Christos Gikas (Greek: Χρήστος Γκίκας; born August 12, 1976, in Gjirokastër, Albania) is a retired amateur Greek Greco-Roman wrestler, who competed in the men's lightweight category.[1] He won a silver medal in the 63-kg division at the 2001 Mediterranean Games in Tunis, Tunisia, and had been selected to the nation's Olympic wrestling team when Greece hosted the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens.[2] Gikas also trained as a member of the wrestling squad for Olympiacos in Athens, under his personal coach Aristidis Rubenyan.[3] As a player of Olympiacos, he won the European CELA Cup in 2006.[4]

Christos Gikas
Personal information
Full nameChristos Gikas
Nationality Greece
Born (1976-08-12) 12 August 1976 (age 48)
Gjirokastër, Albania
Height1.66 m (5 ft 5+12 in)
Weight60 kg (132 lb)
Sport
SportWrestling
StyleGreco-Roman
ClubOlympiacos
CoachAristidis Rubenyan
Medal record
Men's Greco-Roman wrestling
Representing  Greece
Mediterranean Games
Silver medal – second place 2001 Tunis 63 kg

Gikas qualified for his naturalized Greek squad in the men's 60 kg class at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens. He filled up an entry by the International Federation of Association Wrestling and the Hellenic Olympic Committee, as Greece received an automatic berth for being the host nation.[2][5] In front of the home crowd inside Ano Liossia Olympic Hall, Gikas lost three straight matches each to Turkey's Şeref Tüfenk (0–5), eventual Olympic silver medalist Roberto Monzón of Cuba (0–7), and two-time Olympian Ali Ashkani of Iran (1–6), leaving him on the bottom of the prelim pool and placing twentieth in the final standings.[6]

References

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  1. ^ Evans, Hilary; Gjerde, Arild; Heijmans, Jeroen; Mallon, Bill; et al. "Christos Gikas". Olympics at Sports-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on 18 April 2020. Retrieved 5 August 2014.
  2. ^ a b Με 18 παλαιστές στο ολυμπιακό ταπί της Αθήνας [18 wrestlers in the Olympic mat for Athens] (in Greek). To Vima. 24 March 2002. Retrieved 13 June 2014.
  3. ^ Με εννιά παλαιστές στο πανελλήνιο [With nine wrestlers in the nationals] (in Greek). RedPlanet.gr. 8 July 2011. Retrieved 5 August 2014.
  4. ^ "Dynamo MGFSO European Champion, Olympiacos Piraeus CELA Cup Winner" (in Greek). flash.gr. Retrieved 25 March 2023.
  5. ^ Abbott, Gary (16 July 2004). "Olympic Games preview at 60 kg/132 lbs. in men's Greco-Roman". USA Wrestling. The Mat. Archived from the original on 15 July 2014. Retrieved 29 September 2013.
  6. ^ "Wrestling: Men's Greco-Roman 60kg". Athens 2004. BBC Sport. 15 August 2004. Retrieved 30 September 2013.
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