Mirela Maniani (Greek: Μιρέλα Μανιάνι, [miˈrela maˈɲani], born 21 December 1976) is a Greek retired track and field athlete who competed in the javelin throw. She was named the Greek Female Athlete of the Year for 2003.
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Mirela Manjani |
| Nationality | Albanian |
| Born | 21 December 1976 Durrës, Albania |
| Spouses | Giannis Skoutelas
(m. 2004; div. 2006) |
| Military career | |
| Allegiance |  Greece |
| Service/ | Hellenic Navy |
| Years of service | 1999–unknown[1] |
| Achievements and titles | |
| Personal bests | NR 67.51 m (2000) |
| Updated on 18 May 2015 | |
Life and athletic achievements
Albania
Maniani was born as Mirela Manjani on 21 December 1976 in Durrës, Albania. In 1996, at the University of Alabama she set a new Albanian national record at 62.46 m (as of 2017, she still holds the national record of Albania).[2] She represented Albania at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, USA and ranked 24th overall. During the competition she was also Albania's flag bearer.[3]
Greece
After marrying a Greek citizen, the weightlifter Georgios Tzelilis, she received Greek citizenship and represented Greece at the 1997 World Championships in Athletics in Athens. Her first major success came in 1999 in Seville, where she won the gold medal at the World Championships with a throw of 67.09 m. Her performance was considered as a world record, as a new type of javelin had been introduced in 1999. At the 2000 Summer Olympics she won the silver medal with a personal best of 67.51 m. She also won the bronze medal in 2004. Maniani is also a European champion and double world champion. Her personal best throw of 67.51 metres is the current Greek record.[4]
Maniani joined the Hellenic Navy in 1999.[1]
Personal life
Mirela Maniani was married to the weightlifter Georgios Tzelilis in 1997, and became a Greek citizen. She was known as Mirela Maniani-Tzelili until 2002, when she divorced Tzelilis. Maniani has one daughter from her third wedding with the Greek basketball player, Giannis Giannoulis.[5]
International competitions
| Year | Competition | Venue | Position | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Representing  Albania | ||||
| 1994 | World Junior Championships | Lisbon, Portugal | 8th | 52.22 m (old spec.) |
| European Championships | Helsinki, Finland | 22nd (q) | 49.96 m (old spec.) | |
| 1995 | World Championships | Gothenburg, Sweden | 12th | 55.56 m |
| European Junior Championships | Nyíregyháza, Hungary | 2nd | 59.36 m (old spec.) | |
| 1996 | Olympic Games | Atlanta, United States | 24th (q) | 55.64 m |
| Representing Greece | ||||
| 1997 | World Championships | Athens, Greece | 11th | 61.02 m |
| 1998 | European Championships | Budapest, Hungary | 9th | 58.65 m |
| 1999 | World Championships | Seville, Spain | 1st | 67.09 m CR |
| 2000 | Olympic Games | Sydney, Australia | 2nd | 67.51 m =NR |
| 2001 | World Championships | Edmonton, Canada | 2nd | 65.78 m |
| 2002 | European Championships | Munich, Germany | 1st | 67.47 m CR |
| 2003 | World Championships | Paris, France | 1st | 66.52 m WL |
| 2004 | Olympic Games | Athens, Greece | 3rd | 64.29 m |
References
External links
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