maria Pitsikali (Kydon Chanion) 48.800

Junior Women's Vault
1. Maria Pitsikali (Kydon Chanion) 13.300
2. Marousa Papadimitriou (Panionios) 13.225
3. Pavlina Pantelidou (Spartakos Thessalonikis) 12.700

Junior Women's Uneven Bars
1. Ioanna Xoulogi (Orfeas Kalamarias) 13.975
2. Andriana Syrigou-Antoniou (Irini Peristeriou) 13.550
3. Pavlina Pantelidou (Spartakos Thessalonikis) 12.600

Junior Women's Balance Beam
1. Anna Orfanou (AGO Patras) 15.275
2. Andriana Syrigou-Antoniou (Irini Peristeriou) 14.275
3. Maria Pitsikali (Kydon Chanion) 13.775

Junior Women's Floor Exercise
1. Andriana Syrigou-Antoniou (Irini Peristeriou) 13.900
2. Anna Orfanou (AGO Patras) 13.400
3. Maria Pitsikali (Kydon Chanion) 13.375

Senior Men's All-Around
1. Christos Lympanovnos (AGO Patras) 90.350
2. Xenophon Kosmidis (AGO Patras) 87.350
3. Dimitris Markousis (Olympiaki Floga) 86.300
4. Stavros Kekelos (Irini Peristeriou) 84.200
5. Panagiotis Tougas (Irini Peristeriou) 83.500
6. Haralambos Kailidis (Olympiada Stavroupolis) 81.400
7. Ioannis Tougas (Irini Peristeriou) 80.550
8. Christos Daskalakis (Panionios) 70.700

Senior Men's Floor Exercise
1. Mihalis Doulkeridis (Orfeas Kalamarias) 15.100
2. Christos Lympanovnos (AGO Patras) 14.700
3. Xenophon Kosmidis (AGO Patras) 14.450

Senior Men's Pommel Horse
1. Vlasios Maras (Irini Peristeriou) 14.700
2. Xenophon Kosmidis (AGO Patras) 14.475
3. Christos Lympanovnos (AGO Patras) 14.075

Senior Men's Rings
1. Christos Lympanovnos (AGO Patras) 15.500
2. Dimitris Markousis (Olympiaki Floga) 14.775
3. Xenophon Kosmidis (AGO Patras) 14.525

Senior Men's Vault
1. Stavros Kekelos (Irini Peristeriou) 15.212
2. Ioannis Tougas (Irini Peristeriou) 14.975
3. Panagiotis Tougas (Irini Peristeriou) 14.687

Senior Men's Parallel Bars
1. Dimitris Markousis (Olympiaki Floga) 13.925
2 (t). Kostas Karantonas (AGO Patras) 13.775
2 (t). Xenophon Kosmidis (AGO Patras) 13.775

Senior Men's High Bar
1. Vlasios Maras (Irini Peristeriou) 14.900
2. Xenophon Kosmidis (AGO Patras) 14.350
3. Dimitris Markousis (Olympiaki Floga) 14.200

Junior Men's All-Around
1. Lefteris Kosmidis (AGO Patras) 85.000
2. Giorgos Christopoulos (GS Peristeriou) 79.050
3. Giorgos Georgiadis (Diagoras Ambelokipon) 77.400
4. Panagiotis Kadas (AGO Patras) 77.050
5. Theodoros Boutakis (Olympiada Stavroupolis) 76.500
6. Antonis Arnaoutis (Irini Peristeriou) 76.350
7. Nikos Galtsidis (Diagoras Ambelokipon) 75.100
8. Kostas Konstantinidis (Irini Peristeriou) 74.750

Junior Men's Floor Exercise
1. Lefteris Kosmidis (AGO Patras) 15.300
2. Vasilis Kollias (AGO Patras) 13.375
3. Theodoros Boutakis (Olympiada Stavroupolis) 13.225

Junior Men's Pommel Horse
1. Vasilis Kollias (AGO Patras) 13.850
2. Lefteris Kosmidis (AGO Patras) 13.425
3. Giorgos-Christos Hatziefstathiou (Olympiaki Floga) 13.400

Junior Men's Rings
1. Lefteris Kosmidis (AGO Patras) 14.700
2. Giorgos Christopoulos (GS Peristeriou) 13.850
3. Kostas Konstantinidis (Irini Peristeriou) 13.400

Junior Men's Vault
1. Theodoros Boutakis (Olympiada Stavroupolis) 13.387
2. Giorgos Georgiadis (Diagoras Ambelokipon) 13.175
3. Chrysovalantis Tserkezis (Olympiada Stavroupolis) 12.925

Junior Men's Parallel Bars
1. Giorgos Christopoulos (GS Peristeriou) 13.950
2. Panagiotis Kadas (AGO Patras) 13.775
3. Nikos Galtsidis (Diagoras Ambelokipon) 13.600

Junior Men's High Bar
1. Giorgos Georgiadis (Diagoras Ambelokipon) 13.225
2. Vasilis Kollias (AGO Patras) 13.175
3. Antonis Arnaoutis (Irini Peristeriou) 12.825

International Gymnast Magazine Related Features

"Growing In Stature" - Bisbikou profile (December 2002)
"Disappearing Act" - short Maras profile (January/February 2007)
"So Much So Soon" - Maras profile (February 2003)
2002 World Champions collage poster - includes Maras (February 2003)
Maras on cover photo collage (June/July 2002)
"Facing The Future" - short Tambakos profile (January/February 2007)
"Unfinished Business" - Tambakos interview (November 2002)

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