Hellenic NOC News
15 November 2024 - Find here the latest news from the National Olympic Committee: events, courses, general assemblies and elections, trophies and much more.
15 November 2024 - Greece’s Olympic and Paralympic athletes from Paris 2024 were awarded the Medal of the Hellenic Parliament during a ceremony held in the Plenary Hall. The event was part of the Conference on “Promoting Safety, Integrity, Equality and Inclusion in Sport,” a joint initiative between the Hellenic Parliament and the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe. The President of the Greek Parliament, Konstantinos Tasoulas, welcomed athletes who placed from first to eighth in Paris. In his remarks, HOC President and IOC Member Spyros Capralos raised
concerns about the declining number of sports facilities in Greece, which has left many athletes without suitable sports venues. He reiterated the HOC’s proposal that top-ranking Olympic athletes be offered positions within the broader public sector as recognition for the national pride they bring to Greece, while Evangelia Platanioti and Grigoris Polychronidis, who represented the athletes, emphasised the importance of enhanced support for sports and athletes in Greece. More details here.
04 October 2024 - In commemoration of the 20th anniversary of the Olympic Games Athens 2004, the HOC hosted a conference entitled “20 Years Later – The Imprint of the Games”. Opened by HOC President and IOC Member Spyros Capralos , the conference brought together distinguished speakers from Greece and abroad, who highlighted the profound and lasting impact of the Games on the country’s infrastructure, economy and international image. Among these speakers were Tania Braga, Head of Legacy and Impact at the IOC; Yiannis Exarchos, CEO of Olympic Broadcasting Services (OBS); Gilbert Felli, Senior Olympic Games Advisor; Nikos Vettas, General Director of the Foundation for Economic and Industrial Research; Marton Simitsek, Head of Games Operations and Executive Director of Athens 2004; and Yiannis Pyrgiotis, Executive Director of Athens 2004. The conference, which was partially funded by Olympic Solidarity, concluded with a collective call to continue leveraging the legacy of the 2004 Games for the benefit of future generations, ensuring that the achievements of the Athens Olympics continue to inspire progress in both sport and society. Full details here.
27 September 2024 - The Olympians and Paralympians of Athens 2004 and Paris 2024 were honoured by the HOC in a memorable celebration at the Panathenaic Stadium, with an enthusiastic crowd in attendance. The event, entitled “Athens 20 Years After”, commemorated the two-decade mark since the Olympic Games Athens 2004 and the victory of Greece’s national football team at Euro 2004. The awards for the 2004 Olympians and Paralympians were presented by HOC Secretary General Emmanouil Kolympadis, International Fencing Federation Interim President Manolis Katsiadakis, and Vasiliki Millousi, Deputy Regional Governor of Sport for Attica. A parade of volunteers and key contributors from the Games followed, with the Organising Committee receiving special recognition. The 2024 Olympic and Paralympic athletes were honoured by HOC President and IOC Member Spyros Capralos and Greek Paralympic Committee President Giorgos Kapelakis. Full details here.
15 July 2024 - Basketball player Giannis Antetokounmpo and race walker Antigoni Drisbioti will be the flagbearers for Greece at the Opening Ceremony of the Olympic Games Paris 2024. The decision was taken by the HOC Plenary Session. The decision for Antetokounmpo was unanimous, while Drisbioti, the race-walking champion, was chosen after a vote between her and three other female athletes: Maria Sakkari, Evangelia Platanioti and Margarita Plevritou. Full details here.
05 July 2024 - One month before the opening of the Olympic Games Paris 2024, the HOC organised the official photo shoot for Team Hellas at its headquarters. Most of the athletes who have qualified for the Games participated in the session, alongside their coaches and members of the HOC’s Plenary Session. HOC President and IOC Member Spyros Capralos welcomed the Olympic team, with Chef de Mission for Paris 2024 Petros Synadinos, Deputy Chef de Mission Iakovos Filippousis and Olympic Attaché Michalis Fysentzidis also in attendance. More info here.
03 June 2024 - Princess Kako of Japan, a member of the Japanese imperial family, visited the Panathenaic Stadium in Athens during her official trip to Greece at the invitation of the Greek government. She was welcomed by HOC President and IOC Member Spyros Capralos and Secretary General Emmanuel Kolympadis. Princess Kako also visited the Stadium’s museum. On this occasion, the HOC President expressed his gratitude to the Princess for visiting the Panathenaic Stadium, honouring the Olympic Movement. More details here.
