Greek Athlete Elina Tzengko Wins Gold At European Throwing Cup

Greek javelin thrower Elina Tzengko won first place for U23 in the European Throwing Cup, held in Leiria, Portugal, on Saturday, adding another medal to her many achievements. 

The young athlete, who is considered one of the great talents of Greek classical sport, won the gold medal for Greece with her last attempt, which reached 63.65 meters. 

This was the fourth longest throw in Tzengko’s career.

Xρυσό μετάλλιο για την Ελίνα Τζένγκο στο Ευρωπαϊκό Κύπελλο ρίψεων με αυτή τη βολή στα 63.65. Πολλά συγχαρητήρια Ελίνα #TeamHellas#Athletics#RoadToParis2024#gold pic.twitter.com/fC3FUHWUiK

— Ηellenic Olympic Committee (@HellenicOlympic) March 12, 2023

Greek Athlete Elina Tzengko

In August 2022, Tzengko became the youngest ever javelin and Greek European champion at 19 years old, as she took the gold medal at the European Championships held in Munich.

The win made her the youngest athlete in her discipline –male or female– to win the title at the Europeans, the first teenager to win a European throwing title, and the youngest ever Greek European champion.

Two months later, Tzengko also became the first Greek athlete in history to receive European Athletics’ Rising Star award as she was crowned 2022 Female Rising Star.

Tzengko’s path to gold

Tzengko has been participating in international athletics competitions since 2018, and took her first gold at the Summer Youth Olympics held in Buenos Aires, Argentina, that year.

In 2021, she won a silver and a gold at the World and European Under-20 Championships respectively.

H εξαιρετική βολή στα 59,60 μέτρα της Ελίνας Τζένγκο που της έδωσε το ασημένιο μετάλλιο στο Παγκόσμιο Πρωτάθλημα στίβου κάτω των 20#ΤeamHellas #Tzengko #Nairobi2021 #worldathletics #athletics @PRESEGAS pic.twitter.com/cSQ7730UGa

— Ηellenic Olympic Committee (@HellenicOlympic) August 19, 2021

The youngest of three sisters, Elina Tzengko was born in Greece to Albanian immigrants.

Her sporting career started at a young age with heptathlon and pentathlon, but the javelin won her over.

In an earlier interview, she said she wanted to succeed in sports and help her family.