10 Questions: Greece’s Evangelia Platanioti on her world gold pride, her hopes of evolving the sport – and what she said to IOC President Thomas Bach

As Greece prepares to host the European Aquatics Junior Artistic Swimming Championships in Athens this week, its current world gold and silver medallist in solo events, Evangelia Platanioti, is taking stock of her hugely successful career,

Platanioti, 30, won world bronze in the technical and free events at the 2022 World Championships in Budapest. Two years later at the Doha World Championships she beat Canada’s Jacqueline Simoneau to gold in the solo technical routine and finished one place behind her in the free event.

The 2020 European Aquatics Championships in Budapest saw Platanioti take silver and bronze in the solo events. A year later in the EA Championships held within the third European Games in Poland, she and Sophia Malkogeorgou won bronze in the duet technical routine.

Last summer Platanioti and Malkogeorgou finished sixth in the duet event at the Paris 2024 Olympics.

Now Platanioti has updated European Aquatics on where she goes from here….

What do you think about when you are training?

“When I’m training, my mind is fully focused on what I’m doing. I try to make the most of every hour in the water and bring myself one step closer to my goals. My dream and my purpose are what give me strength – even on the toughest training days.”

What has been the proudest moment of your career – so far?

“The proudest moment of my career was winning the gold medal at the World Championships in Doha. That was my main goal, and I worked extremely hard to achieve it”.

What has been the biggest challenge of your career – so far?

“The biggest challenge of my career was winning the world gold in solo and also aiming for an Olympic medal in Paris. Together with my teammate Sophia Malkogeorgou, we gave everything we had. Even though we didn’t bring home a medal, we became better athletes, better friends, and better people.”

Who has been your sporting inspiration – either in your own sport or any other?

“When I was younger, my biggest inspiration in solo was Virginie Dedieu [France’s Sydney 2000 bronze medallist in duet and three-times world individual champion[. She was such a unique athlete – she wrote her own story in the sport, and she inspired me to write mine.”

When you met the then International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach at the Doha World Championships, what did you talk about?

“Meeting President Thomas Bach was a special moment. We talked about my performance and the gold medal, and also about how the sport can continue to grow and evolve in the future.”

What started you in artistic swimming and what is most satisfying about it?

“Artistic swimming is a way for me to express myself and my inner world. Music helps me bring out my emotions, and water calms me. I love both elements, and this sport combines them perfectly. It allows me to express myself artistically while also demanding top physical condition and technical skill.”

If you hadn’t become an artistic swimmer what do you think you would have been?

“If I hadn’t become an artistic swimmer I might have stayed in competitive swimming – that’s what I did before I started artistic swimming.”

What is your secret passion?

“If I lived in a country where figure skating was more accessible I would have loved to try that. It’s a beautiful sport that also blends artistry and athleticism.”

You are reported to be taking a break from competition after your successes last year. Is this so, and if so what is the thinking behind it?

“My original thought was that I would retire after Paris but when Paris came, I wasn’t sure about that decision anymore. What I did know is that I needed some time and a calmer daily routine for a while, so I’ve kept up light training but taken a step back from full competition. I have many ideas for the future, but for now this break was something I truly needed.”

 What would you like to have achieved by the end of 2025?

“By the end of 2025 I hope to continue contributing to artistic swimming in a meaningful way – whether that’s through performing, mentoring, or supporting the sport from a different perspective. My connection to artistic swimming runs deep, and no matter the direction I take I want to stay close to the sport and help it evolve.”

Mike Rowbottom for European Aquatics

The post 10 Questions: Greece’s Evangelia Platanioti on her world gold pride, her hopes of evolving the sport – and what she said to IOC President Thomas Bach first appeared on European Aquatics®.