02 April 2024 - The HOC’s Athletes’ Commission recently honoured the athletes who have qualified for the Olympic Games Paris 2024 and have completed their university studies. The ceremony took place in the HOC’s Amphitheatre, where HOC President and IOC Member Spyros Capralos and HOC Athletes’ Commission Chair Voula Kozompoli congratulated the athletes and highlighted the important topic of elite level athletes’ dual careers. Over the last two years, the HOC through its Athletes’ Commission has launched two projects aimed at raising awareness, guiding and substantially supporting its athletes in relation to their dual careers. The event was conducted in the context of the European Union (EU)-funded project to promote dual careers, “Olympic Committees for Dual Career – OCDC”. Full details about the projects and the list of athletes honoured can be found here.
19 March 2024 - A few weeks ahead of the lighting of the Olympic flame, the HOC, during an event held at its premises, introduced the new High Priestess, award-winning actress Mary Mina, and the new composer for the Olympic flame-lighting ceremony, internationally recognised composer Dimitris Papadimitriou, and unveiled the new priestesses’ costumes. It also expressed its gratitude to its sponsors and supporters. In addition, six athletes presented the uniforms of the Greek delegation for the Olympic Games Paris 2024. The event was opened by HOC President and IOC Member Spyros Capralos, with Deputy Sports Minister Giannis Vroutsis also in attendance. All the HOC sponsors and supporters and those involved in the “Adopt an Athlete on the Road to Paris” programme received special awards, which were presented by athletes who have qualified for the Paris 2024 Games. Full info here.
**27 February 2024 - **HOC President and President of the European Olympic Committees (EOC) Spyros Capralos, who is also an IOC Member, recently met with Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad Al Thani, Vice-President of the Association of National Olympic Committees (ANOC) and President of the Qatar Olympic Committee. During the meeting, which took place on the sidelines of the Doha 2024 World Aquatics Championships, the two men discussed aspects of sports cooperation, in addition to a number of topics and the latest developments in the Olympic Movement. Info here.
22 January 2024 - The HOC recently honoured the best athletes of 2023 during a ceremony held at the Athens Concert Hall, with many state officials and distinguished guests from the sporting family in attendance. They were all welcomed by the HOC President, IOC Member Spyros Capralos. The event, which was broadcast live, honoured a total of 72 athletes, namely the medal winners from World and European Championships in 2023, the 2023 European Games and the 2023 European Youth Olympic Festival, and those who have qualified for the Olympic Games Paris 2024. Full details here, including the list of the athletes recognised.
15 January 2024 - Organised last December by the HOC Athletes’ Commission, the first Greek Olympic Athletes’ Forum was a great success and took place in the presence of numerous Olympians and top athletes. Also present were the Deputy Minister of Sport, Yannis Vroutsis and HOC President and IOC Member Spyros Capralos. The aim of the initiative by the Chair of the Athletes’ Commission, Voula Kozompoli, was to discuss any problems and issues that athletes face on a daily basis and to provide the Ministry of Sport with specific comments on the formulation of the new sports law. More details here.
18 December 2023 - The HOC, in collaboration with the Greek NGO METAdrasi (project coordinator) and the German Olympic Sports Confederation (DOSB), celebrated the launch of the “Together in Sport – Phase II” project with an event held at the HOC premises on 6 December. Over the next three years, at least 10,000 children and young adults will participate in free regular sports training sessions, one-off events and cultural activities across various locations in Greece, starting in Athens and Piraeus. The launch event highlighted the achievements of Phase I and included impactful statements from participating volunteer coaches and elite athletes. Detailed info here.
27 November 2023 - During an event held at its headquarters, the HOC unveiled the route for the Olympic Games Paris 2024 torch relay, which will take place in Greece from 16 to 26 April 2024. Greek Deputy Sports Minister Yannis Vroutsis, the French Ambassador to Greece, Laurence Auer, and HOC President and IOC Member Spyros Capralos were present on this occasion. According to the Chairman of the HOC Olympic Torch Relay Commission, Thanasis Vassiliadis, the first torchbearer will be Tokyo 2020 rowing gold medallist Stefanos Douskos, while the flame will be carried last by the men’s national water polo team, led by Tokyo 2020 silver medallist Giannis Fountoulis, into the Panathenaic Stadium, where it will be handed over to Capralos, who will pass it on to the Paris 2024 Organising Committee. Around 600 torchbearers will carry the Olympic flame in Greece, covering over 5,000 kilometres and 41 municipalities. Full details here.
16 October 2023 - The HOC President and IOC Member Spyros Capralos took part in the European Week of Sport, placed under the theme #BeActive. He was joined by Giorgos Mavrotas, Greece’s Secretary General for Sports, Thanasis Papageorgiou, President of the Hellenic Shooting Sports Federation, Paralympic swimmer Yannis Kostakis and officials of the Ministry of Education and Sports. Together they participated in an air pistol shooting competition organised by Be Active Hellas at the Olympic Complex of Athens (OAKA) to promote the benefits of lifelong exercise. Led by Olympian Agi Kasoumi, the participants were introduced to the discipline of sport shooting. More details here.
