Greece's economic woes have dominated the headlines around the world and lead to the cancellation of the Athina 2010 IAAF Indoor Permit Meeting but a smaller international event in Athens on Wednesday saw shot putter Mihaíl Stamatóyiannis break the oldest Greek indoor record on the books.

Stamatóyiannis went over the 20-metre mark for the first time, sending the Shot out to 20.36m in the fourth round to erase the former mark of 20.27m, which had stood to Dimítrios Koutsoúkis since 1986.

"I'm happy, I'm unbelievably happy and I think it was a matter of psychology to make the record. I figures up on the scoreboard," said the elated Stamatóyiannis.

"Now, there is no stress. I've thrown over 20 metres, I've broken the record, it's a big weight off my shoulders. Now, I've got the national championships (on the weekend of February 27-28) and then I will go to the World Indoor Championships in Doha. The important thing for me now is to be consistently throwing over 20 metres.

"I've been together with my coach Thomas Kyriazis since 2005 and we have a good chemistry. It's been a long and sometimes slow road but I've finally got there," added the 27-year-old from Pireaus.

Stamatóyiannis was a promising junior and made the final of the 2000 World Junior Championships but his career seemed to have stagnated for several years until this winter.

His outdoor best of 19.98m dates from 2004 and, in the summer, he will chase Koutsoúkis's outdoor record of 20.74m which has stood since 1989.

He actually finished second in the Shot Put competition behind Serbia's Asmir Kolašinac, who threw 20.42m to confirm his good form after a recent personal best of 20.52m.

The best of the rest of the events in the Greek capital was the men's Pole Vault in which Russia's Viktor Chistyakov had two massive clearances at 5.62m and a seasonal best of 5.72m before three failures at what would have been a world-leading height of 5.85m.

Greek record holder Konstadínos Filippídis, competing on home soil for the first time this winter, cleared 5.62m for second place before he failed at a national indoor record height of 5.72m, although his last attempt was close.

There were two good Triple Jump contests as well.

Greek record holder Dimítrios Tsiámis leapt 16.79m in the men's event and just had the edge over Bulgaria's Momchil Karailiev, who went out to 16.76m, while Greece's Athanasía Pérra won the women's competition with a last round effort of 14.07m.