Elina Tzengko

Elina Tzengko

File:Elina Tzengko (GRE) 2018.jpg Tzengko at the 2018 Summer Youth Olympics in Buenos Aires
Personal information
Born	(2002-09-02) 2 September 2002 Nea Kallikrateia, Greece
Education	Aristotle University of Thessaloniki
Height	1.72 m (5 ft 8 in)
Sport
Country	Greece
Sport	Track and field
Event(s)	Javelin throw
Club	A.S. Kentavros, Nea Kallikrateias, Chalkidiki
Coached by	George Boskariov
Achievements and titles
Personal best(s)	65.81 m (2022)
Medal record Women's athletics Representing Greece European Championships 2022 Munich Javelin throw World U20 Championships 2021 Nairobi Javelin throw European U20 Championships 2021 Tallinn Javelin throw Summer Youth Olympics 2018 Buenos Aires Javelin throw

Elina Tzengko (Greek: Ελίνα Τζένγκο, Albanian: Elina Xhengo; born 2 September 2002) 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. 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.

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. Tzengko received Greek citizenship on 22 June 2018. 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.

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.

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.

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. 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.

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.

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. 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. 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.

Competition record

Representing Greece

Year	Competition	Venue	Position	Event
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

External links

Awards and achievements
Preceded by Femke Bol	Women's European Rising Star of the Year 2022	Succeeded by Incumbent