There are sporting triumphs that show up on results sheets, and there are triumphs that carry an entire story with them. The two gold medals won by Anna Maria and Eirini Marina Alexandri at the European Championships in Paris, in the technical and free duet of artistic swimming, as well as the honours earned by Vasiliki Alexandri in the free and technical solo, undoubtedly belong to the second category.
Behind them lies a journey of fourteen years, a childhood spent far from Greece, major successes with Austria, and a deep desire that stayed alive all those years: to come back one day and compete again for their country.
Together with Anna Maria and Eirini Marina, their triplet sister Vasiliki wrote her own chapter in Paris, competing in the solo event, where she finished fifth in the technical and seventh in the free programme. Her route was even more demanding, as a serious knee injury and a bout of tonsillitis shortly before the championships limited her preparation, without shaking her belief in her abilities.
Starting from scratch abroad
For the three sisters, the Europeans were not just another big event; they were the first major chapter of a new life that began when they decided to return to Greece.
