Stavros Michaelides

Stavros Michaelides (also Stavros Mikhailidis, Greek: Σταύρος Μιχαηλίδης; born November 20, 1970) is a Cypriot former swimmer, who specialized in sprint freestyle events.[1] He is a three-time Olympian (1992, 1996, and 2000), a triple medalist at the Mediterranean Games (1991, 1993, and 1997), and a former Cypriot record holder in the 50 m freestyle. In 2003, Michaelides was selected as one of eight Olympians to be the major pioneers of The Race Club in Islamorada, Florida.

Stavros Michaelides
Personal information
Full nameStavros Michaelides
National team Cyprus
Born (1970-11-20) 20 November 1970
Limassol, Cyprus
Height1.94 m (6 ft 4 in)
Weight92 kg (203 lb)
Sport
SportSwimming
StrokesFreestyle
College teamAlabama Crimson Tide (USA)
CoachJonty Skinner (USA)
Medal record
Men's swimming
Representing Cyprus
Mediterranean Games
Silver medal – second place 1991 Athens 50 m freestyle
Bronze medal – third place 1993 Languedoc 50 m freestyle
Bronze medal – third place 1997 Bari 50 m freestyle

Career

College career

Michaelides attended on an athletic scholarship at the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, where he played for the Alabama Crimson Tide swimming and diving team under head coach Jonty Skinner. While swimming for the Crimson Tide, Michaelides received a total of nine All-American titles in the freestyle and medley relays before he graduated from the University in 1994.[2] At the 1992 NCAA Men's Swimming and Diving Championships, he helped the Crimson Tide to pull off a sixth-place finish in the 200-yard medley relay with a time of 1:28.34.[3]

International career

Michaelides made his official worldwide debut at the 1991 Mediterranean Games in Athens, Greece, where he earned a silver medal in the 50 m freestyle (23.65), trailing Italy's René Gusperti by eight hundredths of a second (0.08).[4]

In 1992, Michaelides competed as a member of the Cypriot squad at his first Summer Olympics in Barcelona. He placed almost in the "middle-of-the-road" in any of his individual events, finishing twentieth in the 50 m freestyle (23.34) and forty-fourth in the 100 m freestyle (52.54).[5][6]

At the 1993 Mediterranean Games in Languedoc-Roussillon, France, Michaelides won a bronze medal in the 50 m freestyle with a time of 23.28. He also helped the Cypriot team pull off a seventh-place effort in the 4 × 100 m freestyle relay, in a final time of 3.38.28.[7][8]

At the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, Michaelides placed thirty-first in the 50 m freestyle (23.37) and fiftieth in the 100 m freestyle (52.65), delivering a worst performance in his swimming career.[9][10]

A year later, at the 1997 Mediterranean Games in Bari, Italy, Michaelides shared a bronze medal with host nation's Lorenzo Vismara in the 50 m freestyle. He posted a lifetime best of 23.28, matching his time in the process four years earlier.[11]

Eight years after competing in his first Olympics, Michaelides qualified for his third Cypriot team, as a 29-year-old, at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney.[12] Swimming only in the 50 m freestyle, he posted a FINA B-standard entry time of 23.08 from the Akropolis Grand Prix in Athens.[13] He challenged seven other swimmers in heat six, including Ukraine's rising favorite Oleksandr Volynets and Lithuania's Rolandas Gimbutis, the tallest swimmer at the Games. Michaelides toppled a new Cypriot record of 23.05 to pick up a third seed in his heat, finishing behind winner Volynets by almost half the body length. Michaelides failed to advance into the semifinals, as he placed twenty-seventh overall in the prelims.[14]

At the 2002 Commonwealth Games in Manchester, England, Michaelides missed the top 8 final in the 50 m freestyle, finishing his semifinal run in twelfth place with a time of 23.66.[15] He also placed fifth, along with his teammates Chrysanthos Papachrysanthou, Alexandros Aresti, and Demetrios Demetriou, in the 4 × 100 m freestyle relay (3:27.82).[16]

In 2003, Michaelides was selected as one of eight Olympians to become the pioneers of The Race Club, a swimming club founded by Olympic champion Gary Hall Jr., and his father Gary Hall Sr., located in Islamorada, Florida.[17]

