Elina Tzengko

Elina Tzengko (Greek: Ελίνα Τζένγκο, Albanian: Elina Xhengo;[2] born 2 September 2002[3][4]) is a Greek javelin thrower. She won the gold medal at the 2022 European Athletics Championships, becoming the youngest ever javelin and Greek European champion.[5] Tzengko took a silver and a gold at the 2021 World and European Under-20 Championships respectively. She is considered as one of the talents of Greek classical sport.[6][7]

Elina Tzengko
Tzengko at the 2018 Summer Youth Olympics in Buenos Aires
Personal information
Born (2002-09-02) 2 September 2002
Nea Kallikrateia, Greece
EducationAristotle University of Thessaloniki
Height1.72 m (5 ft 8 in)
Sport
CountryGreece
SportTrack and field
Event(s)Javelin throw
ClubA.S. Kentavros, Nea Kallikrateias, Chalkidiki
Coached byGeorge Boskariov[1]
Achievements and titles
Personal best(s)
Medal record
Women's athletics
Representing  Greece
European Championships
Gold medal – first place2022 MunichJavelin throw
World U20 Championships
Silver medal – second place2021 NairobiJavelin throw
European U20 Championships
Gold medal – first place2021 TallinnJavelin throw
Youth Olympic Games
Gold medal – first place2018 Buenos AiresJavelin throw

Early life

Elina Tzengko was born in Greece and grew up in Nea Kallikrateia, Chalkidiki. She has two sisters of whom is the youngest. Both of her parents are Albanian immigrants.[8][9][10] Tzengko received Greek citizenship on 22 June 2018.[11][12] When she was at primary school, she joined the sports club of A.S. Kentavros Neas Kallikrateias (Αθλητικός Σύλλογος - Α.Σ. Κένταυρος Νέας Καλλικράτειας). In 2021, she started studying at the School of Physical Education and Sports Science of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki.[3]

Career

In 2018, Tzengko competed in the European Athletics Under-18 Championships in Hungary, where she placed seventh. At the Summer Youth Olympics held in Buenos Aires, Argentina in October, she won the gold medal with throws of 63.34 m and 61.74 m, and was voted European Athletics top female athlete of the month.[13]

The following year in May, she set the world U18 best of 65.90 m (javelin 500 g) at the Panhellenic School Championships in Ioannina.[14]

On 1 August 2020, the 17-year-old threw world U20 record of 63.96 m at the Greek U20 Championships held also in Ioannina.[15] However, World Athletics refused to recognize it as a record because doping control was not conducted immediately following the completion of the competition as required by anti-doping regulations.[16]

In July 2021, she became the European U20 champion. The next month, with a throw of 59.60 m, Tzengko earned the silver medal at the World U20 Championships in Nairobi, Kenya.[17][18]

On 20 August 2022, still only 19, Tzengko won the gold medal with a personal best of 65.81 metres at the European Championships held in Munich.[19][20] She became the youngest athlete in her discipline – male or female – to win the title at the Europeans, the first teenager to win a European throwing title, and the youngest ever Greek European champion.[21][5] In October, Tzengko also became the first Greek athlete in history to receive European Athletics Rising Star award as she was crowned 2022 Female Rising Star.[22]

Achievements

International competitions
Representing  Greece
YearCompetitionVenuePositionEventResult
2018 European U18 Championships Győr, Hungary 7th Javelin throw (500 g) 53.84 m
Youth Olympic Games Buenos Aires, Argentina 1st Javelin throw (500 g) 63.34 + 61.74 m
2019 European U20 Championships Borås, Sweden 4th Javelin throw 53.99 m
European Youth Summer Olympic Festival Baku, Azerbaijan – Javelin throw (500 g) DNS
2021 European Throwing Cup Split, Croatia 7th Javelin throw 58.72 m
European Team Championships, 1st League Cluj-Napoca, Romania 4th Javelin throw 54.86 m
Balkan Championships Smederevo, Serbia 1st Javelin throw 61.42 m
European U20 Championships Tallinn, Estonia 1st Javelin throw 61.18 m
World U20 Championships Nairobi, Kenya 2nd Javelin throw 59.60 m
2022 European Throwing Cup Leiria, Portugal 4th Javelin throw 54.28 m
World Championships Eugene, OR, United States 20th (q) Javelin throw 57.12 m
European Championships Munich, Germany 1st Javelin throw 65.81 m PB
2023 European Throwing Cup Leiria, Portugal 1st Javelin throw 63.65 m EU23L

