Manolis Stefanoudakis
Greek Paralympic athlete (born 1983)
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Manolis Stefanoudakis (Greek: Μανώλης Στεφανουδάκης born 5 April 1983) is a Paralympian athlete from Greece who competes in category F54 throwing events.[1] He won a bronze and a gold medal in the javelin throw at the 2012 and 2016 Paralympics, respectively.[2]
Stefanoudakis In 2012 | |
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Nationality | Greek |
| Born | 5 April 1983 Heraklion, Greece |
| Sport | |
| Country | Greece |
| Sport | Paralympic athletics |
| F54 | |
Events | javelin throw, shot put |
| Club | Megalonissos: Heraklion |
| Coached by | Giorgos Varveraki |
Medal record | |
Personal history
Athletics career

Stefanoudakis took to para-sport after his accident as a way for improving his health.[3] He first tried our swimming, but a lack of facilities curtailed this option.[3] He took to athletics instead and by 2010 he was classified as a F54 athlete and was competing at meets.[3] Stefanoudakis represented Greece at the 2012 Summer Paralympics in London. There he competed in both the F54–56 Shot put and the F54/55/56 javelin throw, winning bronze in the latter with a distance of 27.37 metres.[3] As well as Paralympic success, Stefanoudakis has also won medals at both World and European Championships level. His most notable achievement in athletics outside the Paralympics was a gold medal in the T54 javelin at the 2015 Championships in Doha.[3]
He was awarded as the Best Greek male athlete with a disability for 2015.[4]
The Greek Olympic Committee designated him as the flag bearer for the opening ceremony at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, along with Theodora Paschalidou.[5]