Cyprus Athletics Championship Kicks Off in Nicosia

The GSP National Stadium in Nicosia will host the Cyprus Athletics Championship for men and women on June 27–28. The competition has Category B status in the World Athletics classification, which will allow athletes to earn valuable ranking points. The tournament is a key qualifying step for the European Championships in Birmingham, which will take place from August 10 to 16, while the qualification window will close already on July 26. This year’s championship is also dedicated to the 130th anniversary of the first men’s championship on the island, which was held in Limassol in 1896.

The organizers of the event made a serious factual error in the official announcements and press conference materials. In the list of athletes who have already met the qualifying standards, Philppa Fotopoulou was mistakenly included in the shot put discipline. In reality, Philppa Fotopoulou is a long jumper and qualified for the European Championships thanks to a jump of 6.78 meters at a May competition in Greece. Shot put has nothing to do with her. As for the other national team leaders, hammer thrower Ioannis Kessidis has already secured his place in Birmingham, while Elena Kulichenko, Milan Trajkovic, Olivia Fotopoulou and Valentina Savva are still hoping to qualify through the world ranking.

This year’s sporting celebration is overshadowed by recent losses in the leadership of Cypriot sport. The championship is dedicated to the memory of Antonis Georgallides, the former CEO of KOEAS, who passed away in April 2026. It is symbolic that the date of the recent press conference coincided with the 50th anniversary of his greatest victory at the 1976 World Gymnasiade. In addition, the host club GSP honors the memory of its former president Phivos Constantinides. In his honor, the organizers have established a special traveling trophy, which will go to the best team in the overall standings after two days of competition. Results can be followed in real time on the specialized OpenTrack platform.