Mirela Maniani

Maniani was born as Mirela Manjani on 21 December 1976 in Durrës, 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 the national record of Albania).^[2] She represented Albania at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, USA and ranked 24th overall. During the competition she was also Albania's flag bearer.^[3]

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. Her first major success came in 1999 in Seville, where she won the gold medal at the World Championships with a throw of 67.09 m. Her performance was considered as a world record, as a new type of javelin had been introduced in 1999. At the 2000 Summer Olympics she won the silver medal with a personal best of 67.51 m. She also won the bronze medal in 2004. Maniani is also a European champion and double world champion. Her personal best throw of 67.51 metres is the current Greek record.^[4]

Maniani joined the Hellenic Navy in 1999.^[1]

Mirela Maniani married the weightlifter Georgios Tzelilis in 1997, and became a 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 Greek basketball player Giannis Giannoulis.^[5]

• Mirela Manjani at World Athletics
• Mirela Maniani-Tzelili at Olympedia
• Mirella Maniani-Tzelili at Olympics.com
• Mirella Maniani at the Hellenic Olympic Committee

Sporting positions
Preceded by Osleidys Menéndez	Women's Javelin Best Year Performance 2002–2003	Succeeded by Osleidys Menéndez
Olympic Games
Preceded by Kristo Robo	Flagbearer for  Albania Atlanta 1996	Succeeded by Ilirian Suli