Maria Danou

Maria Ntanou
Ntanou at the 2018 Winter Olympics
CountryGreece
Born (1990-03-03) 3 March 1990 (age 33)
Veria, Greece
Ski clubEOS Naousas
World Cup career
Seasons2018-2022

Maria Ntanou (Greek: Μαρία Ντάνου; born 3 March 1990) is a Greek cross-country skier, Olympian who has competed since 2007. She was an Athlete Role Model of 2020 Winter Youth Olympics. Ntanou has represented her country, Greece, in three Winter Olympic Games, and she was the flag bearer at the Opening Ceremony of the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic Games.

Career

Ntanou finished 72nd in the 10 km event at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver. She took 76th place with +6:03.6 from the Norwegian Olympic Champion Ragnhild Haga at the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, which is the best result for Greece in this discipline. In 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics, Ntanou competed in four disciplines: sprint, 10km classic, team sprint and 30km.

At the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships 2009 in Liberec, she finished 82nd in the individual sprint while being lapped in the 15 km pursuit event. At the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships 2017 in Lahti, she finished 8th in the 5 km qualification classic race. She also won the overall Greek national cup series in 2019.

At the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships 2021 in Oberstdorf, Ntanou raced in four disciplines: sprint, skiathlon, 10 km free technique and team sprint.

Olympic Winter Games results

Date Place Discipline Position
15 February 2010 Vancouver 10 km Free 72nd
15 February 2018 Pyeongchang 10 km Free 76th
8 February 2022 Beijing Sprint Free 89th
10 February 2022 10 km Classic 88th
16 February 2022 Team Sprint 23rd
20 February 2022 30 km Free 61st

FIS Nordic World Ski Championships results

Date Place Discipline Position Ref.
21 February 2009 Liberec 15 km Pursuit LPD [1]
24 February 2009 Sprint Free 82nd [2]
28 February 2017 Lahti 10 km Classic KQLF [3]
21 February 2019 Seefeld Sprint Free 78th [4]
23 February 2019 Skiathlon 7.5 km/7.5 km C/F 58th [5]
26 February 2019 10 km Free 79th [6]
2 March 2021 Oberstdorf 10 km Free 80th 7

FIS Balkan Cup results

Ntanou won a bronze medal in the overall ranking of the FIS Balkan Cup series in 2017 and 2018.

Season Points Rank Ref.
2017 469 3rd [7]
2018 500 3rd [8]

Greek National Championships results

Date Place Discipline Position Ref.
10 January 2009 Seli Sprint Classic 1st [9]
11 January 2009 10 km Classic 1st [10]
11 March 2017 Pigadia Sprint Free 1st [11]
3 March 2018 Metsovo Sprint Free 1st [12]

Personal life

Ntanou grew up in Naousa, a town in the northern part of Greece with great tradition in winter sports. She studied Economic Science at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki and graduated in 2012. At the age of 23, Ntanou moved to Lausanne to study Sport Administration and Technology (AISTS) at École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne.

References