Konstantinos Filippidis ( el, Κωνσταντίνος Φιλιππίδης; born 26 November 1986 in

Athens Athens ( ; el, Αθήνα, Athína ; grc, Ἀθῆναι, Athênai (pl.) ) is both the capital and largest city of Greece. With a population close to four million, it is also the seventh largest city in the European Union. Athens dominates ...

) is a Greek

pole vault Pole vaulting, also known as pole jumping, is a track and field event in which an athlete uses a long and flexible pole, usually made from fiberglass or carbon fiber, as an aid to jump over a bar. Pole jumping competitions were known to the Myc ...

er. He won the gold medal at the 2014 World Indoor Championships and the silver medal at the 2017 European Indoor Championships. He took the sixth place at the

2012 Olympic Games The 2012 Summer Olympics (officially the Games of the XXX Olympiad and also known as London 2012) was an international multi-sport event held from 27 July to 12 August 2012 in London, England, United Kingdom. The first event, the ...

in London.

Biography

Junior level

He was successful at the junior level, finishing fourth at both the 2003 World Youth Championships and the 2004 World Junior Championships and winning a silver medal at the 2005 European Junior Championships. In the same year, he won the silver medal at the

2005 Summer Universiade The 2005 Summer Universiade, also known as the XXIII Summer Universiade, took place in İzmir, Turkey, in August. Emblem The emblem is the letter “U”, inspired by the bird's-eye view of the Gulf of İzmir. This shape has perfectly fit the lett ...

with a personal best jump of 5.75 metres. He also competed at the 2005 World Championships and the

2006 European Athletics Championships The 19th European Athletics Championships were held in Gothenburg, Sweden, between 7 August and 13 August 2006. The competition arena was the Ullevi Stadium and the official motto "Catch the Spirit". Gothenburg also hosted the 1995 World Champions ...

without qualifying for the final.

Suspension: 2007–09

In 2007 Filippidis was found guilty of

etilephrine Etilefrine is a cardiac stimulant used as an antihypotensive. It is a sympathomimetic amine of the 3-hydroxy-phenylethanolamine series used in treating orthostatic hypotension of neurological, cardiovascular, endocrine or metabolic origin. Intrav ...

doping. The sample was delivered on 16 June 2007 in an in-competition test at the national athletics championships. He received an IAAF suspension from July 2007 to July 2009. He then successfully applied for a reduction in his ineligibility period and subsequently he was eligible to resume competition from the 16th of February 2009.

Comeback: 2010–2012

After his comeback in 2010, he improved his personal best and the national indoor record (5.70 m) and later took 4th place in the 2010 World Indoor Championships. The following year he started the season with another national indoor record (5.72 m) and also reached the final of the 2011 European Indoor Championships, taking the 5th place. During the summer season, he took third place at the

IAAF Diamond League The Diamond League is an annual series of elite track and field athletic competitions comprising fourteen of the best invitational athletics meetings. The series sits in the top tier of the World Athletics (formerly known as the IAAF) one-day mee ...

in Paris with 5.68 m, second place with 5.72 m in the meeting at Jockgrim and won the Greek National Championship with a vault of 5.73 m. At the 2011 World Championships, he improved his season's best and took the 6th place with a vault of 5.75m, equaling his 2005 Greek record.Greek athletics records
– The Athletics Site In the 2012 indoor season, Filippidis again broke the Greek national record with a vault of 5.75 m, while in the

2012 IAAF World Indoor Championships The 2012 IAAF World Indoor Championships in Athletics was the 14th edition of the global-level indoor track and field competition and was held between March 9–11, 2012 at the Ataköy Athletics Arena in Istanbul, Turkey. It was the first of four ...

in Istanbul he once again reached the final, taking 7th place. Later on that summer, he was again 7th at the final of the

2012 Summer Olympics The 2012 Summer Olympics (officially the Games of the XXX Olympiad and also known as London 2012) was an international multi-sport event held from 27 July to 12 August 2012 in London, England, United Kingdom. The first event, the ...

in London. After the Games, he twice improved the Greek record (first to 5.76 m and then finally to 5.80 m).

2013-2014 World Indoor Champion

On 2013 Filippídis took the first place in the World Challenge in

Berlin Berlin ( , ) is the capital and largest city of Germany by both area and population. Its 3.7 million inhabitants make it the European Union's most populous city, according to population within city limits. One of Germany's sixteen constitue ...

. He managed a vault 5.70 metres on his third attempt. Konstantinos Filippídis took the first place in the 2014 World Indoor Championships in Sopot. The Greek champion progressed through the final with no failures until the winning height of 5.80m, winning the world indoor title with a season’s best.

Personal bests

Competition record

¹No mark in the final

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Filippidis, Konstantinos 1986 births Living people Athletes from Athens Greek male pole vaulters Olympic athletes of Greece Athletes (track and field) at the 2012 Summer Olympics Athletes (track and field) at the 2016 Summer Olympics World Athletics Championships athletes for Greece Doping cases in athletics Greek sportspeople in doping cases Mediterranean Games gold medalists for Greece Athletes (track and field) at the 2005 Mediterranean Games Universiade medalists in athletics (track and field) Mediterranean Games medalists in athletics Universiade silver medalists for Greece World Athletics Indoor Championships winners Athletes (track and field) at the 2020 Summer Olympics