Alexandros Nikolaidis
Encyclopedia
Alexandros Nikolaidis (born October 17, 1979 in Thessaloniki
) is an Olympic
taekwondo
athlete from Greece
. Initially the favorite, he eventually won the silver medal
at the 2004 Olympics
held in Athens
after losing from his opponent and eventual gold medal
ist, Moon Dae-Sung of South Korea
.
On March 24, 2008 Alexandros Nikolaidis had the honour to be the first torchbearer of the 2008 Summer Olympics torch relay
.
Later in the same year on April 11, he won the European Championship
in Rome
after four promising fights.
Another big moment of his sports career came up in Beijing
. At the 2008 Beijing Olympics, Nikolaidis won another Olympic silver medal in the +80 kg category, after losing to Cha Dong-Min
of South Korea
in the final.
In July 2011 he managed to secure a place at the 2012 Olympic Games by placing third in the 2011 World Taekwondo Olympic Qualification Tournament
in Baku, Azerbaijan by defeating Liu Xiaobo
of China in the 3rd place play-off
Thessaloniki
Thessaloniki , historically also known as Thessalonica, Salonika or Salonica, is the second-largest city in Greece and the capital of the region of Central Macedonia as well as the capital of the Decentralized Administration of Macedonia and Thrace...
) is an Olympic
Olympic Games
The Olympic Games is a major international event featuring summer and winter sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Olympic Games have come to be regarded as the world’s foremost sports competition where more than 200 nations participate...
taekwondo
Taekwondo
Taekwondo is a Korean martial art and the national sport of South Korea. In Korean, tae means "to strike or break with foot"; kwon means "to strike or break with fist"; and do means "way", "method", or "path"...
athlete from Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
. Initially the favorite, he eventually won the silver medal
Silver medal
A silver medal is a medal awarded to the second place finisher of contests such as the Olympic Games, Commonwealth Games, and contests with similar formats....
at the 2004 Olympics
2004 Summer Olympics
The 2004 Summer Olympic Games, officially known as the Games of the XXVIII Olympiad, was a premier international multi-sport event held in Athens, Greece from August 13 to August 29, 2004 with the motto Welcome Home. 10,625 athletes competed, some 600 more than expected, accompanied by 5,501 team...
held in Athens
Athens
Athens , is the capital and largest city of Greece. Athens dominates the Attica region and is one of the world's oldest cities, as its recorded history spans around 3,400 years. Classical Athens was a powerful city-state...
after losing from his opponent and eventual gold medal
Gold medal
A gold medal is typically the medal awarded for highest achievement in a non-military field. Its name derives from the use of at least a fraction of gold in form of plating or alloying in its manufacture...
ist, Moon Dae-Sung of South Korea
South Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
.
On March 24, 2008 Alexandros Nikolaidis had the honour to be the first torchbearer of the 2008 Summer Olympics torch relay
2008 Summer Olympics torch relay
The 2008 Summer Olympics torch relay was run from March 24 until August 8, 2008, prior to the 2008 Summer Olympics, with the theme of "one world, one dream". Plans for the relay were announced on April 26, 2007, in Beijing, China...
.
Later in the same year on April 11, he won the European Championship
2008 European Taekwondo Championships
The 2008 European Taekwondo Championships were held at the in Rome, Italy. The event took place from April 10 to April 13, 2008.-Men:-Women:-Medal table:...
in Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
after four promising fights.
Another big moment of his sports career came up in Beijing
Beijing
Beijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...
. At the 2008 Beijing Olympics, Nikolaidis won another Olympic silver medal in the +80 kg category, after losing to Cha Dong-Min
Cha Dong-Min
Cha Dong-Min is a South Korean taekwondo practitioner.Height: 6'2" Weight: 181 lbs...
of South Korea
South Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
in the final.
In July 2011 he managed to secure a place at the 2012 Olympic Games by placing third in the 2011 World Taekwondo Olympic Qualification Tournament
2011 World Taekwondo Olympic Qualification Tournament
The 2011 WTF World Qualification Tournament for London Olympic Games was held at Sarhadchi Olympic Center in Baku, Azerbaijan from June 30 to July 3, 2011. Each country may enter maximum 2 male and 2 female divisions with only one in each division and the first three ranked athletes per weight...
in Baku, Azerbaijan by defeating Liu Xiaobo
Liu Xiaobo (taekwondo)
Liu Xiaobo is a male Chinese Taekwondo practitioner who competed at the 2008 Summer Olympics.-External links:* Liu Xiaobo's profile and Olympic results from...
of China in the 3rd place play-off