View source for Mirela Maniani

{{Short description|Greek javelin thrower (born 1976)}}
{{Infobox sportsperson
| name             = Mirela Maniani
| image            = <!-- name.jpg -->
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<!-- Personal information -->
| native_name      = 
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| birth_name       = Mirela Manjani
| fullname         = 
| nickname         = 
| nationality      = Albanian / Greek
| birth_date       = {{nowrap|{{birth date and age|1976|12|21|df=yes}}}}
| birth_place      = [[Durrës]], [[People's Socialist Republic of Albania|Albania]]
| death_date       = <!-- {{death date and age|death year|death month|death day|birth year|birth month|birth day}} -->
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| height           = <!-- "X cm", "X m"  or "X ft Y in" plus optional reference (conversions are automatic) -->
| weight           = <!-- "X kg", "X lb" or "X st Y lb" plus optional reference (conversions are automatic) -->
| spouse           = {{plainlist|
* {{marriage|[[Georgios Tzelilis]]|1997|2002|end=divorced}}
* {{marriage|Giannis Skoutelas|2004|2006|end=divorced}}
* {{marriage|[[Giannis Giannoulis]]|2009|2014|end=divorced}}
}}
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| worlds           = 
| regionals        = 
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| olympics         = 
| commonwealth     = 
| highestranking   = 
| pb               = '''[[List of Greek records in athletics|NR]]''' 67.51 m (2000)
| <!-- Medal record -->
| medaltemplates   = 
{{MedalCountry|{{flagicon|GRE}} [[Greece]]}}
{{Medal|Comp|[[Olympic Games]]}}
{{Medal|Silver|[[2000 Summer Olympics|2000 Sydney]]|[[Athletics at the 2000 Summer Olympics – Women's javelin throw|Javelin]]}}
{{Medal|Bronze|[[2004 Summer Olympics|2004 Athens]]|[[Athletics at the 2004 Summer Olympics – Women's javelin throw|Javelin]]}}
{{Medal|Competition|[[IAAF World Championships in Athletics|World Championships]]}}
{{Medal|Gold|[[1999 World Championships in Athletics|1999 Seville]]|[[1999 World Championships in Athletics – Women's javelin throw|Javelin]]}}
{{Medal|Gold|[[2003 World Championships in Athletics|2003 Paris]]|[[2003 World Championships in Athletics – Women's javelin throw|Javelin]]}}
{{Medal|Silver|[[2001 World Championships in Athletics|2001 Edmonton]]|[[2001 World Championships in Athletics – Women's javelin throw|Javelin]]}}
{{Medal|Competition|[[European Athletics Championships|European Championships]]}}
{{Medal|Gold|[[2002 European Athletics Championships|2002 Munich]]|[[2002 European Athletics Championships – Women's javelin throw|Javelin]]}}
| show-medals      = yes
| updated          = 18 May 2015
<!-- Military -->
| module           = {{Infobox military person|embed=yes
  | allegiance       = {{GRE}}
  | branch           = [[Hellenic Navy]]
  | serviceyears     = 1999–unknown<ref name=TaNea>{{cite web |title=Είχα στα μάτια μου τη σημαία - ΤΑ ΝΕΑ |url=https://www.tanea.gr/1999/08/30/sports/eixa-sta-matia-moy-ti-simaia/ |website=ΤΑ ΝΕΑ |accessdate=1 November 2018 |language=el-GR |date=30 August 1999}}</ref>
  }}
}}

'''Mirela Maniani''' ({{langx|el|Μιρέλα Μανιάνι}}, {{IPA|el|miˈrela maˈɲani|}}, born 21 December 1976) is a Greek retired [[track and field]] athlete who competed in the [[javelin throw]]. She was named the [[Greek Female Athlete of the Year]] for 2003.

