Nikos Gountoulas and his brother Apostolos have both earned gold medals in World and European Championships and ranked 9th in the 2012 London Olympics. Nowadays, he has created in Thessaloniki, the “Friends of the Sea Club”, which is exclusively involved in coastal rowing .
At the 3rd Mediterranean Beach Games “Heraklion 2023”, Nikos Gountoulas has an executive role in the organization as Competition Manager, while he also holds the position of the national team coach.
“In 2010, during a trip with my brother to New Zealand, we met the sport by chance, loved it and brought it to Greece” says Nikos Gountoulas.
“Along with my twin brother, Apostolos, I saw that it was a sport with great potential. It was completely unknown in Greece. Coastal rowing, is the perfect sport for my country. The athletes do not row in flat water, in lakes and rivers, but in the open sea (rough water), having to face, in addition to their opponents, the weather conditions!”
On the qualifications that a coastal rowing athlete must have, Nikos Gountoulas says: “It is not enough to have good technique and physical fitness, but you must have a very good feeling of orientation, know how to row in all weather conditions and know basic safety principles at sea. It is a noble and demanding sport, which exercises the whole body in harmony and appeals to everyone, men and women alike, who love the sea.
In Heraklion, fans will be fascinated by the sport – especially the Beach Sprint – and the races that will take place from 10-12 September, on the beach of Karteros. The Greek team won medals in both previous Mediterranean Coastal Games. In Pescara, the women climbed to the second step of the podium in the quadruple sculls and in Patras they won three medals; one gold and two silver with the women’s team. “We hope to have similar success in Heraklion,” concludes the federal coach.”
The national team consists of the following athletes.
Rowing Beach Sprint: Irini Varelopoulou (CW1x, mixed relay CM2x + CW1x + CM1x + CW2x), Niki Ioannou (CW2x, mixed relay CM2x + CW1x + CM1x + CW2x), Eleni Varelopoulou (CW2x, mixed relay CM2x + CW1x + CM1x + CW2x)
Alexandros Minadakis (CM1x, mixed relay CM2x + CW1x + CM1x + CW2x), Michael Kalentzis (CM2x, mixed relay CM2x + CW1x + CM1x + CW2x), Kostas Zintiridis (CM2x, mixed relay CM2x + CW1x + CM1x + CM1x + CW2x).
Coaches are Evangelia Kokkinou and Chrysa Biskitzi.