27 September 2023 - The Mayor of Athens, Kostas Bakoyannis, and the HOC President and IOC Member, Spyros Capralos, have signed a cooperation agreement to renovate the Athens Olympic Swimming Pool located in the Zappeion district. Under the agreement signed at the premises, the swimming pool will be transferred for 25 years from the HOC to the Municipality of Athens, which will undertake its upgrade, renovation and reopening after 11 years of inactivity. The Municipality of Athens and the HOC will jointly undertake the full restoration of the entire infrastructure. The works will be completed by 2026. Full info here.
18 September 2023 - HOC President and European Olympic Committees (EOC) President Spyros Capralos, who is also an IOC Member, met with the Prime Minister of Kosovo, Albin Kurti, in Heraklion, Crete, during the Mediterranean Beach Games. In their meeting, they exchanged views on sport in the Mediterranean and in Europe. The Prime Minister of Kosovo asked Greece for support in the form of know-how with a view to organising the 2030 Mediterranean Games in his country's capital, Pristina, and having increased cooperation with the HOC and the EOC. Full details here.
10 July 2023 - The first business psychology workshop has been organised by the HOC Athletes’ Committee, which is chaired by Olympic silver medallist Voula Kozompoli. The innovative programme designed for athletes has been created by the HOC’s business psychologist and dual career programme project manager, Christina Nikolopoulou. Its aim is to provide practical steps for the development of professional and personal behavioural skills during the transition of each athlete into a new role in sport or a new career. The workshop was led by Stephen Benton, a pioneer in business psychology in the United Kingdom. Full details here.
06 June 2023 - During a visit to Vilnius, Lithuania, the HOC President and President of the European Olympic Committees (EOC), Spyros Capralos, who is also an IOC Member, visited the headquarters of the Lithuanian NOC (LNOC). On this occasion, he met fellow IOC Member, LNOC President and EOC Vice-President Daina Gudzinevičiūtė, to whom he presented the EOC’s commemorative badge together with a symbolic plaque from the HOC featuring an image of the Panathenaic Stadium. Capralos was then presented with an LNOC badge of honour. Full details here.
30 May 2023 - The HOC hosted the Mid-Term Conference for the GAMES project with the theme “National Olympic Committees promote equal leadership in sport”, which was organised by the HOC Gender Equality Committee, chaired by Vassiliki Millousi. Participants were from eight NOCs (Belgium, Czechia, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Latvia, North Macedonia and Türkiye) and experts in the field of gender equality, including the European Olympic Committees (EOC) Gender Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Commission Chair, and Vice-President of the British Olympic Association, Annamarie Phelps. The Conference was opened by HOC and EOC President and IOC Member Spyros Capralos. The GAMES project is funded by the European Union and has the main objective of promoting integrity and good governance in sport by supporting structural and cultural changes related to gender equality in leadership and decision-making positions within NOCs and sports federation members. Full details here.
01 May 2023 - HOC President and IOC Member Spyros Capralos welcomed a delegation from the Brazilian Olympic Committee headed by marathon runner and Athens 2004 bronze medallist Wanderlei Cordeiro de Lima. The athlete left his mark on the history of the Games as he was leading the race in Athens but got knocked down by a spectator, which cost him the chance of winning the gold medal. With Capralos and HOC Secretary General Manolis Kolympadis, he shared his memories of Athens 2004, his great joy when he crossed the finish line, and how he managed to regain speed and continue his race to fulfil the biggest dream of his life, winning an Olympic medal in the marathon. More details here.
25 april 2023 - Celebrating the International Day of Sport for Development and Peace on 6 April, the HOC President, IOC Member Spyros Capralos, together with HOC Treasurer Antonis Nikolopoulos, President of the Hellenic Olympic Academy Giorgos Alikakos and the HOC staff, joined the campaign launched by the Peace and Sport organisation and raised a #WhiteCard. They also discussed the vital role of sport in the development of a healthier and more creative society. Info at www.hoc.gr
16 March 2023 - The HOC has reported on the successful completion of the European “Kids love sports” project after two years of activity. With the main objective being social inclusion through sport, the project, aimed at refugee children aged 6 to 12, hosted in open structures in or near Attica, gave these children the opportunity to have a special experience rich in sporting activities in the iconic Panathenaic Stadium in Athens. The project was implemented by the HOC with the co-financing of the European Union, and over 50 volunteers along with public institutions and organisations contributed to its completion. The HOC presents the "Kids love sports" project in an original illustrated flipbook”. More info at www.hoc.gr
16 February 2023 - Hellenic Olympic Committee (HOC) President and IOC member Spyros Capralos met the Ambassador of the Republic of Azerbaijan to the Hellenic Republic, Anar Huseynov. They discussed the development of sports relationships between Greece and Azerbaijan. The Ambassador referred to the HOC President’s contribution to the development of sport and the Olympic ideal in his country, through the organisation of the 1st European Games in Baku in 2015, when Capralos headed the European Olympic Committees’ Coordination Commission for these Games. More info here.
