Aikaterini Sarakatsani

Aikaterini "Katia" Sarakatsani (Greek: Αικατερίνη Σαρακατσάνη; born 3 January 1977) is a Greek swimmer, who specialized in breaststroke and individual medley events.[1] She is a three-time Olympian (1996, 2000, and 2004), a former Greek record holder in the breaststroke, and a member of the swimming team for Hawaii Rainbow Warriors at the University of Hawaii, under head coach Vojko Race.

Aikaterini Sarakatsani
Personal information
Full nameAikaterini Sarakatsani
Nickname(s)Katia
National team Greece
Born (1977-01-03) 3 January 1977
Athens, Greece
Height1.73 m (5 ft 8 in)
Weight63 kg (139 lb)
Sport
SportSwimming
StrokesBreaststroke, medley
ClubPanathinaikos (1996–2004)
Ionikos Nikaias (2014–)
College teamUniversity of Hawaii (U.S.)
CoachVojko Race (SRB)

Sarakatsani made her first Greek team, as a 19-year-old, at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta. She failed to reach the top 16 final in any of her individual events, finishing twenty-third in the 200 m individual medley (2:19.74), and twenty-fifth in the 400 m individual medley (4:56.32).[2][3] She also placed twenty-second, as a member of the Greek team, in the 4×100 m medley relay (4:24.80).[4]

At the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, Sarakatsani competed only in the 200 m individual medley. Swimming in heat two, she raced to sixth place and thirtieth overall by 0.07 of a second behind Argentina's Maria Garrone in 2:23.05.[5]

When her nation hosted the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Sarakatsani decided to focus instead on the 100 m breaststroke. She posted a FINA B-standard entry time of 1:11.27 from the Mare Nostrum Swim Meet in Belgrade.[6] She challenged seven other swimmers in heat five, including top medal favorites Amanda Beard of the United States, and Luo Xuejuan of China. She rounded out the field to last place in 1:12.46, more than a second off her entry time. Sarakatsani ended her third Olympic stint by sharing a twenty-ninth place tie with Argentina's Javiera Salcedo in the prelims.[7][8][9]

After a decade out of competitive swimming, Sarakatsani began to train for a possible twelve-year Olympic comeback and her fourth Games in 2014 under the aquatics club Ionikos Nikaias.[10]

References
  1. Evans, Hilary; Gjerde, Arild; Heijmans, Jeroen; Mallon, Bill; et al. "Aikaterini Sarakatsani". Olympics at Sports-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on 18 April 2020. Retrieved 5 May 2013.
  2. "Atlanta 1996: Aquatics (Swimming) – Women's 200m Individual Medley Heat 3" (PDF). Atlanta 1996. LA84 Foundation. p. 49. Archived from the original (PDF) on 23 May 2011. Retrieved 26 April 2013.
  3. "Atlanta 1996: Aquatics (Swimming) – Women's 400m Individual Medley Heat 1" (PDF). Atlanta 1996. LA84 Foundation. p. 50. Archived from the original (PDF) on 23 May 2011. Retrieved 26 April 2013.
  4. "Atlanta 1996: Aquatics (Swimming) – Women's 4×100m Medley Relay Heat 3" (PDF). Atlanta 1996. LA84 Foundation. p. 53. Archived from the original (PDF) on 23 May 2011. Retrieved 6 May 2013.
  5. "Sydney 2000: Swimming – Women's 200m Individual Medley Heat 2" (PDF). Sydney 2000. LA84 Foundation. p. 323. Archived from the original (PDF) on 19 August 2011. Retrieved 5 March 2013.
  6. "Swimming – Women's 100m Breaststroke Startlist (Heat 5)" (PDF). Athens 2004. Omega Timing. Retrieved 24 March 2013.
  7. "Women's 100m Breaststroke Heat 5". Athens 2004. BBC Sport. 15 August 2004. Retrieved 31 January 2013.
  8. Thomas, Stephen (15 August 2004). "Women's 100 Breaststroke Prelims: Aussies Hanson and Jones Qualify One-Two". Swimming World Magazine. Archived from the original on 3 July 2006. Retrieved 19 April 2013.
  9. Αποκλείστηκαν από τα ημιτελικά Γρηγοριάδης και Σαρακατσάνη [Grigoriadis and Sarakatsani are out for the semifinals] (in Greek). Pathfinder News (Greece). 15 August 2004. Archived from the original on 2004-08-15. Retrieved 26 April 2013.
  10. Γαλανή... ματιά στο Ρίο [Galani...Katia for Rio] (in Greek). Sport24.gr. 4 November 2014. Retrieved 25 November 2015.
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