Click to Enlarge
On 8 March 2014, Onassis Foundation scholarship holder Kostas Filippidis became the new pole vault world champion at the 2014 IAAF World Indoor Championship held at Sopot, Poland. He was born in 1986 in Athens and is an athlete with the Panellinios G.S. Athletics Club. He is also a post-graduate student at the Athens University of Economics and Business.
In three years, from 2010 to 2012, he broke the Panhellenic record three times. At Sopot, he won the gold medal having cleared the 5.80m on his first attempt; he has also cleared all previous heights without any fail.
Kostas Filippidis commented to the media in Greece that, “The gold medal in a World Championship was the result of persistent effort by myself and my coach." “This medal is very important for Greek athletics and my country. I am certain that my performance made many Greeks happy. There is a long summer season ahead and I’ll try to give my very best.”
Kostas Filippidis is starting his training for open track which will peak at the European Athletic Championship in Zurich this summer.