06 February 2023 - The two-year European project “Together in Sport” has been successfully completed, as announced in a press release from the Hellenic Olympic Committee (HOC). The project was implemented by the HOC in cooperation with the German Olympic Sports Confederation (DOSB) and the NGO METAdrasis, which works to facilitate the reception and integration of refugees and immigrants in Greece. The main objective of the programme has been to promote social cohesion through sport.
23 January 2023 - The Hellenic Olympic Committee (HOC) recently honoured the medal winners of European and World Championships in 2022 during a ceremony held in the presence of many state officials and distinguished guests from the sports family. The prestigious HOC "Demetrius Vikelas" award for great services to Olympism and Sport was awarded to the former HOC President and IOC Honorary Member Lambis Nikolaou, and to Marianna Latsis, representative of the Ioannis Latsis Foundation, which has made a significant contribution to the Olympic Preparation Scholarships. A video message from the IOC President paid tribute to Lambis Nikolaou and his dedication to the Olympic Movement. In his welcoming speech, the HOC President and IOC Member Spyros Capralos spoke about the HOC’s support to the athletes for their preparations for the Olympic Games and international competitions. More details here, including the list of the awarded athletes.
14 November 2022 - The Hellenic Olympic Committee (HOC) signed a renewal of the cooperation agreement with the French Embassy in Greece to promote the Olympic and Paralympic Games Paris 2024, Hellenic Olympic cultural heritage and the French language. The cooperation started in 2018. The agreement was signed by the HOC President, IOC Member Spyros Capralos, the French Ambassador to Greece, Patrick Maisonnave, the President of the Hellenic Olympic Academy, Giorgos Alikakos, and the Advisor for French Culture at the Embassy and Director of the French Institute, Nicolas Eybalin, with Greece’s Deputy Minister for Sport Lefteris Avgenakis also in attendance. The agreement aims, among other things, to promote the values of Olympism, the spirit of mutual aid, tolerance, integration and the French-speaking world. Full detailed info here.
14 October 2022 - The Hellenic Olympic Committee (HOC) hosted the first transnational project meeting of the “Olympic Committees for Dual Career” (OCDC) European project in its headquarters in Athens from 6 to 8 October. OCDC constitutes a two-year project, funded by the European Union’s Erasmus+ programme for education, training, youth and sport. Its main purpose is to promote dual career knowledge and understanding among athletes competing in Olympic sports and National Sports Federations. During the meeting, the project partners – representatives of the NOCs of Greece, Poland, Lithuania, Slovenia and Türkiye and the European Network for Innovation and Knowledge (EUNIK) think tank – discussed the upcoming project activities and how to raise awareness about the importance of dual careers and the digital tools that will be used to this end. More details here.
20 September 2022 - A workshop on "strategic planning for the future of sports" took place at the Hellenic Olympic Committee (HOC) for the sports federation members of the HOC. The workshop was held as part of the RINGS project, of which the HOC is a partner together with 10 other European NOCs.
The RINGS programme aims to develop and modernise the strategic planning of NOCs in Europe and is implemented by the Office of the European Olympic Committees in the European Union. It is co-financed by the European Commission, through the Erasmus+ Sport programme. Full details here.
29 july 2022 - The Hellenic Olympic Committee is taking part in the European programme entitled GAMES, a 24-month project which started in April 2022 and will end in March 2024. Its objective is to improve gender equality in the key leadership and decision-making positions of the participating NOCs, by promoting structural changes in their governance, enhancing understanding of the existing cultural barriers and encouraging the NOCs to work with their member federations to create sustainable change. The GAMES project covers a consortium of European NOCs: Turkey, Greece, Belgium, Latvia, Ireland, Czech Republic, Germany and North Macedonia, as well as renowned experts in the field of gender equality and good governance, including Kari Fasting from “Equal Rights” and Rowland Jack from “I TRUST Sport”. Furthermore, the IOC will act as a key player in terms of promoting and disseminating the project deliverables across all NOCs worldwide. More details here .
7 June 2022 - Spyros Capralos, President of the Hellenic Olympic Committee (HOC) and IOC Member, recently welcomed the members of the World Union of Olympic Cities to the Panathenaic Stadium in Athens, during their trip to Greece to mark the 20th anniversary of the Union. They also visited the permanent exhibition “Memories from Olympic Games: Posters and Torches from 1896 till today”, which is located at the rear of the Panathenaic Stadium. More details here.
