Athens (AFP) - Greek Olympic shooting champion Anna Korakaki revealed Thursday how her life was turned into a 'nightmare' for five years by a stalker.
The stalker was earlier this month sentenced to five years in prison for his actions.
"He was watching my every move, my friends and my partner.He had become my shadow and my nightmare," the 26-year-old winner of the 2016 Olympics 25-metre pistol event and a bronze medal in the 10-metre posted on Instagram.
"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."
Korakaki claimed the 34-year-old stalker tried to break into her house, and five days before she left for the Tokyo Olympics set fire to her partner’s car.
"I suffer from insomnia, fatigue, depressive episodes, intense feelings of insecurity and anxiety.My fears intensified when I learned he had used physical violence against his ex-wife in the past," Korakaki said.
She said in the run-up to the Tokyo Olympics she was "mentally paralyzed".
"The fact that I entered two Olympic finals and finished with two sixth places was a feat for me.I was criticized for my performances without anyone knowing what was I was going through."
Korakaki was the first Greek torch bearer for the 2020 Olympics, the first time for a woman, and was also a co-flag bearer at the Tokyo event.
In the ISSF World Cup tournament in the United States in 2018 she set a world record in the women’s 10-metre pistol and won the gold medal.
She is currently number one at the pistol category in the ISSF world ranking and second at the air pistol category.