Life after swimming

A year after The Race Club was founded, in 2004, Michaelides announced his retirement from swimming. He is currently working as a public relations and marketing officer for the Cyprus Olympic Committee.[18]

References
  1. Evans, Hilary; Gjerde, Arild; Heijmans, Jeroen; Mallon, Bill; et al. "Stavros Michaelides". Olympics at Sports-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on 18 April 2020. Retrieved 25 May 2013.
  2. "Men's All-Americans". Alabama Crimson Tide. 17 March 2001. Retrieved 21 May 2013.
  3. "Tide swims tough at NCAA meet". Tuscaloosa News. 28 March 1992. Retrieved 25 May 2013.
  4. "Résultats officielle des JM d'Athènes 1991: Natation" [Official results of the 1991 Mediterranean Games, Athens: Swimming] (PDF). Athens 1991 (in French). Mediterranean Games. p. 24. Archived from the original (PDF) on 28 July 2013. Retrieved 25 May 2013.
  5. "Barcelona 1992: Aquatics (Swimming) – Men's 50m Freestyle Heat 6" (PDF). Barcelona 1992. LA84 Foundation. p. 357. Archived from the original (PDF) on 27 September 2007. Retrieved 2 May 2013.
  6. "Barcelona 1992: Aquatics (Swimming) – Men's 100m Freestyle Heat 5" (PDF). Barcelona 1992. LA84 Foundation. p. 358. Archived from the original (PDF) on 27 September 2007. Retrieved 2 May 2013.
  7. "Résultats officielle des JM Languedoc-Roussillon 1993: Natation" [Official results of the 1993 Mediterranean Games, Languedoc-Roussillon: Swimming] (PDF). Languedoc-Roussillon 1993 (in French). Mediterranean Games. pp. 24–26. Archived from the original (PDF) on 24 June 2014. Retrieved 25 May 2013.
  8. "1993: Achievement at many levels" (PDF). Cyprus Olympic Committee. p. 68. Archived from the original (PDF) on 31 March 2016. Retrieved 25 May 2013.
  9. "Atlanta 1996: Aquatics (Swimming) – Men's 50m Freestyle Heat 5" (PDF). Atlanta 1996. LA84 Foundation. p. 35. Archived from the original (PDF) on 23 May 2011. Retrieved 28 April 2013.
  10. "Atlanta 1996: Aquatics (Swimming) – Men's 100m Freestyle Heat 3" (PDF). Atlanta 1996. LA84 Foundation. p. 36. Archived from the original (PDF) on 23 May 2011. Retrieved 28 April 2013.
  11. "Résultats officielle des JM Bari 1997: Natation" [Official results of the 1997 Mediterranean Games, Bari: Swimming] (PDF). Bari 1997 (in French). Mediterranean Games. pp. 24–26. Archived from the original (PDF) on 23 June 2014. Retrieved 25 May 2013.
  12. "2003 Alabama Swimming & Diving: Alabama in the Olympics" (PDF). Alabama Crimson Tide. Alabama Crimson Tide. p. 78. Archived from the original (PDF) on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 25 May 2013.
  13. "Swimming – Men's 50m Freestyle Startlist (Heat 6)" (PDF). Sydney 2000. Omega Timing. Retrieved 23 April 2013.
  14. "Sydney 2000: Swimming – Men's 50m Freestyle Heat 6" (PDF). Sydney 2000. LA84 Foundation. p. 105. Archived from the original (PDF) on 19 August 2011. Retrieved 28 April 2013.
  15. Whitten, Phillip (3 August 2002). "Welsh Wins 100 Back at Commonwealth Games, Stymies Thorpe's Bid for 7 Gold: Norris Wins Third Gold". Swimming World Magazine. Archived from the original on 15 June 2013. Retrieved 25 May 2013.
  16. "Men's 4×100m Freestyle Relay Final". Manchester 2002. Sports Illustrated. 30 July 2002. Retrieved 31 January 2013.
  17. "Eight Olympians Highlight First Members of "Race Club"". Swimming World Magazine. 4 November 2003. Archived from the original on 11 April 2013. Retrieved 25 May 2013.
  18. Milman, Joel (12 August 2012). "The 'Never Won a Medal' Club Gets a Bit Smaller". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 25 May 2013.
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