The #Zagreb2026 Shooting star award goes to Marios Georgiou

After the second part of Apparatus finals of the 2026 European Championships in Men’s Artistic Gymnastics in Zagreb (CRO), Kamran Ramazanov, CEO of our global partner SmartScoring, presented the SmartScoring Shooting star award to Marios Georgiou from Cyprus.

Started in 2018, this award aims to put a gymnast with an exceptional story in the spotlight, someone who is an inspiration for the future generation of gymnasts and the general public alike.

Marios Georgiou has written some of the most remarkable chapters in the history of Cypriot gymnastics.
After making his Olympic debut at Rio 2016, he quickly established himself as one of the country’s leading gymnasts and a pioneer on the international stage.
In 2018, he enjoyed a breakthrough year, winning the All-Around and Horizontal Bar titles at the Mediterranean Games, as well as two gold medals at the Commonwealth Games. A year later, he made history again by winning bronze in the European All-Around in Szczecin – Cyprus’ first-ever European gymnastics medal.

In 2022, Georgiou became the first Cypriot gymnast to win a European title, taking gold on Horizontal Bar in Munich. His greatest achievement came in 2024, when he became the first Cypriot European All-Around Champion in Rimini (scoring over 14 points on 4 apparatuses, highlighted by magnificent parallel bars and horizontal routines). This incredible performance also secured him a spot at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, where he reached the Horizontal Bar final and finished an impressive sixth — another historic first for Cyprus. A fantastic year for Marios Georgiou, crowned “Male Gymnast of the Year” with more than 50% of the votes.

In Zagreb, Marios Georgiou added another medal to his impressive collection, claiming silver on the high bar.

Beyond his impressive medal tally, Georgiou’s career is a story of perseverance, consistency and determination. By breaking new ground at almost every major stage of his career, he has become a true inspiration for young gymnasts in Cyprus and far beyond.