==Life and athletic achievements==
===Albania===
Maniani was born as Mirela Manjani on 21 December 1976 in [[Durrës]], [[People's Socialist Republic of Albania|Albania]]. In 1996, at the [[University of Alabama]] she set a new Albanian national record at 62.46 m (as of 2017, she still holds [[Albanian records in athletics|the national record of Albania]]).<ref name="Besnik Dizdari">{{cite web|last=Dizdar|first=Besnik|url=http://www.zemrashqiptare.net/news/id_950/Vojsava-Lika-e-Greqis%C3%AB-%E2%80%93-fenomeni-shqiptar-i-Osaka-2007.html|title=Vojsava Lika e Greqisë – fenomeni shqiptar i Osaka 2007|publisher=Zemrashqiptare|date=2007-09-03|quote=Mirela Manjani u bë Kampione Botës nen drejtimin e trajnerit Durrsak Enver Mysja qysh ne moshe te re atehere kur ajo ishte vetem 16 vjece dhe mbasi qe bërë Kampione e Ballkanit dhe Nënkampione e Evropës (për të rejat) me Shqipërinë, e deri te rekordi kombëtar zâmadh prej 62.46 metrash që Mirela na e la mbasi e kishte nënshkruar me dorën e saj për Shqipërinë në Alabama të SHBA – i vetmi rekord shqiptar i vendosur në tokën e amerikane; .... Mirela Manjani became World Champion under trained from Albanian Coach Enver Mysja since when she was 16 years old. After she had become Balkans Champion and Silver medalist of Europe juniores for Albania, until her great record of 62.46m that Mirela donated us, after she had signed with her hand for Albania in Alabama of the United States: the only Albanian record made in American Land}}</ref> She represented [[Albania at the 1996 Summer Olympics]] in [[Atlanta, Georgia|Atlanta, USA]] and [[Athletics at the 1996 Summer Olympics – Women's javelin throw|ranked 24th overall]]. During the competition she was also [[List of flag bearers for Albania at the Olympics|Albania's flag bearer]].<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20200417093516/https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/countries/ALB/ List of Albania's flag bearers at the Olympic Games]</ref>

===Greece===
After marrying a Greek citizen, the weightlifter [[Georgios Tzelilis]], she received Greek citizenship and represented Greece at the [[1997 World Championships in Athletics]] in [[Athens, Greece|Athens]]. Her first major success came in 1999 in [[Seville]], where she won the gold medal at the [[1999 World Championships in Athletics|World Championships]] with a throw of 67.09 m. Her performance was considered as a '''[[Women's javelin throw world record progression|world record]]''', as a new type of javelin had been introduced in 1999. At the [[Athletics at the 2000 Summer Olympics#Women.27s events|2000 Summer Olympics]] she won the silver medal with a personal best of 67.51 m. She also won the bronze medal in [[Athletics at the 2004 Summer Olympics – Women's javelin throw|2004]]. Maniani is also a [[European Athletics Championships|European champion]] and double [[IAAF World Championships in Athletics|world champion]]. Her personal best throw of 67.51 metres is the current [[Sport in Greece#Athletics|Greek record]].<ref>{{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20131203012740/http://athletix.org/?p=275 Greek all-time list, women]}} - Athletix</ref>

Maniani joined the [[Hellenic Navy]] in 1999.<ref name=TaNea/>

==Personal life==
Mirela Maniani was married to the weightlifter [[Georgios Tzelilis]] in 1997, and became a [[Greece|Greek]] citizen. She was known as Mirela Maniani-Tzelili until 2002, when she divorced Tzelilis. Maniani has one daughter from her third wedding with the [[Greeks|Greek]] basketball player, [[Giannis Giannoulis]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.protothema.gr/life-style/Gossip/article/396829/mirela-maniani-giannis-giannoulis-titloi-telous-ston-gamo-ton-athliton/|title = Μιρέλα Μανιάνι-Γιάννης Γιαννούλης: Τίτλοι τέλους στον γάμο των αθλητών|date = 21 July 2014}}</ref>

