Mirela Maniani

Mirela Maniani or Manjani (Greek: Μιρέλα Μανιάνι, [miˈrela maˈɲani]; born December 21, 1976) is a retired Greek javelin thrower. Prior to 1997 she represented Albania.

Maniani was born Mirela Manjani in December 21, 1976 in Durrës, Albania. In 1996, in a track and field meet in the University of Alabama she set a new Albanian national record at 62.46m (until 2015 she still holds the national record of Albania). 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.

After marrying a Greek citizen, the weightlifter Giorgos Tzelilis, Manjani 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.

Mirela Maniani married the weightlifter George Tzelilis in 1997, and became a Greek citizen. She was known as Mirela Maniani-Tzelili until 2002, when she divorced Tzelilis.