Stavroula Zygouri

Stavroula Zygouri Greek: Σταυρούλα Ζυγούρη; born May 4, 1968, in Athens) is a retired amateur Greek freestyle wrestler, who competed in the women's middleweight category.[1] She picked up a silver medal in the 63-kg division at the 2001 Mediterranean Games in Tunis, Tunisia, and later finished fourth in Athens, when Greece hosted the 2004 Summer Olympics.[2] Before her sporting career ended in 2012, Zygouri trained as a member of the wrestling team for Atlas Kallitheas in her native Athens, under her personal coach and mentor Panagiotis Kalaigidis.[3]

Stavroula Zygouri
Personal information
Full nameStavroula Zygouri
Nationality Greece
Born (1968-05-04) 4 May 1968
Athens, Greece
Height1.71 m (5 ft 7 1⁄2 in)
Weight63 kg (139 lb)
Sport
SportWrestling
StyleFreestyle
ClubAtlas Kallitheas
CoachPanagiotis Kalaigidis
Medal record
Women's freestyle wrestling
Representing  Greece
Mediterranean Games
2001 Tunis 63 kg

Zygouri emerged herself into a sporting fame at the 2001 Mediterranean Games in Tunis, Tunisia, where she captured a silver medal in the 63-kg division, losing her final match to Italy's Diletta Giampiccolo.[4] She also had an opportunity to compete for the Greek squad in the same category at the 2003 World Wrestling Championships in New York City, New York, United States, but left empty-handed with a sixth-place effort.[5]

When women's wrestling made its debut at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Zygouri qualified for the Greek squad, as a 36-year-old, in the inaugural 63 kg class. Apart from placing sixth at the World Championships, she also managed to fill up an entry by the International Federation of Association Wrestling and the Hellenic Olympic Committee, as Greece received an automatic berth for being the host nation.[2][5][6] Amassed the home crowd inside Ano Liossia Olympic Hall, Zygouri started the prelim pool in a more sedate fashion with a pair of effortless victories over Germany's Stéphanie Groß 4–1 and Sweden's Sara Eriksson 5–3 to grant her a spot in the medal rounds. Zygouri was immediately pinned by U.S. wrestler Sara McMann in her semifinal match within 50 seconds, and then fell behind France's Lise Legrand with a similar disposition at two minutes and four seconds for the bronze medal, dropping her to fourth place.[7][8][9]

Currently, Zygouri works as a secretary for the association of the Greek athletes under the Hellenic Olympic Committee, and also, a member of the Department of International Women's Sports Wrestling Federation for FILA.[10]

References
  1. Evans, Hilary; Gjerde, Arild; Heijmans, Jeroen; Mallon, Bill; et al. "Stavroula Zygouri". Olympics at Sports-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on 18 April 2020. Retrieved 8 August 2014.
  2. Με 18 παλαιστές στο ολυμπιακό ταπί της Αθήνας [18 wrestlers in the Olympic mat for Athens] (in Greek). To Vima. 24 March 2002. Retrieved 13 June 2014.
  3. Στην Σύρο τρεις Ολυμπιονίκες [Three Olympians in Syros] (in Greek). Syros Today. 10 April 2013. Retrieved 8 August 2014.
  4. Αγγίζει το τέλειο η ελληνική αποστολή στους Μεσογειακούς Αγώνες [The Greeks embarked on a perfect mission to the Mediterranean Games] (in Greek). In.gr. 6 September 2001. Retrieved 8 August 2014.
  5. Ελληνικές επιτυχίες στην πάλη [Greece's achievements in wrestling] (in Greek). ANT1. 22 August 2004. Retrieved 8 August 2014.
  6. Abbott, Gary (20 July 2004). "Olympic Games preview at 63 kg/138.75 lbs. in women's freestyle". USA Wrestling. The Mat. Retrieved 29 September 2013.
  7. "Wrestling: Women's Freestyle 63kg". Athens 2004. BBC Sport. 15 August 2004. Retrieved 30 September 2013.
  8. Miller, Bryce (23 August 2004). "McMann narrowly beaten for wrestling gold". Gannett News Service. Retrieved 8 August 2014.
  9. Abbott, Gary (23 August 2004). "McMann qualifies for gold medal match and Miranda for bronze medal match at the Olympic women's wrestling". USA Wrestling. The Mat. Retrieved 8 August 2014.
  10. Γενική Γραμματέας του ΣΕΟ η Βούλα Ζυγούρη [Voula Zygouri is now the secretary general for SEO] (in Greek). Palema.gr. 5 March 2014. Retrieved 8 August 2014.


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