Medal-winning Cypriot high jumper says there is a lot more to come
KYRIAKOS Ioannou loves heights. And so he should. The Cypriot high jump champion recently won the gold medal at the Mediterranean Games in Almeria, Spain, with a winning jump of 2.24 metres in the men’s high jump.
“I felt so proud that I was able to elevate the rank of Cypriot athletes and felt even prouder when I heard my national anthem,” he said.
Ioannou, who stands 1.93 metres in height, celebrates his 21st birthday this Tuesday. He feels there is a lot more to come and that he is capable of leaping even higher. “My personal best is 2.28 metres but I think I am capable of very high jumps, over 2.30 metres. My future plans are to jump as high as possible and to be a big success in Europe and the world. Of course, how I think I can perform doesn’t actually count for much until I go out there and actually do it.”
Ioannou also represented Cyprus at last year’s Olympic Games in Athens, where he came 17th in the men’s high jump.
Ioannou took up the high jump when he was 12 years old as “I liked it as a sport and in the end started to take the training more seriously. Before I started jumping, I used to play basketball and football when I was younger and used to play sports just to pass my free time.”
He explained that his parents had to sacrifice a lot in order for their son to become an athlete. “They had to take a lot of time off work over the years so they could take me to and from various stadiums. I really didn’t have to do much as I looked upon training as a fun activity.”
Ioannou was born in Limassol and lived there his entire life before doing his national service for two years and then moving to Athens. “I had to make the move so I could train properly at the highest level with top-quality facilities. My coach, Demetris Efthymiou, used to be a Cypriot triple jump champion and is now a professor at the University of Sports in Athens. My training routine consists of four hours of exercises every day, made up of special activities to help me jump higher, such as practising jumping over hurdles.”
When asked how difficult it is for an athlete from a small country like Cyprus to be successful, Ioannou replied, “it doesn’t matter how small a country is. What is important is for the athlete to receive the support of his athletics association and his state. I believe that if there is the right support, then an athlete can be successful, regardless of his nationality.”
Ioannou’s idol is Cuban world record holder, Javier Sotomayor, but the young Cypriot still has a long way to go if he is to match the achievements of his sporting hero, whose world record of 2.45 metres was set 12 years ago this week.
Seven Questions
What car do you drive?
A Peugeot 307 cabriolet
Describe your perfect weekend
Sleeping, eating and spending time with my friends
What is your greatest fear?
Nothing
What is your earliest memory?
I don’t have one in particular as I have many
Assuming you believe in reincarnation, who or what would you come back as?
Myself
What did you have for breakfast?
Cornflakes
What was the last item of clothing you bought?
A pair of socks
