Next stop Leipzig … Catching up with defending European All-Around Champion Marios Georgiou (CYP)

Anyone familiar with the world of gymnastics will certainly know the name Marios Georgiou. Born on 10 November 1997 in Limassol, Cyprus, Georgiou has become known for his outstanding performances at international level.

Marios started gymnastics at a young age and his exceptional talent was quickly recognized. He made his international debut at the 2015 World Championships in Glasgow. In 2016, he became the first Cypriot gymnast to represent his country in the individual all-around competition at the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro - a historic milestone for gymnastics in Cyprus.

At the 2024 European Championships in Rimini, Georgiou wrote history once again by becoming th first Cypriot to win the European All-Around title. “The European Championships in Rimini were very stressful for me, as there was only one ticket left for the Olympic Games. I didn't have a specific goal for the competition, I just wanted to have the last starting place for Paris”, Marios confides. He was already feeling good at the start of the competition, and even after the first apparatus Marios was sure that it would be a successful day. After much trepidation and waiting for the following subdivisions, the result finally came: Marios was European all-around champion and thus secured the last ticket for the Olympic Games in Paris. “To be honest, at first I was just happy to have won the all-around title before I really realized that I also had the ticket for Paris in my pocket”, Marios' first thoughts when the results were announced.

There were two further milestones for Marios Georgiou: at the 2019 European Championships in Szczecin (POL) he achieved a historic success for Cyprus when he won the bronze medal in the all- around, the first ever medal for Cyprus at a European Championships. The absolute highlight of Marios' career was competing at the 2024 Olympic Games, where he reached the horizontal bar final. “I was very happy to be in the final, but I wasn't entirely satisfied with my performance. But that's the way it is sometimes”, says the gymnast modestly.

Marios’ recipe for success is certainly his ease and mental strength: “Mental pressure is not really a big issue for me. If I successfully complete an exercise a hundred times in training, then I know that I'll be able to do it the 101st time in competition too.” Nevertheless, he has his own mental preparation routines. Music before the competition is an important part of Marios preparation: “Music gives me an extra kick before the competition. And during the competition, I try to interact with the audience - that gives me even more energy.”

The next major international competition is already casting its shadow: the European Championships in Leipzig. For Marios, this competition is not only important in sporting terms - he also has a very personal relationship with Germany. The Cypriot gymnast is an integral part of the SC Cottbus national league team. “The Bundesliga is going really well for my team and me, and I can gain valuable competition experience there, which helps me a lot.”

It is not yet clear whether he will actually compete in Leipzig. “I have to see how fit I am by then, so I can't say for sure yet. But one thing is clear: I will do everything I can to be there in Leipzig”, says the reigning European Champion with determination. The aim is to maintain his performance in order to, at best, repeat his success.

The European Championships will be held from May 26 to 31 as part of the International German Gymnastics Festival 2025, which will attract up to 80,000 participants to Leipzig from May 28 to June 1. The venue will be the Leipzig Trade Fair Center, where, in addition to the European Championships competitions, numerous hands-on activities and other competitions of the gymnastics festival will take place. Tickets for some of the International gymnastics festival and for selected competitions at the European Gymnastics Championships are available in the ticket store: https://turnfest2025- tickets.reservix.de