Greece is the birthplace of the Olympics and ever since the revival of the Olympic Games in 1896, Greece has participated in all of the summer games up to this summer’s Rio 2016. Let’s take a look at some fun Olympic facts and the athletes who have made Greece proud over the years.
More than a Century of Celebrating Greek Athletes at the Olympics
Over the years, Greek citizens’ hearts have filled with pride as the country’s athletes have won medals 100s of times in the Olympics thus far.
The country’s most successful game was the premiere Olympics in Athens of 1896 when Greek athletes won a total of 50 medals.
Greeks all around the world have rejoiced in hearing their national anthem played some 34 times during the modern Olympic Games as Greek athletes won gold medals.
Additionally, the athletes of Greece have brought home 43 silver medals and 46 bronze.
This year at Rio, Greeks had yet another celebration to mark down in the history books as Anna Korakakis became the first Greek woman to win 2 medals at the same Olympic Games.
The Medalists
Who are the athletes that have earned Greece 121 glorious Olympic medals? Let’s take a look at over a century of athletes from Greece.
Gold Medal Winners:
- Aristidis Konstantinidis: Gold Medal, Cycling, Athens 1896
- Giannis Georgiadis: Gold Medal Fencing Athens 1896
- Giannis Malokinis: Gold Medal, Aquatics, Athens 1896
- Giannis Mitropoulos: Gold Medal Gymnastics, Athens 1896
- Giannis Frangoudis: Gold Medal, Shooting, Athens 1896
- Georgos Orphanides: Gold Medal, Shooting, Athens 1896
- Leo Tower: Gold Medal Fencing Athens 1896
- Nick Andriakopoulos: Gold Medal Gymnastics, Athens 1896
- Pantelis Karasevdas: Gold Medal, Shooting, Athens 1896
- Spyridon Louis: Gold Medal, Track, Athens 1896
- Perikles Kakousis: Gold Medal, Weightlifting, St. Louis 1904
- Konstantinos Tsiklitiras: Gold Medal, Athletics, Stockholm 1912
- Georgos Zaimis: Gold Medal, Sailing, Rome 1960
- Diadoxos Constantine: Gold Medal, Sailing, Rome 1960
- Ulysses Eskitzoglou: Gold Medal, Sailing, Rome 1960
- Stelios Mygiakis: Gold Medal Martial Arts, Moscow 1980
- Voula Patoulidou: Gold Medal, Athletics, Barcelona 1992
- Pyrros Dimas: Gold Medal, Weightlifting, Barcelona 1992
- Akakios Kakhiashvili: Gold Medal, Weightlifting, Atlanta 1996
- Ioannis Melissanidis: Gold Medal Gymnastics, Atlanta 1996
- Nikolaos Kaklamanakis: Gold Medal, Sailing, Atlanta 1996
- Pyrros Dimas: Gold Medal, Weightlifting, Atlanta 1996
- Akakios kakhiashvili: Gold Medal, Weightlifting, Sydney 2000
- Kostas Kenteris: Gold Medal, Athletics, Sydney 2000
- Michail Mouroutsos: Gold Medal Taekwondo, Sydney 2000
- Pyrros Dimas: Gold Medal, Weightlifting, Sydney 2000
- Athanasia Tsoumeleka: Gold Medal, Track, Athens 2004
- Emilia Tsoulfa: Gold Medal, Sailing, Athens 2004
- Demosthenes Tabakos: Gold Medal Gymnastics, Athens 2004
- Ilias Iliadis: Gold Medal Judo, Athens 2004
- Thomas Bimis: Gold Medal, Aquatics, Athens 2004
- Nikolaos Siranidis: Gold Medal, Aquatics, Athens 2004
- Sophia Bekatoros: Gold Medal, Sailing, Athens 2004
- Fani Halkias: Gold Medal, Track, Athens 2004
- Lefteris Petrounias: Gold Medal, Hoops, Rio 2016