==International competitions==
{| {{AchievementTable}}
|-
!colspan="5"|Representing {{ALB}}
|-
|rowspan=2|1994
|[[1994 World Junior Championships in Athletics|World Junior Championships]]
|[[Lisbon]], [[Portugal]]
|8th
|[[1994 World Junior Championships in Athletics – Women's javelin throw|52.22 m]] (old spec.)
|-
|[[1994 European Athletics Championships – Women's javelin throw|European Championships]]
|[[Helsinki, Finland]]
|22nd (q)
|[[1994 European Athletics Championships – Women's javelin throw|49.96 m]] (old spec.)
|-
|rowspan=2|1995
|[[1995 World Championships in Athletics - Women's javelin throw|World Championships]]
|[[Gothenburg, Sweden]]
|12th
|55.56 m
|-
|[[1995 European Athletics Junior Championships|European Junior Championships]]
|[[Nyíregyháza]], [[Hungary]]
|bgcolor="silver" | 2nd
|59.36 m (old spec.)
|-
|1996
|[[Athletics at the 1996 Summer Olympics – Women's javelin throw|Olympic Games]]
|[[Atlanta, Georgia|Atlanta, United States]]
|24th (q)
|55.64 m
|-
!colspan="5"|Representing {{GRE}}
|-
|1997
|[[1997 World Championships in Athletics – Women's javelin throw|World Championships]]
|[[Athens, Greece]]
|11th
|61.02 m
|-
|1998
|[[1998 European Athletics Championships – Women's javelin throw|European Championships]]
|[[Budapest, Hungary]]
|9th
|58.65 m
|-
|1999
|[[1999 World Championships in Athletics – Women's javelin throw|World Championships]]
|[[Seville, Spain]]
|bgcolor="gold" | 1st
|67.09 m CR
|-
|2000
|[[Athletics at the 2000 Summer Olympics – Women's javelin throw|Olympic Games]]
|[[Sydney, Australia]]
|bgcolor="silver" | 2nd 
|67.51 m =[[Greek records in athletics|NR]]
|-
|2001
|[[2001 World Championships in Athletics – Women's javelin throw|World Championships]]
|[[Edmonton, Canada]]
|bgcolor="silver" | 2nd
|65.78 m
|-
|2002
|[[2002 European Athletics Championships|European Championships]]
|[[Munich, Germany]]
|bgcolor="gold" | 1st
|[[2002 European Athletics Championships - Women's javelin throw|67.47 m]] CR
|-
|2003
|[[2003 World Championships in Athletics|World Championships]]
|[[Paris, France]]
|bgcolor="gold" | 1st
|[[2003 World Championships in Athletics – Women's javelin throw|66.52 m]] WL
|-
|2004
|[[Athletics at the 2004 Summer Olympics|Olympic Games]]
|[[Athens, Greece]]
|bgcolor="CC9966" | 3rd
|64.29 m
|}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
<!-- names as shown at each website -->
* {{World Athletics|name=Mirela Manjani}}
* {{Olympedia|name=Mirela Maniani-Tzelili}}
* {{Olympics.com|name=Mirella Maniani-Tzelili}}
* {{HOC profile|maniani-mirella|Mirella Maniani}}

{{s-start}}
{{s-sports}}
{{succession box|before=[[Osleidys Menéndez]]|title=[[Javelin throw#Best year performance|Women's Javelin Best Year Performance]]|years=2002–2003|after=[[Osleidys Menéndez]]}}
{{s-sports|oly}}
{{succession box|before=[[Kristo Robo]]|title=[[List of flag bearers for Albania at the Olympics|Flagbearer]] for {{ALB}}|years=[[1996 Summer Olympics|Atlanta 1996]]|after=[[Ilirian Suli]]}}
{{s-end}}

{{Footer World Champions Javelin Throw Women}}
{{Footer European Champions Javelin Throw Women}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Maniani, Mirela}}
[[Category:1976 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Sportspeople from Durrës]]
[[Category:Greek female javelin throwers]]
[[Category:Albanian female javelin throwers]]
[[Category:20th-century Albanian sportswomen]]
[[Category:Olympic athletes for Albania]]
[[Category:Olympic athletes for Greece]]
[[Category:Olympic silver medalists for Greece]]
[[Category:Olympic bronze medalists for Greece]]
[[Category:Olympic silver medalists in athletics (track and field)]]
[[Category:Olympic bronze medalists in athletics (track and field)]]
[[Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 1996 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 2000 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 2004 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:Medalists at the 2000 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:Medalists at the 2004 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:World Athletics Championships athletes for Albania]]
[[Category:World Athletics Championships athletes for Greece]]
[[Category:World Athletics Championships medalists]]
[[Category:Greek European Athletics Championships winners]]
[[Category:Greek people of Albanian descent]]
[[Category:Naturalized citizens of Greece]]
[[Category:Albanian emigrants to Greece]]
[[Category:World Athletics Championships winners]]
[[Category:Greek Athletics Championships winners]]