Athletics

New Democracy MP Giorgos Stylios has been appointed deputy education minister after Costas Koukodimos resigned on Monday, citing personal reasons.

Stylios, who was elected to Parliament with the conservative party in Arta, northwestern Greece, is a professor in the Business Administration Department at the Technological Educational Institute of the Ionian Islands.

Deputy Education Minister Costas Koukodimos resigned from his post on Monday citing personal reasons while reports indicated that his struggling businesses in Pieria, northern Greece, were the actual reason for his departure.

Deputy Education Minister Costas Koukodimos has resigned from his post citing personal reasons.

In a statement released Monday, Koukodimos said he would continue to support the conservative-led government and Prime Minister Antonis Samaras's “huge effort to regenerate the country.”

Closing in on his 104th birthday, a twinkle-toed Japanese sprinter has thrown down the challenge to the world's fastest man Usain Bolt, telling him: "let's rumble!"       

BELGRADE - State Secretary for Sport Predrag Perunicic received on Tuesday a delegation of the Paralympic track and field team of Serbia who won six medals at the 2014 IPC Athletics European Championships held August 18-23 in Swansea, UK.

Success can only come if there is willpower and persistence, and you are the best proof of that, Perunicic said addressing the Paralympians.

BELGRADE - Serbian Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic and Minister of Youth and Sports Vanja Udovicic conferred on Tuesday with Ivana Spanovic and Tatjana Jelaca who won silver medals at the recently ended European Athletics Championship in Zurich.

Greece won its second medal at the European Athletics Championships in Zurich, Switzerland, on Sunday with Louis Tsatoumas coming second in the long jump.

Briton Greg Rutherford won the event with a leap of 8.29 meters. Tsatoumas took silver with 8.15 meters, just one centimeter ahead of France's Kafetien Gomis, who claimed bronze.

ZURICH - The Serbian team has finished its participation in the European Athletics Championship in Zurich, taking home two silver medals won by Ivana Spanovic in long jump and Tatjana Jelaca in javelin throw.

Spanovic jumped 6.81 m on Wednesady to take the silver, while Jelaca took her medal on Thursday, throwing the javelin 64.21 m, which improved her personal best by 1.53 m.

2008 Olympic Games women's marathon champion Constantina Dita on Sunday morning ran in the 4th edition of the Marathon of Gratitude held in Targu-Jiu, the capital of the southern Gorj County, dedicated to Romania's WWI heroes, sculptor Constantin Brancusi and to the marathoner, also born in the county.

Mahiedine Mekhissi-Benabbad was stripped of the 3,000 metres steeplechase gold medal after performing a shirtless celebration down the final straight at the European Athletics championships on Thursday.
   
The Frenchman, well clear of the rest of the field, pulled off his vest as he came around the final bend, put it in his mouth as he waved to the crowd.