Chionis of Sparta
Encyclopedia
Chionis of Sparta was an athlete of ancient Greece
Ancient Greece
Ancient Greece is a civilization belonging to a period of Greek history that lasted from the Archaic period of the 8th to 6th centuries BC to the end of antiquity. Immediately following this period was the beginning of the Early Middle Ages and the Byzantine era. Included in Ancient Greece is the...

 who was most notable for his jumping records in the ancient Olympics. Records suggest that in the 656 BC Olympics Chionis jumped a then record of 7 meters and 5 centimetres. If accurate, such a record would have won Chionis the inaugural Olympic title of the modern Olympic Games in 1896 and placed him among the top eight at a further ten Olympics, up to and including the 1952 Games of Helsinki
Helsinki
Helsinki is the capital and largest city in Finland. It is in the region of Uusimaa, located in southern Finland, on the shore of the Gulf of Finland, an arm of the Baltic Sea. The population of the city of Helsinki is , making it by far the most populous municipality in Finland. Helsinki is...

.

As well as his amazing achievements in long jump, Chionis was also noted as a triple jump
Triple jump
The triple jump is a track and field sport, similar to the long jump, but involving a “hop, bound and jump” routine, whereby the competitor runs down the track and performs a hop, a bound and then a jump into the sand pit.The triple jump has its origins in the Ancient Olympics and has been a...

er capable of reaching up to 15.85 metres (52 feet). Although the rules of such jumps are unclear, such a distance under modern rules would have won Chionis the modern Olympic title right up to the 1952 games in Helsinki.

Chionis was also credited with winning three consecutive titles in the diaulos
Diaulos (running race)
Diaulos was a double-stadion race introduced in the 14th Olympiad of the ancient Olympics...

and stade between 664, 660, and 656 B.C.. The diaulos was an event that involved a race of two laps around the track, or about 384 metres (420 yards). The stade was the signature contest of the 476 BC Olympics that involved a sprinting race that was run the length of a straight track, perhaps similar to the modern 100m sprint.

Chionis' record was not matched until the 480 BC Olympics where a man called Astylos
Astylos of Croton
Astylos of Croton was an athlete from ancient Greece that starred in the ancient Olympics of the 5th century BC...

 (representing Syracuse
Syracuse, Italy
Syracuse is a historic city in Sicily, the capital of the province of Syracuse. The city is notable for its rich Greek history, culture, amphitheatres, architecture, and as the birthplace of the preeminent mathematician and engineer Archimedes. This 2,700-year-old city played a key role in...

, Sicily
Sicily
Sicily is a region of Italy, and is the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea. Along with the surrounding minor islands, it constitutes an autonomous region of Italy, the Regione Autonoma Siciliana Sicily has a rich and unique culture, especially with regard to the arts, music, literature,...

) achieved the same feat, but also demonstrated his versatility by winning the hoplites, which was a race completed in an armoured suit. Defending the honour of Chionis, the Sparta
Sparta
Sparta or Lacedaemon, was a prominent city-state in ancient Greece, situated on the banks of the River Eurotas in Laconia, in south-eastern Peloponnese. It emerged as a political entity around the 10th century BC, when the invading Dorians subjugated the local, non-Dorian population. From c...

ns amended the inscription on his memorial stele in Olympia
Olympia, Greece
Olympia , a sanctuary of ancient Greece in Elis, is known for having been the site of the Olympic Games in classical times, comparable in importance to the Pythian Games held in Delphi. Both games were held every Olympiad , the Olympic Games dating back possibly further than 776 BC...

, pointing out that there was no hoplites event in his time.

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