16 May 2022 - After two years of absence due to the pandemic, the Hellenic Olympic Committee (HOC)’s annual awards ceremony was held at the HOC Amphitheatre, with many prominent figures in attendance, including the President of the Hellenic Republic, Katerina Sakellaropoulou, the Minister of Sport, Lefteris Avgenakis, the General Secretary of Sport, George Mavrotas, and the President of the Greek Olympians, Voula Kozompoli. Those honoured included the athletes and their coaches who won medals at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020, as well as all the athletes who won medals at World and European Championships in 2021. In addition, HOC President and IOC Member Spyros Capralos presented an award to the Japanese Ambassador to Greece, Yasunori Nakayama, for the successful organisation of the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 (see photo). Full details here.
02 May 2022 - The Panathenaic Stadium in Athens has received the Casambi Award for Best Project in 2022 for the wireless lighting system implemented with a view to both highlighting the historic monument and reducing its environmental footprint. This renewed lighting system is an initiative led by the Hellenic Olympic Committee. Full details here.
29 November 2021 - The Hellenic Olympic Committee (HOC) celebrated 2021 World Judo Day in cooperation with the Judo Academy of Elliniko and Olympic judo champion Maria Karagiannopoulou, who invited refugee children, including asylum seekers and unaccompanied minors living in Athens, to a training session. Some 43 children had the opportunity to learn about the history and the values of judo, meet national coach Nikos Iliadis and several European and national judo champions, and participate in a joint training session with the Academy’s students. The event was organised in the framework of the “Together in Sport” project implemented by the HOC, in cooperation with the NGO METAdrasi and the German Olympic Sports Confederation (DOSB). More info at www.hoc.gr.
10 September 2021 - At the Presidential Palace in Athens, the President of the Hellenic Republic, Katerina Sakellaropoulou, welcomed and congratulated the athletes who participated in the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020, together with their coaches. The delegation was accompanied by Hellenic Olympic Committee President and IOC member Spyros Capralos, Chef de Mission Michalis Fysentzidis and Deputy Chef de Mission Iakovos Filippousis. Among the athletes were Stefanos Ntouskos, Olympic champion in rowing, Lefteris Petrounias, bronze medallist in gymnastics, and members of the silver-medal-winning water polo team. Deputy Minister of Culture and Sports Lefteris Avgenakis and Secretary General of Sports Giorgos Mavrotas were also present. More details here.
02 July 2021 - The Hellenic Olympic Committee (HOC) has unveiled the official uniforms the athletes will be wearing at Tokyo 2020. The uniforms were worn by Voula Papachristou (track and field), Evangelia Platanioti and Evelina Papazoglou (artistic swimming), Vyron Kokkalanis (sailing), Apostolos Christou (swimming) and Emmanouil Karalis (track and field). The event was attended by the Deputy Minister for Sport, Lefteris Avgenakis, the Secretary General for Sport, George Mavrotas, and the HOC President, IOC Member Spyros Capralos, along with the majority of the athletes who have already qualified for Tokyo 2020. At the end of the event, the HOC President, together with the Deputy Minister for Sport, symbolically handed over the Greek flag to the Chef de Mission, Michalis Fysentzidis. The Deputy Chef de Mission, Iakovos Filippousis, and the HOC Secretary General, Manolis Kolympadis, were also present. More info at www.hoc.gr.
18 June 2021 - The President of the International Handball Federation (IHF), Hassan Moustafa, visited the Hellenic Olympic Committee (HOC) premises and met HOC President and IOC Member Spyros Capralos, in the presence of the 1st Vice-President and member of the HOC Plenary Session, Stelios Angeloudis. During their meeting, they discussed beach handball, the creation of a large handball field in Athens, and the promotion and development of the sport nationally and globally. Full details here.
11 June 2021 - The “Kids Love Sports” programme has kicked off at the Panathenaic Stadium in Athens. This programme, run by the Hellenic Olympic Committee (HOC) with co-funding from European Union, focuses on refugee children in the wider Attica region. Fifty children from the refugee reception centre at Ritsona were present in the stadium, where they practised different sports activities under the guidance of Olympic champions and experienced coaches. They were also given a tour of the stadium, and had the opportunity to learn about this great monument and the significant role of Greece in Olympic history. In addition, HOC President and IOC Member Spyros Capralos congratulated the programme’s stakeholder, and stated that the HOC will continue to support the refugee population by implementing the values of the Olympism in their lives. More details here.
