Paraskevi "Voula" Patoulidou
Παρασκευή "Βούλα" Πατουλίδου
Patoulidou in 2006
Deputy Regional Governor of Thessaloniki
Assumed office
1 September 2014
Sports career
NationalityGreek
Born (1965-03-29) 29 March 1965
Florina, Kingdom of Greece
Height168 cm (5 ft 6 in)
Weight60 kg (132 lb)
CountryGreece
SportAthletics
Event(s)Hurdling, Long Jump
Sports achievements and titles
Personal bests12.64s NR (1992), (100m H)
6.71m (LJ)
Medal record
Women's athletics
Representing  Greece
Olympic Games
Gold medal – first place1992 Barcelona100m Hurdles
Mediterranean Games
Gold medal – first place1991 Athens100m
Silver medal – second place1991 Athens100m hurdles
Bronze medal – third place1991 Athens4 x 100m Relay

Paraskevi ("Voula") Patoulidou (Greek: Παρασκευή "Βούλα" Πατουλίδου, born 29 March 1965) is a Greek former athlete and politician. Born in Tripotamo (part of Florina prefecture), Patoulidou throughout her athletics career competed in the 100 metres, 100 metres hurdles and in the long jump events. In 1992, she was the surprise winner of the Women's 100 m hurdles race at the Olympic Games in Barcelona, and she was voted the Best Balkan Athlete that same year.

She was the candidate for the Prefecture of Thessaloniki in the local elections of Autumn 2006 supported by the opposition party of PASOK, but lost the election to Panagiotis Psomiadis. Her spouse is Dimitrios Zarzavatsidis.[1] Since 1 September 2014, she is the Deputy Regional Governor of Thessaloniki in the Region of Central Macedonia.

Personal bests

Date Event Venue Performance
10 February 1990 60 metres Ghent, Belgium 7.29s
4 March 1990 60m hurdles Glasgow, Scotland 8.08s
14 July 1990 100 metres Trikala, Greece 11.27s
6 August 1992 100m hurdles Barcelona, Spain 12.64s NR
4 June 1995 Long jump Chania, Greece 6.71m

Barcelona 1992

On 5 August 1992, Patoulidou qualified for the final in the 100 m hurdles by improving her personal best from 12.96 (set in the qualifying round) to 12.88 seconds in the semi-finals. This success made her the first Greek woman ever to reach a track final in the Olympic Games.

One day later, the clear favourite of the 100 m hurdles final, Gail Devers of the United States, made a mistake and tripped on the last hurdle. Patoulidou took advantage and lunged her body forward for the finishing line. She crossed the line in 12.64 seconds, a Greek national record that still stands.

After 1992

After her Olympic gold medal Patoulidou decided to switch back to the long jump, her first love, believing that she had achieved as much as possible in the 100 m hurdles. She is vindicated for her choice when she participated in her second Olympic Games Final, in the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta, finishing 10th.

In the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games, Patoulidou was a member of the 4 × 100 m relay team that reached the semi-finals and ended up in the 13th place. She was given an honorary place in the 4 × 100 m relay team in the Athens Olympic Games in 2004, participating for the fifth time in the Olympic Games at the age of 39.

She was the only woman amongst the five Greek sporting legends chosen to be the penultimate runners in the 2004 Olympic torch relay, along with Nick Galis, Mimis Domazos, Kakhi Kakhiashvili and Ioannis Melissanidis (see 2004 Summer Olympics Opening Ceremony). She was also one of the penultimate runners of the 1996 torch relay in Atlanta, joining Evander Holyfield and Janet Evans.

International competitions

YearCompetitionVenuePositionEventNotes
1987 Mediterranean Games Latakia, Syria 6th Long jump 5.54m
1988 Olympic Games Seoul, South Korea 41st (h) 100m 11.85
15th (h) 4 × 100m relay 45.44
1989 European Indoor Championships The Hague, Netherlands 9th (h) 60m 7.42
World Indoor Championships Budapest, Hungary 11th (sf) 60m 7.47
1990 European Indoor Championships Glasgow, United Kingdom 15th (h) 60m 7.44
7th (sf) 60m hurdles 8.08
Balkan Games Istanbul, Turkey 1st 100m
1st 100m hurdles
European Championships Split, Yugoslavia 13th (sf) 100m 11.62
11th (sf) 100m hurdles 13.07
1991 Mediterranean Games Athens, Greece 1st 100m 11.48
2nd 100m hurdles 12.96
3rd 4 × 100 m relay 44.77
World Championships Tokyo, Japan 14th (sf) 100m 11.51
21st (h) 100m hurdles 13.41
1992 European Indoor Championships Genoa, Italy 17th (h) 60m hurdles 8.33
Olympic Games Barcelona, Spain 1st 100m hurdles 12.64 (NR)
1994 European Indoor Championships Paris, France 17th (q) Long jump 5.98 m
Balkan Games Trikala, Greece 1st Long jump
1995 World Indoor Championships Barcelona, Spain 10th Long jump 6.44 m
World Championships Gothenburg, Sweden Long jump NM
1996 European Indoor Championships Stockholm, Sweden 11th Long jump 6.15 m
Olympic Games Atlanta, United States 10th Long jump 6.37 m
1997 World Indoor Championships Paris, France Long jump NM
World Championships Athens, Greece 36th (q) Long jump 5.90 m
1999 World Championships Seville, Spain 13th (h) 4 × 100m relay 44.68
2000 European Indoor Championships Ghent, Belgium 20th (h) 60m 7.39
Olympic Games Sydney, Australia 46th (h) 100m 11.65
13th (sf) 4 × 100m relay 43.53
2001 World Indoor Championships Lisbon, Portugal 17th (sf) 60m 7.34
2002 European Indoor Championships Vienna, Austria 18th (h) 60m 7.48

References

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