Despina Zapounidou
Greek race walker
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Despina Zapounidou (Greek: Δέσποινα Ζαπουνίδου; born 5 October 1985 in Thessaloniki) is a Greek race walker.[1] She competed in the 20 kilometres event at the 2008 Summer Olympics and the 2012 Summer Olympics.[2] She holds two Greek records: 1:37:40.59 hours for the 20,000 m track walk and 12:35.16 minutes for the 3000 m indoor walk.
As a junior athlete, she was 12th in the 10,000 m track walk at the 2004 World Junior Championships in Athletics and fifth in the 10 km road walk at the 2004 IAAF World Race Walking Cup. She entered the senior 20 km event at the 2006 and 2008 Race Walking Cup but failed to finish on both occasions. She also failed to finish at the 2005 Universiade and the 2013 European Race Walking Cup.
From 2017 to 2021, Zapounidou served a four-year competition ban for violating anti-doping regulations.[3]
Competition record
| Year | Competition | Venue | Position | Event | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Representing  Greece | |||||
| 2004 | World Race Walking Cup (U20) | Naumburg, Germany | 5th | 10 km | 49:00 |
| World Junior Championships | Grosseto, Italy | 12th | 10,000m | 49:18.93 | |
| 2006 | World Race Walking Cup | A Coruña, Spain | — | 20 km | DNF |
| 2007 | European U23 Championships | Debrecen, Hungary | 5th | 20 km walk | 1:35:42 |
| 2008 | World Race Walking Cup | Cheboksary, Russia | — | 20 km | DNF |
| Olympic Games | Beijing, China | 40th | 20 km walk | 1:39:11 | |
| 2012 | Olympic Games | London, United Kingdom | 44th | 20 km walk | 1:35.19 |
| 2013 | European Race Walking Cup | Dudince, Slovakia | — | 20 km | DNF |
| 2014 | European Championships | Zurich, Switzerland | 20th | 20 km walk | 1:34.03 |
