 |
|
| Alexandra
ASIMAKI |
| Sport |
Water Polo |
| NOC |
Greece
|
| Gender | Women |
| Born | 28 Jun 1988
in Athens, GRE |
| Height | 1.70 m |
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Sport Specific Information |
Why this sport? |
She used to compete in swimming before switching to water polo. She likes the amount of action there is in the sport. "My parents' concern was to put me and my brother in sports from a young age. I followed my older brother who went to the swimming pool. My love for water was great from a very young age. At age 13 I entered the sport of water polo and I loved it." |
Name of coach |
Vangelis Pateros |
When and where did you begin this sport? |
She began playing water polo in 2000 in Athens, Greece. |
General Interest |
Sporting philosophy / motto |
"Nothing is impossible." (Athlete, 31 Jul 2008) |
Sport Specific Information |
Handedness |
Right |
Club / Team |
Olympiacos Alimou: Athens, GRE |
General Interest |
Awards and honours |
In 2020 she was named in the Gold Timeless Total 7 team chosen by the website Total Waterpolo, as one of the best female players in the period from 2000-2020. She was also chosen for the Fans' Timeless 7 team through a public vote. (total-waterpolo.com, 15 Dec 2020)
She was voted fifth-best Female Player of 2018 by the Ligue Europeenne de Natation [European Swimming League]. (agonasport.com, 20 Feb 2019)
She was named Most Valuable Player [MVP] of the A1 Ethniki in Greece for the 2016/17 season. (aquafeed24.com, 19 May 2017)
She was named the 2011 Female Water Polo Athlete of the Year by the International Swimming Federation [FINA]. (greece.greekreporter.com, 09 Dec 2011) |
Further Personal Information |
Languages |
English, Greek, Spanish |
Sport Specific Information |
Preferred position / style / stance / technique |
Centre forward |
Further Personal Information |
Family |
Husband Yiannis Zoumpoulidis, one daughter [2021] |
General Interest |
Other information |
RETIREMENT AND RETURN
In August 2020 she retired from elite water polo. Following her retirement, she took up an academy coaching role at the Olympiacos Alimou club in the Alimos area of Athens, Greece, gave birth to her daughter, and underwent hip replacement surgery. In August 2021 it was announced she would return to competition with Olympiacos Alimou after the club founded a women's team to compete in the Greek A2 Women's Championship. "It is basically like returning home. Alimos is the neighbourhood where I was born and raised, where I had my first dip in a pool. This club feels like my child, I have been here since it was founded and I want to see it grow. I want to show that a woman can go back to her old life after a child, to her job, to her body, to what she loved and did before. I want to prove, first of all to myself, that after such a serious surgery an athlete can return. I always believed that everything is a matter of will. I want to show to all those who want to be inspired by me and followed me for a lifetime, that whatever difficulties are in our way, we must overcome them and move forward." (alimosonline.gr, 08 Nov 2021; sport24.gr, 22 Aug 2021; aquafeed24.com, 17 Jun 2021; Instagram profile, 27 Aug 2021)
INTERNATIONAL BREAK
In October 2019 she announced through her Instagram profile that she was retiring from the national team. The decision came after finishing eighth at the 2019 World Championships in Gwangju, Republic of Korea, which was Greece's lowest placing in the event since 2007. "After the events that took place this summer at the world championships, I made the difficult decision to leave our national team after 15 years of uninterrupted presence." She returned to the team in February 2020 after Giorgos Morfesis was replaced by Theodoros Lorantos as national coach. (agonasport.com, 08 Feb 2020; Instagram profile, 05 Feb 2020, 31 Oct 2019) |
Injuries |
In April 2021 she underwent total hip replacement surgery to treat an injury problem that had bothered her since age 25. (Instagram profile, 17 Apr 2021) |
Further Personal Information |
Residence |
Athens, GRE |
Occupation |
Athlete, Coach |
Olympic Games |
| Rank |
Year |
Venue |
Event |
Result |
| 8 |
2008 |
Beijing, CHN |
Team |
|
World Championship |
| Rank |
Year |
Venue |
Event |
Result |
| 4 |
2024 |
Doha, QAT |
Team |
|
| 8 |
2019 |
Gwangju, KOR |
Team |
|
| 7 |
2017 |
Budapest, HUN |
Team |
|
| 6 |
2015 |
Kazan, RUS |
Team |
|
| 6 |
2013 |
Barcelona, ESP |
Team |
|
| 1 |
2011 |
Shanghai, CHN |
Team |
|
| 4 |
2009 |
Rome, ITA |
Team |
|
World Cup |
| Rank |
Year |
Venue |
Event |
Result |
| 6 |
2006 |
Tianjin, CHN |
Team |
|
European Championship |
| Rank |
Year |
Venue |
Event |
Result |
| 3 |
2024 |
Eindhoven, NED |
Team |
|
| 2 |
2018 |
Barcelona, ESP |
Team |
|
| 5 |
2016 |
Belgrade, SRB |
Team |
|
| 6 |
2014 |
Budapest, HUN |
Team |
|
| 2 |
2012 |
Eindhoven, NED |
Team |
|
| 2 |
2010 |
Zagreb, CRO |
Team |
|
| 6 |
2006 |
Belgrade, SRB |
Team |
|
| |
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