Team Greece - Profile

Highlights:

Greece's place as home of the ancient Olympic Games and host of the first modern Games in 1896 gives it a unique role in the event's history. The NOC leads the Parade of Nations at every Olympic opening ceremony, and is where the Olympic flame begins its journey in each Olympic cycle that culminates with the lighting of the cauldron in the host city. Athens has officially hosted the Games twice, in 1896 and 2004. The city also held the Intercalated Games in 1906, which was at the time considered an edition of the Olympic Games, but the medals won there are no longer recognised by the IOC.

Greece has had most success in athletics at the Olympic Games and the NOC's most famous athlete is perhaps Spiridon Louis, who won the first Olympic marathon. Louis' impact on Greek sport was such that the 2004 Olympic Stadium was named in his honour, despite the fact he never competed at another Games after 1896. Paraskevi Patoulidou was the first female athlete from Greece to claim Olympic gold, winning the 100m hurdles at the 1992 Games in Barcelona. Patoulidou's victory came in dramatic fashion after US favourite Gail Devers hit the final hurdle, leaving Patoulidou to snatch gold on the line. Greek competitors won two gold medals in athletics at the 2004 Games in Athens Athanasia Tsoumeleka in the women's 20km walk and Fani Halkia in the women's 400m hurdles, while the NOC's most recent medal in the sport came at Rio 2016 where Katernia Stefanidi secured the women's pole vault title.

Greece's most successful Olympic athlete is weightlifter Pyrros Dimas, who won gold medals at three consecutive editions of the Games between 1992 and 2000. He also claimed a bronze medal at the 2004 Games in Athens.

Konstantin Tsiklitiras, who claimed a total of four medals [one gold, two silver, one bronze] in standing high jump and standing long jump at the Games in 1908 and 1912, is the only Greek athlete that can match Dimas for number of medals won at the Olympic Games. Weightlifter Akakios Kakhiashvili won three Olympic gold medals between 1992 and 2000, but only two while he was competing for Greece. His first at the 1992 Games in Barcelona came while he was representing the Unified Team, which was made up of 12 former Soviet republics.

Sailor Tasos Bountouris [1976-1996] and shooter Agathi Kassoumi [1984-2004] share the Greek record for most appearances at the Olympic Games with six each. Bountouris won a bronze in the Soling class at the 1980 Games in Moscow, while Kassoumi's best result was an 11th-place finish in the women's 25m air pistol at Barcelona 1992.

Additional Information: Website
http://www.hoc.gr

Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/HellenicOlympicCommittee

Anthem Title: Ymnos eis tin Eleftherian [Hymn to Freedom]

Anthem Composer: Words by Dionysios Solomos, music by Nikolaos Mantzaros.

Anthem Inducted: 1864

Official NOC Name: Comite Olympique Hellenique

Founding Date: 1894

IOC Recognition Date: 1895

Delegation President: Spyros Capralos

Delegation Secretary General: Emmanuel Kolympadis

IOC Members: Spyros Capralos [entry in the IOC: 2019], HM King Constantine [entry in the IOC: 1963], Lambis V. Nikolaou [entry in the IOC: 1986]

First OG/PG Appearance: 1896

Number OG/PG Appearances: 29 [Tokyo 2020 included]

Summary: