Anyone familiar with the world of gymnastics will certainly know the name Marios Georgiou. He was born on November 10, 1997 in Limassol, Cyprus. He has become known for his outstanding performances at international level. Marios started gymnastics at a young age and his exceptional talent was quickly recognized. He made his international debut at the 2015 World Championships in Glasgow. In 2016, he became the first Cypriot gymnast to represent his country in the individual all-around competition at the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro - a historic milestone for gymnastics in Cyprus.

His last major success was the all-around title at the European Championships in Rimini 2024. ´The European Championships in Rimini were very stressful for me, as there was only one ticket left for the Olympic Games. I didn't have a specific goal for the competition, I just wanted to have the last starting place for Paris,´ said Marios. 

He was already feeling good at the start of the competition, and even after the first apparatus Marios was sure that it would be a successful day. After much trepidation and waiting for the following subdivisions, the result finally came: Marios was European all-around champion and thus secured the last ticket for the Olympic Games in Paris. 

´To be honest, at first I was just happy to have won the all-around title before I really realized that I also had the ticket for Paris in my pocket,´were Marios' first thoughts when the results were announced. 

There were two further milestones for Marios Georgiou: At the 2019 European Gymnastics Championships in Szczecin, Poland, he also achieved a historic success for Cyprus when he won the bronze medal in the all-around - the first ever medal for Cyprus at European Gymnastics Championships. 

The absolute highlight of Marios' career was competing at the 2024 Olympic Games, where he even reached the all-around final. 

´I was very happy to be in the final, but I wasn't entirely satisfied with my performance. But that's the way it is sometimes,´says the gymnast modestly about his performance in Paris.

Mario's recipe for success for his positive record? Certainly his ease and mental strength: ´Mental pressure is not really a big issue for me. If I successfully complete an exercise a hundred times in training, then I know that I'll be able to do it the 101st time in competition too.´ Nevertheless, he also has his own mental preparation routines. Music before the competition is an important part of Marios preparation ´Music gives me an extra kick before the competition. And during the competition, I try to interact with the audience - that gives me even more energy.´

The next major international competition is already casting its shadow: the European Championships in Leipzig. For Marios, this competition is not only important in sporting terms - he also has a very personal relationship with Germany. The Cypriot gymnast is an integral part of the SC Cottbus national league team. ´The Bundesliga is going really well for my team and me, and I can gain valuable competition experience there, which helps me a lot,´ says the gymnast. It is not yet clear whether he will actually compete in Leipzig. ´I have to see how fit I am by then, so I can't say for sure yet. But one thing is clear: 

I will do everything I can to be there in Leipzig,´ says the reigning European champion with determination. The aim is to maintain his performance in order to, at best, repeat his success.

Mario's recipe for success for his positive record? Certainly his ease and ´My focus is on increasing my difficulty and learning new elements. That will be the focus over the next few weeks.´