- Anna Korakakis: Gold Medal, Shooting, Rio 2016
- Ekateríni Stefanídi: Gold Medal, Women’s Pole Vault, Rio 2016
Silver Medal Winners:
- Anthony Pepanos: Silver Medal, Aquatics, Athens 1896
- Giannis Andreou: Silver Medal, Aquatics, Athens 1896
- Giannis Frangoudis: Silver Medal, Shooting, Athens 1896
- Georgos Kolettis: Silver Medal, Cycling, Athens 1896
- Georgos Orphanides: Silver Medal, Shooting, Athens 1896
- Georgos Chita: Silver Medal, Wrestling, Athens 1896
- Dimitris Petrokokkinos: Silver Medal, Tennis, Athens 1896
- Dionysis Kasdaglis: Silver Medal, Tennis, Athens 1896
- Dionysis Kasdaglis: Silver Medal, Tennis, Athens 1896
- Thomas Xenakis: Silver Medal, gymnastics, Athens 1896
- Panagiotis Paraskevopoulos: Silver medal Athletics, Athens 1896
- Panellinios GS (1896): Silver medal, gymnastics, Athens 1896
- Pavlos Pavlidis: Silver Medal, Shooting, Athens 1896
- Spyros Chazapis: Silver Medal, Aquatics, Athens 1896
- Stathis Choraface: Silver Medal, Aquatics, Athens 1896
- Stamatis Nikolopoulos: Silver Medal, Cycling, Athens 1896
- Stamatis Nikolopoulos: Silver Medal, Cycling, Athens 1896
- Telemachus Karakalos: Silver Medal Fencing Athens 1896
- Charilaos Vasilakos: Silver Medal, Running, Athens 1896
- Konstantinos Tsiklitiras: Silver Medal, Running, London 1908
- Konstantinos Tsiklitiras: Silver Medal, Running, London 1908
- Michael Dorizas: Silver Medal, Running, London 1908
- Alexander Vrasivanopoulos: Silver Medal, Shooting, Antwerp 1920
- Alexander Theofylaktos: Silver Medal, Shooting, Antwerp 1920
- Giannis Theofylaktos: Silver Medal, Shooting, Antwerp 1920
- George Moraitinis: Silver Medal, Shooting, Antwerp 1920
- Jason Sappas: Silver Medal, Shooting, Antwerp 1920
- Elias Chatzipavlou: Silver Medal, Sailing, Munich 1972
- Peter Galaktopoulos: Silver Medal, Wrestling, Munich 1972
- Dimitris Thanopoulos: Silver Medal, Wrestling, Los Angeles 1984
- Valerius Leonides: Silver Medal, Weightlifting, Atlanta 1996
- Leonidas Kokas: Silver Medal, Weightlifting, Atlanta 1996
- Leonidas Sampanis: Silver Medal, Weightlifting, Atlanta 1996
- Niki Bakogiannis: Silver Medal, Athletics, Atlanta 1996
- Victor Mitros: Silver Medal, Weightlifting, Sydney 2000
- Demosthenes Tabakos: Silver Medal, Gymnastics, Sydney 2000
- Katerina Thanou: Silver Medal, Athletics, Sydney 2000
- Leonidas Sampanis: Silver Medal, Weightlifting, Sydney 2000
- Mirela Maniani: Silver Medal, Athletics, Sydney 2000
- Tasoula Kelesidou: Silver Medal, Athletics, Sydney 2000
- Alexandros Nikolaidis: Silver Medal, Taekwondo, Athens 2004
- Women’s National Water Polo Team (2004): Silver Medal, Aquatics, Athens 2004
- Elli Mystakidou: Silver Medal, Taekwondo, Athens 2004
- Nikolaos Kaklamanakis: Silver Medal, Sailing, Athens 2004
- Hrysopiyi “Pigi” Devetzi: Silver Medal, Running, Athens 2004
- Tasoula Kelesidou: Silver Medal, Running, Athens 2004
- Alexandros Nikolaidis: Silver Medal, Taekwondo, Beijing 2008
- Vasileios Polymeros: Silver Medal, Rowing, Beijing 2008
- Dimitrios Mougios: Silver Medal, Rowing, Beijing 2008
- Spyridon Gianniotis: Silver Medal, Swimming, Rio 2016
Bronze Medal Winners:
- Alexandros Nikolopoulos: Bronze Medal, Weightlifting, Athens 1896