National titles

References
  1. "Γιώργος Μποτσκαριώβ" [George Boskariov]. segas.gr (in Greek). SEGAS. Archived from the original on 2022-08-23. Retrieved 23 August 2022.
  2. "Elina Xhengo fiton medalje ari në hedhje shtize" [Elina Tzengko wins gold medal in javelin throw]. tvklan.al (in Albanian). Televizioni Klan. 21 August 2022. Archived from the original on 2022-08-24.
  3. "Ελίνα Τζένγκο" [Elina Tzengko]. segas.gr (in Greek). SEGAS. Archived from the original on 2022-08-23. Retrieved 2022-08-23.
  4. "Elina TZENGKO – Athlete Profile". World Athletics. Retrieved 2022-01-01.
  5. "In focus | A closer look at Rising Stars Tzengko and Alekna". European Athletics. 2022-10-25. Retrieved 2022-10-28.
  6. "Ελίνα Τζένγκο" [Elina Tzengko]. koutipandoras.gr (in Greek). 9 November 2018. Archived from the original on 2022-08-23.
  7. "Eλπίδες ξανά στον στίβο: H Ελίνα Tζένγκο και 8 ακόμα φιντανάκια" [Hopes again on the track and field: Elina Tzengko and 8 more saplings]. protothema.gr (in Greek). 13 August 2020. Archived from the original on 2022-08-23.
  8. "Flet kampionia Elina Xhengo: Nuk e kam për turp që prindërit i kam shqiptarë, por e dua edhe Greqinë" [Champion Elina Xhengo speaks: I am not ashamed that my parents are Albanian, but I also love Greece]. javanews.al (in Albanian). 22 August 2022. Archived from the original on 2022-08-27.
  9. "Τζένγκο στο ΦΩΣ: «Υποσχέθηκα στη μαμά μου να σταματήσει να καθαρίζει σπίτια»" [Elina Tzengko on FOS: "I promised to my mother to stop cleaning houses"]. fosonline.gr (in Greek). 4 August 2020. Archived from the original on 2021-07-21.
  10. "Ελίνα Τζένγκο: «Πήρα την ελληνική υπηκοότητα λόγων των επιδόσεων μου στον αθλητισμό»" [Elina Tzengko: «I got the Greek citizenship because my performance in sports»]. protothema.gr. 28 September 2022. Archived from the original on 2022-10-10.
  11. "Ελίνα Τζένγκο: Το όχι στη Αλβανία και η αγάπη για την Ελλάδα" [Elina Tzengko: The no to Albania and the love for the Greece]. sportsfeed.gr. 21 August 2022. Archived from the original on 2022-08-21.
  12. "Ιδρώτας και κόπος!" [Sweat and effort!]. athletestories.gr (in Greek). 21 September 2020. Archived from the original on 2022-08-27.
  13. "Ελίνα Τζένγκο" [Elina Tzengko]. athletestories.gr (in Greek). Archived from the original on 2021-09-27. Retrieved 2022-08-24.
  14. "Παγκόσμιο ρεκόρ Κ18 από την 16χρονη Ελίνα Τζένγκο! [Φωτογραφία]" [World record U18 from the 16-year-old Elina Jengo! (photograph)]. talentabout.gr (in Greek). 9 May 2019. Archived from the original on 2022-08-23.
  15. "Παγκόσμιο ρεκόρ νεανίδων η Ελίνα Τζένγκο [63.96μ.]!" [World junior record Elina Tzengko (63.96m.)!]. avgi.gr (in Greek). I Avgi. 1 August 2020. Archived from the original on 2022-08-27.
  16. Spanea, Spiridoula (14 August 2020). "Η Καθημερινή: Πώς χάνεται ένα παγκόσμιο ρεκόρ – Η ιστορία της Ελίνας" [Kathimerini: How a world record is lost - The story of Elina]. kathimerini.gr (in Greek). Archived from the original on 2021-08-20. Retrieved 2022-08-24.
  17. Stasinou, Sotiria (19 August 2021). "Αποστολή Ναϊρόμπι 2021: Δευτεραθλήτρια Κόσμου η Ελίνα Τζένγκο!" [Nairobi 2021: Elina Tzengko silver medallist]. sportsfeed.gr (in Greek). Archived from the original on 2021-08-19. Retrieved 2021-08-20.
  18. "Δεύτερη στον κόσμο η Ελίνα Τζένγκο" [Elina Tzengko second in the world]. kathimerini.gr (in Greek). 20 August 2021. Archived from the original on 2021-11-25.
  19. "Mondo Magic in Munich as Duplantis clears a championship record of 6.06m". European Athletics. 20 August 2022. Archived from the original on 2022-08-23. Retrieved 21 August 2022. Teenage triumph for Tzengko in the javelin
  20. Karamitrou, Mina (2022-08-21). "Μεσημεριανό Δελτίο Ειδήσεων 21 Αυγούστου 2022" [At Noon News on 21 August 2022]. tvopen.gr (in Greek). Open TV. Archived from the original on 2022-08-25. Live broadcast from Nea Kallikrateia with Elina Tzengko's sister Isabella saying: "My sister training in miserable inappropriate facilities…"
  21. "Ευρωπαϊκό Πρωτάθλημα Στίβου: Η Ελίνα Τζένγκο πήρε το χρυσό στον ακοντισμό!" [Elina Tzengko get the gold medal in javelin]. protothema.gr (in Greek). 20 August 2022. Archived from the original on 2022-08-23. Retrieved 2022-08-20.
  22. "Rising Star Tzengko to target European U23 gold in Espoo". European Athletics. 2022-10-27. Retrieved 2022-10-27.
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