Iason Panagopoulos has achieved a remarkable feat by winning the gold medal in the European Optimist Championship, which concluded recently in Italy. This victory marks the third consecutive year he has defended his title, having previously won in 2022 and 2023.
This triumph is a significant achievement for both Panagopoulos and Greek sailing. Despite a cautious start, the national team athlete steadily gained momentum throughout the race, ultimately securing the top position. The championship featured a total of 157 boats from 45 countries.
Panagopoulos’ performance across nine races was impressive, finishing 9th, 1st, 5th, 1st, 6th, 4th, 22nd (discarded as his worst), 3rd, and 10th. Although the championship was open and he placed second behind Brazil’s M. Braganca, Panagopoulos clinched first place in the European rankings, earning his spot atop the podium.
Another Greek athlete, Dimitris Zacharakis, also performed well, finishing 19th with 118 points.
In the girls’ division, which also consisted of nine races, Chrysoula Kanellou Kokkinaki excelled by finishing 7th with 94 points out of 120 boats from 44 countries. Eleni Triantou placed 17th with 123 points, and Eleni Galazoula finished 25th with 166 points.