- Anthony Pepanos: Bronze Medal, Aquatics, Athens 1896
- Aristides Akratopoulos: Bronze Medal, Tennis, Athens 1896
- Aristovoulos Petmezas: Bronze Medal, gymnastics, Athens 1896
- Giannis Andreou: Bronze Medal, Aquatics, Athens 1896
- Giannis Theodoropoulos: Bronze Medal, Running, Athens 1896
- Giannis Frangoudis: Bronze Medal, Shooting, Athens 1896
- Georgos Papasideris: Bronze Medal, Running, Athens 1896
- Georgos Paraskevopoulos: Bronze Medal, Cycling, Athens 1896
- Dimitris Golemis: Bronze Medal, Running, Athens 1896
- Dimitris Drivas: Bronze Medal, Aquatics, Athens 1896
- National General Assembly (1896): Bronze Medal, gymnastics, Athens 1896
- Evangelos Damaskos: Bronze Medal, Running, Athens 1896
- Kostas Akratopoulos: Bronze Medal, Tennis, Athens 1896
- Kostas Paspatis: Bronze Medal, Tennis, Athens 1896
- Miltiadis Gouskos: Silver Medal, Running, Athens 1896
- Nick Morakis: Bronze Medal, Shooting, Athens 1896
- Nick Trikoupis: Bronze Medal, Shooting, Athens 1896
- Periklis Pierrakos Mauromichalis: Bronze Medal Fencing Athens 1896
- Peter Persakis: Bronze Medal, gymnastics, Athens 1896
- Stathis Choraface: Bronze Medal, Aquatics, Athens 1896
- Stathis Choraface: Bronze Medal, Aquatics, Athens 1896
- Stefanos Christopoulos: Bronze Medal, Wrestling, Athens 1896
- Sotirios Versis: Bronze Medal, Weightlifting, Athens 1896
- Sotirios Versis: Bronze Medal, Running, Athens 1896
- Nikolaos Georgantas: Bronze Medal, Athletics, St. Louis 1904
- Anastasios Metaxas: Bronze Medal, Shooting, London 1908
- Konstantinos Tsiklitiras: Bronze Medal, without reference height, Stockholm 1912
- Georgos Roubanis: Bronze Medal, Running, Melbourne 1956
- Peter Galaktopoulos: Bronze Medal, Wrestling, Mexico City 1968
- Aristides Rapanakis: Bronze Medal, Sailing, Moscow 1980
- Georgos Chatziioannidou: Bronze Medal Martial Arts, Moscow 1980
- Tasos Gavrillis: Bronze Medal, Sailing, Moscow 1980
- Tasos Bountouris: Bronze Medal, Sailing, Moscow 1980
- Charalambos Cholidis: Bronze Medal, Wrestling, Los Angeles 1984
- Charalambos Cholidis: Bronze Medal, Wrestling, Seoul 1988
- Amiran Kardanov: Bronze Medal, Wrestling, Sydney 2000
- National Team Ensemble (2000): Bronze Medal, Gymnastics, Sydney 2000
- Joanna Hatziannou: Bronze Medal, Weightlifting, Sydney 2000
- Artiom Kiouregkian: Bronze Medal, Wrestling, Athens 2004
- Vasileios Polymeros: Bronze medal, Rowing, Athens 2004
- Mirela Maniani: Bronze Medal, Running, Athens 2004
- Nick Skiathitis: Bronze medal, Rowing, Athens 2004
- Pyrros Dimas: Bronze Medal, Weightlifting, Athens 2004
- Virginia Kravarioti: Bronze Medal, Sailing, Beijing 2008
- Hrysopiyi “Pigi” Devetzi: Bronze Medal, Running, Beijing 2008
- Sophia Bekatoros: Bronze Medal, Sailing, Beijing 2008
- Sophia Papadopoulou: Bronze Medal, Sailing, Beijing 2008
- Alexandra Tsiavou: Bronze Medal, Rowing, London 2012
- Ilias Iliadis: Bronze Medal Judo, London 2012
- Christina Giazitzidou: Bronze Medal, Rowing, London 2012
- Anna Korakakis: Bronze Medal, Shooting, Rio 2016
- Pavlos Kagialis and Panagiotis Mantis: Bronze Medal, Sailing, Men’s 470, Rio 2016
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