Imagen
3428-Ioannis Kostakis photo

Ioannis Kostakis

Swimming
2

Biography

Impairment information

Type of Impairment
Spinal Cord Injuries
Origin of Impairment
Acquired
Classification
S3, SB2, SM3

Further personal information

Residence
Athens, GRE
Occupation
Athlete, Government Official
Languages
English, Greek
Higher education
Accounting - Technological Educational Institute of Athens [TEI]: Greece

Sport specific information

When and where did you begin this sport?
He first swam in the sea as a child and took up Para swimming in 1996 in Athens, Greece. He began competing in 1998. "I fell in love with water as a baby, because I swam in the sea before I walked. In the water I feel free, I move, I swim. I can't imagine my life without it because it is a way of life."
Why this sport?
He initially used swimming for physiotherapy following his accident and was inspired to compete after he met athletes taking part in the 1996 Paralympic Games in Atlanta. "Swimming was something I always loved, as well as water skiing. I am very familiar with water and I love it. It is something that has always suited me."
Name of coach
Panagiotis Paipetis, GRE

General interest

Hobbies
Music, watching films, going to the cinema, photography. (Athlete, 12 Sep 2019)
Memorable sporting achievement
Winning bronze in the S3 100m freestyle at the 2004 Paralympic Games in Athens. (Athlete, 12 Sep 2019)
Most influential person in career
Coach Panagiotis Paipetis. (Athlete, 12 Sep 2019)
Hero / Idol
Dutch swimmer Pieter van den Hoogenband. (Athlete, 12 Sep 2019)
Injuries
He was involved in a car accident only a few hours after winning a silver medal in the S3 100m freestyle at the 2011 European Championships in Berlin, Germany. He fractured both of his legs and required two operations. (sport24.gr, 11 Sep 2016)
Awards and honours
In 2015 he received a sporting achievement award from the Greek Paralympic Committee. (paralympic.gr, 18 Dec 2015)

He was named 2014 Male Athlete of the Year by the Greek Paralympic Committee. (paralympic.gr, 16 Dec 2014)
Ambitions
To compete at the 2020 Paralympic Games in Tokyo. (oneman.gr, 02 Mar 2017; swimming.gr, 03 Dec 2020)
Impairment
A car accident in 1996 resulted in quadriplegia. (sport24.gr, 11 Sep 2016; paralympic.gr, Sep 2012)
Other information
OCCUPATION
He works for the Greek Ministry of Culture and Sports. He has also served as general secretary of the Hellenic Paralympic Association. (swimming.gr, 03 Dec 2020; nafsweek.gr, 18 Jan 2021; sch.gr, 19 Jan 2021)

