“He Was Watching My Every Move”- Olympic Gold Medalist Opens Up on Horrifying Stalking Experience

Born in Drama, Greece, Anna Korakaki is a shooter and an Olympic gold medalist. She won the gold medal in the 25m pistol event at the 2016 Rio Olympics. In the same games, she won the bronze medal in the 10m air pistol event, making her the first Greek athlete ever to win two medals at the same games. She currently ranks 1st in the 10m air pistol world rankings and 2nd in the 25m pistol category.

But even the best of athletes often go through some horrifying experiences which leave them scarred. And in Anna’s case, it was a stalker who troubled her for nearly five years!

Anna Korakaki opens up about her stalker

Celebrity status comes with its perks and quirks. While the fans shower their favorite athletes with love, the stalkers turn their lives into living hell. Their constant presence creates a mental block for people and disrupts their day-to-day life. The same happened with Korakaki.

The 26-year-old took to Instagram to post an account of what happened. “He was watching my every move, my friends and my partner. He had become my shadow and my nightmare,” wrote Anna. She also claimed the stalker tried to break into her house five days before she had to leave for the Tokyo Olympics and also set her partner’s car on fire.

“I found bouquets everywhere. He was always around me. Despite the recommendations of all of us, even my father, but also the police, to stop his actions, he continued,” she added. Anna also revealed that she suffers from insomnia, fatigue, depression, feeling of insecurity, and anxiety. Korakaki learned her stalker used to resort to physical violence against his ex-wife.

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Anna says she was mentally paralyzed, in the run-up to the Tokyo Olympics. She finished sixth in both the events she took part in. But Anna is proud of herself for finishing in the position, owing to the troubles she faced in her personal life. The 34-year-old stalker was sentenced to five years in prison for his actions.

The first woman ever to start the Olympic torch relay

The Olympic torch is one of the most significant elements of the games. To bear the torch in the relay, from its origin in Olympia to the place of the games, is considered one of the greatest honors. While there have been several women who have been a part of the iconic journey, there has only been one who started it — Anna Korakaki.

Before the Tokyo Olympics, the Hellenic Olympic Committee announced the Greek shooter would be the first torchbearer during the Olympic Flame Lighting ceremony at the Tokyo Games. Greek actress Xanthi Georgiou handed the torch over to Anna after lighting it.

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What happened with Anna is heartbreaking, and we hope no one has to go through anything similar.