25 May 2021 - The “Kids Love Sports” programme run by the Hellenic Olympic Committee (HOC) with co-funding from the European Union, with a focus on refugee children, has been officially launched with a virtual kick-off event. As a symbolic act, HOC President and IOC member Spyros Capralos attended the event from the Panathenaic Stadium in Athens (photo). The programme is designed to provide further complementary activities to connect refugee children with sports activities conducted by physical education and sports science students from the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens within the selected reception centres and under HOC supervision. More details here.
15 February 2021 - The Hellenic Olympic Committee (HOC)’s Athletes’ Commission and Gender Equality Commission recently organised the third consecutive webinar, entitled “Athlete-safeguarding policies”. The keynote speaker was Olympic sailing champion Sofia Bekatorou, who recently revealed the sexual harassment and abuse she suffered from a senior sports official before the Olympic Games Sydney 2000. Ani Chroni, a professor of sports psychology, and Konstantina Kostakou, a police officer and psychologist, were also speakers, together with the chairs of the two Commissions, Vasiliki Millousi and Xenia Argeitaki. HOC President and IOC member Spyros Capralos welcomed the participants, athletes and coaches from all over Greece. More info at www.hoc.gr.
01 February 2021 - The Hellenic Olympic Committee’s Athletes’ Commission, whose President is Vasiliki Millousi organised a webinar entitled “COVID-19 and Sports Psychology” last 17 December. During the webinar, which was moderated by the Commission members Periklis Iakovakis and Maria Danou, sports psychologist Maria Psychountaki gave a speech on “Quarantine, Threat or Opportunity”, while psychologist Barbara Magnisali spoke on an “Intense present, uncertain future – How to build mental resilience”. Full details here.
14 December 2020 - Following a proposal by the Hellenic Olympic Committee (HOC) that was accepted by the Greek Ministry of Education and Religious Affairs, the "Olympic Education – Olympic Week in schools" educational programme will take place in Greek schools. The implementing body of the programme will be the Hellenic Olympic Academy, and the operational details were discussed during a meeting held by HOC President and IOC Member Spyros Capralos with the President of the Academy, George Alikakos, with HOC General Secretary Ammanouil Kolymbadis also in attendance (photo). This programme will be conducted with the assistance of Olympic and world champions, over the course of a week in April and May, in elementary and high schools, and includes a set of activities that highlight the educational and training values of the Olympic Games. More info at www.hoc.gr.
10 July 2020 - The Hellenic Olympic Committee (HOC) participated in the celebrations of Olympic Day 2020 and sent a message to everyone regarding the integration of physical activity into daily life. Because of COVID-19, the celebration happened online this year and, in some cases, took place in primary schools. The HOC encouraged athletes, clubs and Greek citizens to participate by posting a photo or video of their sports activity on their social media under the hashtag #OlympicDay2020gr. Celebrations also took place in sport clubs and schools in cities around Greece, such as Thessaloniki, Ancient Olympia, Thiva and Livadia under the guidance of Olympic champions and other athletes. More details here.
22 May 2020 - The Hellenic Olympic Committee and the athletes from its Olympic team created a video for the doctors, nurses, hospital and ambulance employees engaged in the battle against COVID-19, to save and protect the lives of Greeks. NOC President and IOC Member Spyros Capralos also participated in the video entitled “Thank you”. Video and full details here.
28 February 2020 - At a press conference held on 24 February at the Hellenic NOC headquarters, information regarding the Olympic flame ceremonies and the Greek leg of the Torch Relay was presented. The presentation was given by NOC President and IOC Member Spyros Capralos, Chair of the Olympic Torch Relay Commission Thanasis Vassiliadis, choreographer Artemis Ignatiou, High Priestess Xanthi Georgiou, and head of the “Ellada Mporeis” programme, Sakis Rouvas. Capralos announced the presence of the Greek President, Prokopios Pavlopoulos, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and the IOC President at the flame-lighting ceremony at Olympia on 12 March. The new President of the Hellenic Republic, Aikaterini Sakellaropoulou, will attend the handover ceremony on 19 March at the Panathenaic Stadium in Athens. More info at www.hoc.gr.
21 February 2020 - The Hellenic Olympic Committee (HOC) made the historic decision to approve a tripartite agreement between the HOC, the International Olympic Academy (IOA) and the IOC to renovate the IOA premises in Ancient Olympia in order to make the Academy a global centre of Olympic education. The renovation work will begin right after the Flame-Lighting Ceremony for the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020, and the inauguration of the renovated IOA is scheduled for June 2021, to coincide with the IOC Session in Athens. The renovation costs of USD 12.5 million will be covered exclusively by the IOC. Full details here.
14 February 2020 - Hellenic NOC President and IOC member Spyros Capralos (right of photo) recently hosted three-time Olympic weightlifting champion Pyrros Dimas (left of photo) at the NOC headquarters, and congratulated him on his appointment as a Champion for Peace by the Peace and Sport organisation. The Peace and Sport Director, Iris Vlachoutsicos (centre of photo) was also present. More details sur www.hoc.gr.
