Maria Rafailídou

Maria Rafailidou
Personal information
Born (2007-01-29) 29 January 2007
Sport
SportAthletics
Event
Shot put
Achievements and titles
Personal bestShot put:16.80m NU20R (2026)
Medal record
Women's athletics
Representing  Greece
European Throwing Cup
Bronze medal – third place2025 NicosiaU23 Shot put
European U20 Championships
Gold medal – first place2025 TampereShot put
European U18 Championships
Gold medal – first place2024 Banska BystricaShot put

Maria Rafailidou (born 29 January 2007) is a Greek shot putter. A European under-18 and under-20 champion, she won the senior Greek national title outdoors in 2025 and indoors in 2026.[1]

Biography

From Thessaloniki, she started in athletics in high school and is coached by her father who competed as a hammer thrower.[2][3] Rafailidou won the gold medal at the 2024 European Athletics U18 Championships in Slovakia with world-leading under-18 throw of 18.46 metres.[4][5][6] She won the bronze medal in the U23 category at the 2025 European Throwing Cup in Nicosia with 15.74 metres.[7]

Having changed her technique from glide to rotational as she moved up the age-groups, Rafailidou won the gold medal at the 2025 European Athletics U20 Championships in Tampere with a third round throw of 16.16 metres. She also landed the second biggest throw of the competition with 15.85 in the fourth round.[8][9] It marked Greece's first medal in women’s shot put at the European under-20 level.[10] That year, she won the senior Greek Athletics Championships. [11] She won her first senior international medal with a silver-winning throw of 16.28 metres at the 2025 Balkan Athletics Championships.[12]

In February 2026, she won another national title at the Greek Indoor Athletics Championships. [13] In August, she competed at the 2026 European Athletics Championships in Birmingham, England, in the shot put.[14]

References

  1. ↑ "Maria Rafailidou". World Athletics. Retrieved 6 August 2026.
  2. ↑ Tanias, Konstantinos (August 11, 2025). "Who is the 18-year-old Maria Rafaelidou from Thessaloniki who brought Greece the first gold medal at the U20 European Championship?". glow.gr. Retrieved 6 August 2026.
  3. ↑ Rafaelidou, Maria (May 2, 2025). "This one thing". athletestories.gr. Retrieved 6 August 2026.
  4. ↑ Broadbent, Chris (19 Jul 2024). "World U18 leads highlight brilliant throws finals in Banska Bystrica". European Athletics. Retrieved 8 August 2026.
  5. ↑ "Maria Rafailidou on "Athletic Voice"". Voice of Greece. 6 March 2026. Retrieved 6 August 2026.
  6. ↑ "European Athletics U18 Championships". World Athletics. 18 July 2024. Retrieved 6 August 2026.
  7. ↑ "Maria Rafaelidou won the bronze medal at the European Winter Shooting Championships". Newsit.gr. March 16, 2025.
  8. ↑ Broadbent, Chris (10 Aug 2025). "Rafailidou grabs shot put gold for Greece". European Athletics. Retrieved 6 August 2026.
  9. ↑ "European Athletics U20 Championships". World Athletics. 7 August 2025. Retrieved 6 August 2026.
  10. ↑ "Rafailidou wins gold at European U20 Championships". neoskosmos.com. 11 August 2026. Retrieved 6 August 2026.
  11. ↑ "Greek Championships". World Athletics. 2 August 2026. Retrieved 6 August 2026.
  12. ↑ "Balkan Championships 2025: Karalis breaks competition record". neoskosmos.com. 28 Jul 2025. Retrieved 6 August 2026.
  13. ↑ "Greek Indoor Championships". World Athletics. February 2026. Retrieved 6 August 2026.
  14. ↑ "European Athletics Championships". World Athletics. 10 August 2026. Retrieved 19 August 2026.
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