Giorgos Kougioumtzidis: The 23-year-old World Champion is Wrestling’s new “Phenomenon,” he speaks Pontic Greek & fights for Glory

“Everything I bash is for my name, my family, and my country.” That’s however Giorgos Kougioumtzidis sees things. As of yesterday, helium sits astatine the apical of the wrestling world, becoming the sport’s caller rising star and a existent nightmare for immoderate opponent. He possesses unthinkable carnal gifts, but it is his willpower and determination to decision each hostile that brought him yesterday to gaze, moved, astatine the Greek emblem waving from the highest measurement of the podium.

The 23-year-old became the satellite champion successful the 79-kilogram freestyle wrestling class astatine the apical tourney held successful Zagreb, Croatia. Known arsenic “the phenomenon,” helium etched his sanction into 1 of the astir important moments successful the sport’s history. With the golden medal helium won, helium became the archetypal Greek jock to scope the apical astatine a World Championship.

In the expansive final, Kougioumtzidis faced the American Levi David Hines and from the precise archetypal infinitesimal showed helium had power and the assurance to execute victory. Using fantabulous tactics, helium took a 3-0 lead, and everything other became portion of the astir unforgettable infinitesimal successful Greek wrestling. The lone happening the different finalist managed was to people 2 points successful the past second, erstwhile everything had already been decided. The last 3-2 people recovered the Greek champion connected the highest podium, with the Greek emblem flying precocious implicit the Croatian capital.

The young jock had besides won the golden medal successful the 79-kilogram class astatine the 2022 European Wrestling Championship successful Budapest, Hungary, astatine conscionable 20 years old, showing that thing bonzer was coming from Greece. He represented the state astatine the 2024 Paris Olympics and, adjacent though helium didn’t negociate to get a medal, it is wide that his eyes are acceptable connected reaching the podium successful Los Angeles successful 2028. Beyond his golden medals, helium besides won metallic astatine the 2023 European Senior Championships.

Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis congratulated him for reaching the apical successful Zagreb, penning connected societal media: “Congratulations to Giorgos Kougioumtzidis, who made past contiguous by giving Greece its first-ever golden medal astatine a World Wrestling Championship successful Zagreb. He reached the apical of the satellite successful the 79kg Freestyle category. Thank you for making america proud!”

A World Champion Who Trains astatine a School successful Stavroupoli
Born successful October 2001 successful Thessaloniki, wrestling was successful his humor from a precise young age, arsenic his begetter was besides progressive successful the sport. Now, his younger brother, 4 years his junior, follows successful Giorgos Kougioumtzidis’ footsteps.

His family, primitively from Pontus, is 1 of the foundations of his life. “We are Pontians connected some sides,” helium told AthleteStories, and helium adjacent practices the language, speaking lone Pontic Greek with his maternal grandparents.

His begetter whitethorn not person competed professionally successful wrestling, but helium was profoundly progressive successful the athletics and passed the “bug” connected to his children. “We’ve ne'er played around,” the World Champion has confessed successful the past. His household has been the backbone of support, helping him successful each mode truthful helium could prosecute his dream, and helium hopes helium has made them arrogant with what helium has achieved connected the mat.

The occupation with sports facilities successful Greece is good known, and Kougioumtzidis is yet different illustration of an jock who succeeds careless of circumstances. His grooming takes spot astatine the 2nd Gymnasium-High School of Stavroupoli, a tiny abstraction that intelligibly does not conscionable the standards for an jock of his caliber.

“In my life, I deficiency nothing, convey God. I person food, I person a home, I don’t deliberation you request thing other to accidental ‘I’m fine.’ Money is not my goal. Money is needed to unrecorded comfortably, to person a mean life. For me, it’s not that important. In wrestling, I absorption much connected the past and my name, not the money. If wealth is your eventual goal, erstwhile you vie professionally (and not lone successful wrestling), neither occurrence nor achievements volition come. Of course, I personally besides combat for my state and the Greek flag,” helium has stated, reflecting the ambitions helium holds for the future.