07 February 2020 - The Hellenic Olympic Committee (HOC) has unanimously decided that Olympic shooting champion Anna Korakaki (l. on photo) will be the first torchbearer at the lighting ceremony of the Olympic flame for the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 on 12 March 2020 in Ancient Olympia. The HOC Plenary Session approved the proposal of the HOC’s Olympic Torch Relay Commission and, for the first time in history, a woman will carry the Olympic flame first. Korakaki won a gold medal in the 25m pistol and a bronze in the 10m air pistol at the Olympic Games Rio 2016, and has become a world and European champion. She was also named an Athlete Role Model for the Youth Olympic Games Buenos Aires 2018. During the same Session, it was decided that the final torchbearer, who will carry the Olympic flame at the Panathenaic Stadium in Athens on 19 March, will be pole vaulter Katerina Stefanidi (r. on photo), who won a gold medal at the Olympic Games Rio 2016 and two consecutive world titles. More info at www.hoc.gr.
31 January 2020 - The Hellenic NOC’s awards ceremony was held at its headquarters in the presence of many personalities, including IOC Member and NOC President Spyros Capralos, Greek Deputy Prime Minister Panagiotis Pikrammenos, Deputy Sports Minister Lefteris Avgenakis and the UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador and President of the ELPIDA Friends’ Association of Children with Cancer, Marianna Vardinogianni. Those honoured included the athletes qualified for the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 and the medallists from the 2nd European Games in Minsk in 2019. Artemis Ignatiou, the choreographer of the Flame-lighting and Handover Ceremonies, and Georgios Andreadis, a prominent figure in sailing, received the NOC’s highest honour, the “Demetrius Vikelas” award. The 2019 IOC Sport and Sustainable Architecture trophy was awarded to the Stavros Niarchos Foundation for the construction of its cultural centre, designed on sustainable standards. IOC Honorary Member Lambis V. Nikolaou (left in photo) presented the trophy. Full details here.
09 september 2019 - A bilateral cooperation agreement was signed between the Chinese Taipei Olympic Committee (CTOC) and the Hellenic Olympic Committee (HOC) last month. CTOC President Hong-Dow Lin and Emmanuel Kolympadis, HOC Secretary General, inked the agreement at the signing ceremony. The ceremony was attended by Che-Hung Lin, Deputy Director General of Sports Administration, Ministry of Education; Isidoros Kouvelos, President of the International Olympic Academy (IOA); Theodora Bakoyannis, a Greek Member of Parliament; and many other guests. This is the 37th NOC to sign a Bilateral Cooperation Agreement with the CTOC. Furthermore, a ceremony was held to mark the unveiling of the CTOC’s “ATHENA” prize and the grand opening of the 42nd Session of the Chinese Taipei Olympic Academy (CTOA). During the ceremony, Hong-Dow Lin awarded the Laurel Medal to Isidoros Kouvelos in appreciation for the IOA’s continuous support towards the CTOA. More info atwww.tpenoc.net
13 June 2019 - The Hellenic NOC has announced that a delegation from the Slovak NOC, composed of its President, Anton Siekel; Secretary General, Jozef Liba; IOC Member Danka Bartekova; the Slovak Ambassador to Greece, Iveta Hricová; and a number of Olympians, recently visited Olympia. The delegation was welcomed by Hellenic NOC President Spyros Capralos, Secretary General Manolis Kolympadis and Honorary Dean of the IOA Kostas Georgiadis. The delegation visited the ancient stadium, the monument dedicated to Pierre de Coubertin, the IOA, the Museum of the Olympic Games Athens 2004 and other sites at Olympia. More details on www.hoc.gr.
27 May 2019 - The opening of the programme “The generation of 2004 in Greece on the road to the Olympic Games Paris 2024” took place in Athens at the French Embassy in Greece. The event was attended by Guy Drut, IOC Member; Philippe Vinogradoff, theFrench Ambassador for Sport; and Spyros Capralos, the President of the Hellenic Olympic Committee (HOC). The programme is being co-organised by the French Embassy in Greece and the French Institute of Greece together with theHOC. It is designed to create an active network of 1,800 young people who will be capable of spreading the values of Olympism by 2024. This will be done through the organisation of annual Olympic meetings, to be attended by French and Greekathletes who took part in the Olympic Games Athens 2004. More info at www.hoc.gr.
