Christos Tampaxis

Christos Tampaxis
Personal information
Born26 June 1977 (1977-06-26) (age 47)
Medal record
Men's para swimming
Representing  Greece
Paralympic Games
Gold medal – first place 2004 Athens 50 m backstroke S1
Gold medal – first place 2008 Beijing 50 m backstroke S1
Silver medal – second place 2004 Athens 100 m freestyle S1
Silver medal – second place 2004 Athens 50 m freestyle S1
Silver medal – second place 2012 London 50 m backstroke S1
World Championships
Bronze medal – third place 2015 Glasgow 100 m backstroke S1
Bronze medal – third place 2015 Glasgow 50 m backstroke S1
European Championships
Gold medal – first place 2009 Reykjavik 50 m backstroke S1
Silver medal – second place 2009 Reykjavik 50 m freestyle S1
Bronze medal – third place 2014 Eindhoven 50 m backstroke S1

Christos Tampaxis (born 26 June 1977)[1] is a Greek swimmer.

He has represented Greece at the Paralympic Games on six occasions, in 1996, 2000, 2004, 2008, 2012 and 2016 . His first medals came at the 2004 Games. Competing in the S1 category for athletes with the most severe disabilities, Tampaxis won gold in the 50 metre backstroke, and silver in the 50 m and 100 m freestyle. His gold medal in the backstroke was also a Paralympic record: 1:22.20.[2]

He successfully defended his 50-metre backstroke title at the 2008 Games, winning gold with a lead of more than twenty-one seconds over his countryman Andreas Katsaros, but failing to beat his own record; he swam the race in 1:23.15. The 50 metre backstroke was the only S1 event retained at the Beijing Games; Tampaxis therefore had to compete against S2 athletes (with slightly lesser levels of disability) in the freestyle (50m and 100m). He failed to advance from the heats.[3]

Tampaxis is blind, and has no leg movement.[4]

He was awarded as the Best Greek male athlete with a disability for 2009.

  1. ^ "Christos Tampaxis". Rio2016.com. Rio 2016 Organising Committee for the Olympic and Paralympic Games. Archived from the original on 4 October 2016.
  2. ^ "ATHENS 2004 Paralympic Games: Swimming: Men's 50 m Backstroke S1", International Paralympic Committee
  3. ^ Christos Tampaxis' full results at the Paralympics, International Paralympic Committee
  4. ^ "Dwarfs rule the pool", Sydney Morning Herald, September 10, 2008