IOANNIS MELISSANIDIS

Ioannis Melissanidis  is a retired Greek artistic gymnast and the 1996 Olympic champion on the floor exercise. He was also the 1994 European Champion on floor and the first Greek gymnast ever to win a medal at the World championships.
He was born in Munich and when he was two years old his family moved to Thessaloniki.At his first Junior European Championships in 1991 Melissanidis  earned a bronze medal on the floor exercise, placing ahead of future World Champions. Two years later, in 1993, he won the floor title at Junior Europeans and placed third on the vault.

In 1994, his first year competing as a senior, Melissanidis enjoyed success on the world stage. He won the floor exercise title at the 1994 European Championships in Prague, he tied with Great Britain's Neil Thomas for the silver medal on floor. With this win, Melissanidis became the first Greek gymnast, male or female, to win a medal at the World Championships. 
However, at the 1996 Olympics in Atlanda, Melissanidis was the surprise winner of the floor exercise gold medal, winning the event with a score of 9.850. The win marked the first Olympics gymnastics medal for Greece since 1906.
Melissanidis continued competing after 1996, winning the vault title at the 1998 European Championships . 
Melissanidis has two vaults named after him in the  Code of Points; both are variations of the Yurchenko double back. In the current Code of Points, his vaults carry A-score difficulty ratings of 6.6 and 7.0.
In recent years, Melissanidis has been active in various social and athletic causes. He is a supporter of Greenpeace and, in 2003, publicly supported the Melina Mercouri Foundation's campaign to return the Elgin's Marbles to Greece. A gymnastics hall in his hometown of Thessaloníki has been named in his honor. He was also one of the torchbearers in the 2004 Summer Olympics Opening Ceremony in Athens.
In 2004, Melissanidis graduated from Aristotle University in Thessaloníki with a degree in Medical Science. He also studied at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts. He was also an invited guest of the 2008 Olympic competition in China and toured Chinese universities as an International Olympic representative.

1. Ioannis Melissanidis is a(n)

a. basketball player

b. football player

c. artistic gymnast

d. tennis player

2. Melissanidis has won a

a. bronze medal

b. a silver medal

c. a gold medal

d. all the above

3. Melissanidis has studied

a. Medicine

b. Philosophy

c. Chemistry

d. Physics