14 May 2019 - Greece and France expressed their joint position for the Olympic spirit to be included on the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage List during a meeting organised by the Hellenic Olympic Committee (HOC), and attended by representatives of the two countries, at the HOC headquarters. France was represented by IOC Member and Special Envoy for the IOC to UNESCO Guy Drut (left in photo). The Greek delegation was made up of HOC President Spyros Capralos (centre in photo), HOC Secretary General Manolis Kolympadis and representatives of the Ministry of Culture. The initiative to include the Olympic spirit on the UNESCO list was launched on 18 September 2018. The aim is for the Olympic spirit to be added to the Intangible Cultural Heritage List of a significant number of countries by early 2020 so that in 2021 the application can be submitted to UNESCO. Μore details here.
18 April 2019 - The President of the Hellenic NOC, Spyros Capralos, alongside Olympic and world champions and numerous other high-level athletes celebrated the 6th edition of the International Day of Sport for Development and Peace at the Panathenaic Stadium in Athens, which hosted the first modern Olympic Games in 1896. More details on www.hoc.gr
26 March 2019 - The first event of the Hellenic Olympic Committee (HOC) Athletes’ Commission was successfully held at the HOC premises in order to raise awareness about the dual career concept for athletes after their retirement. The eventwas based on experience focused on the athletes and the people who support them. Olympic gymnastics champion Lefteris Petrounias, Olympic sailing champion Pavlos Kagialis, world cycling champion Christos Volikakis, Athletes’ Commission ChairVasiliki Millousi, the Deputy Minister of Sports, Giorgos Vasiliadis, and the HOC President, Spyros Capralos, participated in the event. More details at www.hoc.gr.
15 January 2019 - The Hellenic NOC Annual Awards Ceremony was held in the presence of the President of the Hellenic Republic, Prokopios Pavlopoulos. The athletes who were honoured along with their coaches were those who won gold medals at the European and World Championships in 2018 and at the Youth Olympic Games Buenos Aires 2018 as well as those who secured quota places for the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020. The ceremony was also attended by the President of the European Olympic Committees, Janez Kocijančič, and its Secretary General, Raffaele Pagnozzi, as well as the President of the International Committee of Mediterranean Games, Amar Addadi, and the Secretary General, Iakovos Filippousis. The 2018 IOC Olympism in Action trophy was awarded to Stefanos Handakas, who secured the medical support programme for the athletes, for his contribution to sport and Olympism. More info here. Tennis champion Alexandros Caldwell was the last athlete to receive financial aid offered by the Olympic family through the Hellenic NOC and its President, Spyros Capralos to all those affected by the devastating wildfires in summer 2018. In total, 14 people and three sports clubs have shared EUR 150,000 donated by the IOC, the European Olympic Committees and the Association of National Olympic Committees to assist athletes affected by the fire and to repair the damage to the sports venues in the fire-stricken areas. More info here.
1st October 2018 - The Hellenic NOC, the Hellenic Olympic Academy, the International Olympic Truce Centre and the “Connect Athens” association celebrated the International Day of Peace, on 21 September, at the Panathenaic Stadium in Athens. On this occasion, schoolchildren took part in games and painted for peace, with the help of Olympic and world champions like Virginia Kravarioti, Dimitris Kafatos and Dimitris Miteloudis. This was followed by music and dance shows, in which the Loutraki Philharmonic Orchestra took part. At 8 p.m., the celebrations reached a climax with all the participants symbolically lighting a candle to send the message that peace is not and should never be an unattainable dream. More details on www.hoc.gr.
17 July 2018 - On a visit to the Hellenic NOC, International Handball Federation (IHF) President Hassan Mustafa was greeted by NOC President Spyros Capralos, First Vice-President Stelios Angeloudis, Secretary General Manolis Kolympadis and NOC member and Greek Olympic Academy President Giorgos Alikakos. The NOC President congratulated the IHF President for his contribution to the Olympic Movement and his support for Greek handball. The Under-19 World Championships being held in Greece in 2021 were among the subjects discussed at a meeting.
9 July 2018 - Olympic Day 2018 was celebrated in Athens, Thessaloniki and Ancient Olympia with the participation of thousands of citizens. In Athens, the Hellenic Olympic Committee (HOC), the National Olympic Academy (NOA) and the Athanasios K. Laskaridis Public Benefit Foundation celebrated an event entitled "A Great Sea, Environment - Sports - Volunteerism" at the Panathenaic Stadium. In Thessaloniki, the Olympic Museum-Protergia, the HOC and the NOA jointly organised a 5km race in which Olympians, world champions, athletes and thousands of people took part. In Ancient Olympia, sports and artistic events attracted hundreds of people of all ages, who participated in the 3rd Vikelios Race. The event was also attended by young people from all over the world who were taking part in the International Olympic Academy’s 58th Session for Young Participants, as well as by Greek weightlifter Giorgos Tzelilis and Kenyan Olympic champion in athletics Eliud Kipchoge. More info at www.hoc.gr.