Elpida Romantzi

Lore & Background

Elpida Romantzi was born in Thessalonica and represented Greece in archery at two Olympic Games. At the 2004 Summer Olympics, she placed 34th in the women's individual ranking round with a 72-arrow score of 624. In the first elimination round, she defeated 11th-ranked Bérengère Schuh of France 151–143 in an 18-arrow match. She then lost to Lee Sung Jin of Korea, the 2nd-ranked archer and eventual silver medalist, 166–146, finishing 31st overall. Romantzi was also a member of the 5th-place Greek team in the women's team competition.

At the 2008 Summer Olympics, Romantzi scored 614 points in the ranking round, earning the 49th seed. She beat 16th seed Zekiye Keskin Satir of Turkey 105–103 in the first round. In the second round, she faced Kristine Esebua; both archers scored 102 points in the regular match, and Romantzi won 10–9 in the decisive extra round. She was eliminated in the third round by first seed Park Sung-hyun, who scored 115 points—a new Olympic Record—to Romantzi's 103.

Reader's Guide

Elpida Romantzi's Olympic career demonstrates consistent performance across two Games, with her best individual result coming in 2008 when she reached the third round. Her victory over Kristine Esebua in a tiebreaker highlighted her composure under pressure. The 2008 third-round match against Park Sung-hyun placed Romantzi in the path of a record-setting performance, as Park's 115 points set a new Olympic Record. Romantzi's participation on the Greek women's team that placed 5th in 2004 underscores her role in team competition as well. Her results, while not medal-winning, show a steady presence in international archery, advancing past higher-seeded opponents in both Olympics. The 2004 defeat of 11th-ranked Bérengère Schuh and the 2008 upset of 16th seed Zekiye Keskin Satir illustrate her ability to outperform her seeding. Romantzi's legacy is that of a competitive archer who held her own against top-ranked talent, including eventual medalists, and contributed to Greece's team standing.

Did You Know?

• Romantzi defeated 11th-ranked Bérengère Schuh 151–143 in the first elimination round at the 2004 Olympics.
• She lost to eventual silver medalist Lee Sung Jin in the round of 32 at the 2004 Games.
• At the 2008 Olympics, she won a tiebreaker against Kristine Esebua with a 10–9 score in the extra round.
• Park Sung-hyun set a new Olympic Record of 115 points in the third-round match that eliminated Romantzi in 2008.