Results

Unit Date Rank
IPC Swimming World Championships Eindhoven 2010 (Eindhoven, Netherlands)
Event Medal Unit Date Rank
Men's 50 m Freestyle S3 Final Round 7
Men's 100 m Freestyle S3 Heat 1 2
Men's 50 m Freestyle S3 Heat 2 3
Men's 50 m Breaststroke SB2 Final Round 6
Men's 50 m Breaststroke SB2 Heat 1 4
Men's 4x50 m Medley 20pts Final Round 6
Men's 4x50 m Medley 20pts Heat 1 4
Men's 4x50 m Freestyle 20pts Heat 1 5
Men's 200 m Freestyle S3 Final Round 5
Men's 200 m Freestyle S3 Heat 2 3
Men's 150 m Individual Medley SM3 Final Round 6
Men's 150 m Individual Medley SM3 Heat 1 2
Men's 100 m Freestyle S3 Final Round 5
Beijing 2008 Paralympic Games (Beijing, China)
Event Medal Unit Date Rank
Men's 4x50 m Medley 20 pts Heat 1 4
Men's 4x50 m Freestyle 20 pts Final Round 4
Men's 50 m Backstroke S3 Heat 2 6
Men's 200 m Freestyle S3 Final Round 4
Men's 100 m Freestyle S3 Final Round 4
Men's 100 m Freestyle S3 Heat 1 1
Men's 50 m Freestyle S3 Final Round 5
Men's 50 m Freestyle S3 Heat 2 2
Men's 4x50 m Medley 20 pts Final Round 8
IPC Swimming World Championships Durban 2006 (Durban, South Africa)
Event Medal Unit Date Rank
Men's 100 m Freestyle S3 Final Round 6
Men's 150 m Individual Medley SM3 Heats (SM2/3) 9999
Men's 200 m Freestyle S3 Final Round 5
Men's 50 m Freestyle S3 Heats 8
Men's 50 m Freestyle S3 Final Round 8
Athens 2004 Paralympic Games (Athens, Greece)
Event Medal Unit Date Rank
Men's 150 m Individual Medley SM3 Final Round 8
Men's 150 m Individual Medley SM3 Heat 2 5
Men's 50 m Breaststroke SB2 Final Round 7
Men's 50 m Breaststroke SB2 Heat 1 4
Men's 200 m Freestyle S3 Final Round 4
Men's 200 m Freestyle S3 Heat 1 2
Men's 100 m Freestyle S3 Final Round 3
Men's 100 m Freestyle S3 Heat 2 2
Men's 50 m Freestyle S3 Final Round 7
Men's 50 m Freestyle S3 Heat 1 3
IPC Swimming World Championships Mar del Plata 2002 (Mar del Plata, Argentina)
Event Medal Unit Date Rank
Men's 100 m Freestyle S3 Heats 3
Men's 50 m Freestyle S3 Final Round 5
Men's 50 m Freestyle S3 Heats 5
Men's 100 m Freestyle S3 Final Round 3
Men's 200 m Freestyle S3 Heats 3
Men's 200 m Freestyle S3 Final Round 4
Men's 50 m Butterfly S3 Final (S3-4) 9999
Men's 50 m Butterfly S3 Heats (S2-4) 1
Sydney 2000 Paralympic Games (Sydney, Australia)
Event Medal Unit Date Rank
Men's 50 m Butterfly S4 Heat 2 9999
Men's 100 m Freestyle S3 Heat 1 9999
Men's 50 m Freestyle S3 Heat 1 9999
IPC Swimming World Championships Christchurch 1998 (Christchurch, New Zealand)
Event Medal Unit Date Rank
Men's 100 m Freestyle S4 Heats 13
Men's 50 m Butterfly S4 Final Round 5
Men's 50 m Butterfly S4 Heats 6
Men's 200 m Freestyle S4 Heats 10
Men's 50 m Freestyle S4 Heats 17
London 2012 Paralympic Games (London, Great Britain)
Event Medal Unit Date Rank
Men's 50 m Breaststroke SB2 Heat 2 2012-08-30 5
Men's 150 m Individual Medley SM3 Heat 1 2012-09-02 7
Men's 50 m Backstroke S3 Heat 2 2012-09-08 7
2013 IPC Swimming World Championships (Montreal, Canada)
Event Medal Unit Date Rank
Men's 200 m Freestyle S3 Heat 2 2013-08-12 4
Men's 200 m Freestyle S3 Final 1 2013-08-12 3
Men's 50 m Breaststroke SB2 Final 1 2013-08-13 1
Men's 50 m Freestyle S3 Heat 1 2013-08-14 4
Men's 50 m Freestyle S3 Final 1 2013-08-14 4
Men's 100 m Freestyle S3 Final 1 2013-08-16 4
Men's 50 m Butterfly S3 Final 1 2013-08-18 3
2015 IPC Swimming World Championships (Glasgow, Great Britain)
Event Medal Unit Date Rank
Men's 200 m Freestyle S3 Heat 1 2015-07-13 4
Men's 200 m Freestyle S3 Final 1 2015-07-13 6
Men's 150 m Individual Medley SM3 Final 1 2015-07-15 4
Men's 50 m Freestyle S3 Heat 1 2015-07-16 5
Men's 50 m Freestyle S3 Final 1 2015-07-16 4
Men's 50 m Breaststroke SB2 Final 1 2015-07-17 3
Men's 50 m Backstroke S3 Heat 1 2015-07-18 11
Rio 2016 Paralympic Games (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil)
Event Medal Unit Date Rank
Men's 50 m Backstroke S3 Heat 1 2016-09-10 5
Men's 50 m Freestyle S3 Heat 1 2016-09-13 4
Men's 50 m Freestyle S3 Final Round 2016-09-13 7
Men's 50 m Breaststroke SB2 Final Round 2016-09-14 7
Men's 50 m Breaststroke SB2 Heat 1 2016-09-14 4
Men's 200 m Freestyle S3 Final Round 2016-09-15 7
Men's 150 m Individual Medley SM3 Heat 2 2016-09-16 9999
Mexico City 2017 World Para Swimming Championships (Mexico City, Mexico)
Event Medal Unit Date Rank
Men's 200 m Freestyle S3 Final 1 2017-12-04 5
Men's 50 m Breaststroke SB2 Final 1 2017-12-05 4
Men's 50 m Breaststroke SB2 Heat 2 2017-12-05 4
Men's 50 m Freestyle S3 Final 1 2017-12-06 5
Men's 50 m Freestyle S3 Heat 1 2017-12-06 5
Men's 150 m Individual Medley SM3 Final 1 2017-12-07 3
Men's 150 m Individual Medley SM3 Heat 1 2017-12-07 3