Mirela Maniani
Personal information
Birth nameMirela Manjani
NationalityGreek
Born (1976-12-21) 21 December 1976
Durrës, Albania
Spouses
​
​
(m. 1997; div. 2002)​
    Giannis Skoutelas
    ​
    ​
    (m. 2004; div. 2006)​
      ​
      ​
      (m. 2009; div. 2014)​
      Military career
      Allegiance Greece
      Service/branchHellenic Navy
      Years of service1999–unknown[1]
      Achievements and titles
      Personal bestsNR 67.51 m (2000)
      Medal record
      Representing Greece Greece
      Olympic Games
      Silver medal – second place2000 SydneyJavelin
      Bronze medal – third place2004 AthensJavelin
      World Championships
      Gold medal – first place1999 SevilleJavelin
      Gold medal – first place2003 ParisJavelin
      Silver medal – second place2001 EdmontonJavelin
      European Championships
      Gold medal – first place2002 MunichJavelin
      Updated on 18 May 2015.

      Mirela Maniani (Greek: Μιρέλα Μανιάνι, [miˈrela maˈɲani], born 21 December 1976) is a Greek retired track and field athlete who competed in the javelin throw.

      Life and athletic achievements

      Albania

      Maniani was born as Mirela Manjani on 21 December 1976 in Durrës, Albania. In 1996, at the University of Alabama she set a new Albanian national record at 62.46 m (as of 2017, she still holds the national record of Albania).[2] She represented Albania at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, USA and ranked 24th overall. During the competition she was also Albania's flag bearer.[3]

      Greece

      After marrying a Greek citizen, the weightlifter Georgios Tzelilis, she received Greek citizenship and represented Greece at the 1997 World Championships in Athletics in Athens. Her first major success came in 1999 in Seville, where she won the gold medal at the World Championships with a throw of 67.09 m. Her performance was considered as a world record, as a new type of javelin had been introduced in 1999. At the 2000 Summer Olympics she won the silver medal with a personal best of 67.51 m. She also won the bronze medal in 2004. Maniani is also a European champion and double world champion. Her personal best throw of 67.51 metres is the current Greek record.[4]

      Maniani joined the Hellenic Navy in 1999.[1]

      Personal life

      Mirela Maniani married the weightlifter Georgios Tzelilis in 1997, and became a Greek citizen. She was known as Mirela Maniani-Tzelili until 2002, when she divorced Tzelilis. Maniani has one daughter from her third wedding with the Greek basketball player Giannis Giannoulis.[5]

      International competitions

      YearCompetitionVenuePositionNotes
      Representing  Albania
      1994 World Junior Championships Lisbon, Portugal 8th 52.22 m (old spec.)
      European Championships Helsinki, Finland 22nd (q) 49.96 m (old spec.)
      1995 World Championships Gothenburg, Sweden 12th 55.56 m
      European Junior Championships Nyíregyháza, Hungary 2nd 59.36 m (old spec.)
      1996 Olympic Games Atlanta, United States 24th (q) 55.64 m
      Representing  Greece
      1997 World Championships Athens, Greece 11th 61.02 m
      1998 European Championships Budapest, Hungary 9th 58.65 m
      1999 World Championships Seville, Spain 1st 67.09 m CR
      2000 Olympic Games Sydney, Australia 2nd 67.51 m =NR
      2001 World Championships Edmonton, Canada 2nd 65.78 m
      2002 European Championships Munich, Germany 1st 67.47 m CR
      2003 World Championships Paris, France 1st 66.52 m WL
      2004 Olympic Games Athens, Greece 3rd 64.29 m

      References

      1. 1 2 "Είχα στα μάτια μου τη σημαία - ΤΑ ΝΕΑ". ΤΑ ΝΕΑ (in Greek). 30 August 1999. Retrieved 1 November 2018.
      2. ↑ Dizdar, Besnik (2007-09-03). "Vojsava Lika e Greqisë – fenomeni shqiptar i Osaka 2007". Zemrashqiptare. Mirela Manjani u bë Kampione Botës nen drejtimin e trajnerit Durrsak Enver Mysja qysh ne moshe te re atehere kur ajo ishte vetem 16 vjece dhe mbasi qe bërë Kampione e Ballkanit dhe Nënkampione e Evropës (për të rejat) me Shqipërinë, e deri te rekordi kombëtar zâmadh prej 62.46 metrash që Mirela na e la mbasi e kishte nënshkruar me dorën e saj për Shqipërinë në Alabama të SHBA – i vetmi rekord shqiptar i vendosur në tokën e amerikane; .... Mirela Manjani became World Champion under trained from Albanian Coach Enver Mysja since when she was 16 years old. After she had become Balkans Champion and Silver medalist of Europe juniores for Albania, until her great record of 62.46m that Mirela donated us, after she had signed with her hand for Albania in Alabama of the United States: the only Albanian record made in American Land
      3. ↑ List of Albania's flag bearers at the Olympic Games
      4. ↑ Greek all-time list, women Archived 2013-12-03 at the Wayback Machine - Athletix
      5. ↑ "Μιρέλα Μανιάνι-Γιάννης Γιαννούλης: Τίτλοι τέλους στον γάμο των αθλητών". 21 July 2014.
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