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Iosif Kesidis

Iosif Kesidis
Personal information
NationalityCypriot
Born (2005-08-19) 19 August 2005 (age 20)
Sport
SportAthletics
EventHammer throw
Achievements and titles
Personal best(s)Hammer throw: 74.87 (Bergen, 2025)
Medal record
Men's athletics
Representing  Cyprus
European U23 Championships
Gold medal – first place 2025 Bergen Hammer throw
World U20 Championships
Gold medal – first place 2024 Lima Hammer throw
Bronze medal – third place 2022 Cali Hammer throw
European U20 Championships
Silver medal – second place 2023 Jerusalem Hammer throw
European U18 Championships
Gold medal – first place 2022 Jerusalem Hammer throw

Iosif Kesidis (born 19 August 2005) is a Cypriot hammer thrower. He won the bronze at the 2022 World U20 Championships and the gold medals at the 2024 World U20 Championships and the 2025 European U23 Championships.[1]

Career

[edit]

He is a member of the development program of the Cyprus Amateur Athletic Association (KOEAS).[2] He is coached by Panicos Charalampous.[3]

He won gold in the hammer throw at the 2022 European Athletics U18 Championships in Jerusalem, Israel, in July 2022.[4] He was a bronze medalist in the hammer throw at the 2022 World Athletics U20 Championships in Cali, Colombia in August 2022 with a 6kg hammer throw of 76.32 metres.[5]

He won silver in the hammer throw at the 2023 European Athletics U20 Championships in Jerusalem.[6] He broke the Cypriot youth record for the men's hammer three times in 2023, ending the year with a best of 71.43m.[7]

In 2024, he increased his personal best to 81.07 metres.[8] He won gold at the 2024 World Athletics U20 Championships in Lima, Peru, in the hammer throw, with a personal best 6kg distance, and national under-20 record of 82.80 metres.[9] It was a dominant performance, every throw Kesidis made would have been sufficient to win the gold medal.[10][11] In September 2024, he was nominated for the European Athletics Rising Star award.[12]

He was victorious at the European Throwing Cup in March 2025 in Nicosia, winning the U23 hammer competition.[13] His distance of 72.96 metres broke his own Cypriot under-23 record. It was the first ever gold medal for Cyprus in tne competition.[14] In July 2025, he threw a new personal best and national U23 record of 74.87 metres to win the gold medal at the 2025 European Athletics U23 Championships in Bergen, Norway.[15]

Personal life

[edit]

He is from Paphos.[16] He graduated from Paphos sports school in 2023.[7]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "Iosif Kesidis". World Athletics. Retrieved 29 August 2024.
  2. ^ "XM U20 Championships by KOEAS: shaping young athletes into tomorrow's champions". Cyprus Mail. 12 August 2024. Retrieved 1 April 2025.
  3. ^ "Iosif Kesidis wins gold for Cyprus at U20 World Athletics Championships". Knews. 30 August 2024. Retrieved 1 April 2025.
  4. ^ "Last year's European U18 stars poised for U20 success in Jerusalem". European Athletics. 3 August 2023. Retrieved 29 August 2024.
  5. ^ "WU20 Lima 24 preview: throws". World Athletics. 24 August 2024. Retrieved 29 August 2024.
  6. ^ "Polish sprinter Zakrzewski completes double gold at European Athletics U20". dtnext.in. 10 August 2023. Retrieved 29 August 2024.
  7. ^ a b "Top student-athletes in 2023 Valentina Savva and Iosif Kesidis". Koseas.org.cy (in Greek). 22 December 2023. Retrieved 1 April 2025.
  8. ^ "XM U20 Championships by KOEAS: shaping young athletes into tomorrow's champions". Cyprus Mail. 12 August 2024. Retrieved 29 August 2024.
  9. ^ "Cyprus's Kesidis claims gold in World Athletics U20 Championships". Philenews. 30 August 2024. Retrieved 1 April 2025.
  10. ^ "World Athletics U20 Championships". World Athletics. 29 August 2024. Retrieved 29 August 2024.
  11. ^ "Kesidis claims historic hammer gold for Cyprus on day three in Lima". World Athletics. 30 August 2024. Retrieved 30 August 2024.
  12. ^ "Nominees revealed! Vote for your 2024 men's Rising Star". European Athletics. 19 September 2024. Retrieved 1 April 2025.
  13. ^ Broadbent, Chris (15 Mar 2025). "Kesidis lands home victory to open European Throwing Cup". European Athletics. Retrieved 24 March 2025.
  14. ^ "Cypriot athlete Kesidis wins historic gold at European Throwing Cup". Philenews.com. 17 March 2024. Retrieved 1 April 2025.
  15. ^ Broadbent, Chris (20 Jul 2025). "Iosif Kesidis wins hammer gold for Cyprus and Lopez wins discus for Spain". European Athletics. Retrieved 20 July 2025.
  16. ^ Cleaver, Tom (30 August 2024). "Kesidis wins Cyprus' first ever world U20 athletics gold medal". Cyprus Mail. Retrieved 1 April 2025.