Cyprus at the Olympics facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Cyprus at theOlympics |
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| IOC code | CYP | ||||||||
| NOC | Cyprus Olympic Committee | ||||||||
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| Medals Ranked 134th |
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Cyprus is an island nation in the Mediterranean Sea. Its athletes have been part of the Olympic Games for a long time. They first joined the modern Olympics in 1896. For many years, Cypriot athletes competed under the Greek flag. Later, after Cyprus became an independent country, it formed its own Olympic Committee. Since then, Cypriot athletes have proudly represented their own nation at the Games.
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Cyprus at the Early Olympic Games
Cypriot athletes first took part in the modern Olympic Games in 1896. This was the very first modern Olympics, held in Athens, Greece. At that time, Cyprus was under British rule. So, Cypriot athletes competed as part of the Greek team.
One famous athlete from this time was Ioannis Frangoudis. He was an amazing shooter. Frangoudis won a gold medal in the 25-meter rapid fire pistol event. He also earned a silver medal in the 300-meter free rifle event.
Another early Cypriot Olympian was Anastasios Andreou. He was a champion in the 110-meter hurdles. Andreou competed in the first rounds of his race in Athens. He did not move on to the next stage.
A special moment came with Domnitsa Lanitou-Kavounidou. She was born in Limassol, Cyprus. Domnitsa was a top athlete for the "Olympia" Athletic Club. She was the first Greek woman in track and field to compete in the Olympics. She raced in the 100 meters and 80 meters hurdles at the 1936 Berlin Olympics. She also competed again at the 1948 London Olympics after World War II.
Later, Stavros Tziortzis did very well at the 1972 Munich Olympics. He competed in the 400-meter hurdles. Tziortzis made it to the final race and finished in sixth place.
Cyprus as an Independent Nation
The Cyprus Olympic Committee was created on June 10, 1974. It became an official member of the International Olympic Committee in April 1979. This was a big step for Cyprus.
Cyprus then made its first Olympic appearances as an independent country in 1980. They competed in the Winter Games in Lake Placid, USA. They also took part in the Summer Games in Moscow, Russia. Since 1980, Cyprus has sent athletes to every Olympic Games. More than 128 Cypriot athletes have competed in total.
Cyprus earned its first ever Olympic medal at the 2012 Summer Olympics. Pavlos Kontides won a silver medal in the men's laser sailing event. This was a historic moment for the country.
Before that, at the 2008 Olympics, Antonis Nikolaidis almost won a bronze medal. He lost in a shoot-off in men's skeet shooting.
All Cypriot athletes must compete under the flag of the Republic of Cyprus. This is because the International Olympic Committee only recognizes one Olympic committee for Cyprus.
Olympic Medals for Cyprus
Cyprus has won two silver medals at the Olympic Games. Both of these medals were won in sailing.
Medals by Summer Games
| Games | Athletes | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 1980 Moscow |
14 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – |
 1984 Los Angeles |
10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – |
 1988 Seoul |
9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – |
 1992 Barcelona |
17 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1996 Atlanta |
17 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – |
 2000 Sydney |
22 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – |
 2004 Athens |
20 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – |
 2008 Beijing |
17 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – |
 2012 London |
13 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 70 |
 2016 Rio de Janeiro |
16 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – |
 2020 Tokyo |
15 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – |
 2024 Paris |
16 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 74 |
| 2028 Los Angeles |
future event | |||||
| Total | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 126 | |
Medals by Winter Games
| Games | Athletes | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980 Lake Placid |
3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – |
 1984 Sarajevo |
5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – |
 1988 Calgary |
3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1992 Albertville |
4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – |
 1994 Lillehammer |
1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – |
 1998 Nagano |
1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2002 Salt Lake City |
1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – |
 2006 Turin |
1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2010 Vancouver |
2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – |
 2014 Sochi |
2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – |
 2018 Pyeongchang |
1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2022 Beijing |
1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - |
 2026 Milan/Cortina |
future event | |||||
| Total | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | |
Medals by Sport
| Sport | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sailing | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| Totals (1 entries) | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 |
List of Cypriot Medalists
These are the athletes who have won Olympic medals for Cyprus:
| Medal | Name(s) | Games | Sport | Event |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Silver |
Pavlos Kontides | 2012 London |
 Sailing |
Laser |
| Silver
|
Pavlos Kontides | 2024 Paris | Sailing |
Laser |
See also
- List of flag bearers for Cyprus at the Olympics
- Category:Olympic competitors for Cyprus
- Cyprus at the Paralympics
- Cyprus Photographers at Olympic Games by Cypnoc
