The Plenary Session of the Hellenic Olympic Committee decided that Giannis Antetokounmpo and Antigoni Drisbioti will be Flag Bearers for Greece at the Opening Ceremony of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
The decision for Antetokounmpo was unanimous, while the walking champion was chosen following a vote among four athletes, Maria Sakkari, Antigoni Drisbiotis, Evangelia Plataniotis and Margarita Pleuritou.
The Hellenic Olympic Committee, following the protocol for the selection of the Flag Bearer, came before the meeting, in contact with Olympic medalists. However, both Miltos Tedoglou and Katerina Stefanidis asked not to be Flag Bearers in order not to change the program of the preparation in view of the participation in the Olympic Games.
The schedule of the sportsmen and women competing the next day was also taken into account, in order not to suffer before their matches.
The Plenary also unanimously decided to nominate Mr. Spyros Kapralos for President of the European Olympic Committees, claiming for the second time the renewal of his mandate.
Finally, the request of KAE Panathinaikos for the concession of the Panathinaikos Stadium on September 21-22, for the holding of the Pavlos Giannakopoulos tournament, was unanimously accepted.
The biographies of the Ensigns
JOHN ANTETOKOUNMPO
Giannis Antetokounmpo was born in Athens on December 6, 1994. The Greek international basketball player, with a height of 2.11, started his career as a player for Philathletikos. In 2013, he was selected in the NBA Draft at position 15 by the Milwaukee Bucks, where he still plays today. He developed into one of the top players of the NBA and of the Greek National Team where he has more than 49 appearances.
In 2017, he became the first player in NBA history to finish in the top 20 in all five statistical categories (points, rebounds, assists, steals and blocks). In the same year, he was named the most improved player and participated for the first time in an “all star” game with the top players of the NBA. In total, he has participated in the All-Star Game 6 times.
In 2019 and 2020, the Bucks’ big leader was named NBA MVP. In 2021, Giannis, “The Greek Freak”, as he is called in his team, won the NBA title for the first time with the Bucks in 50 years, while winning the MVP award of the finals. He has been included in the anniversary selection of the 75 greatest players in NBA history.
ANTIGONE DRISBIOTI
Antigoni Drisbioti was born in Karditsa on March 21, 1984. She lives and trains there, until today, with the exception of the last two years (2023-2024), where she divides her time between Greece and Australia. He has competed with the National Team in international competitions of all categories. For a long time he had stopped walking and competing, but as it turned out it was a simple pause, as he came back stronger and the successes started coming one following the other. She has participated in two Olympic Games (2016, 2021), in World and European championships, she was “bronze” in 2013 in the Mediterranean Games, won the Gold medal in the European Team Championship (2021) and the Silver medal in the team standings both in the World ( 2022) as well as in the European Team Championship (2021), while in 2021 she was eighth in the Olympic Games in Tokyo. Undoubtedly, her year was 2022, following she won two gold medals (20 km and 35 km walk) at the European Championships in Munich, achieving something that no Greek athlete had done until now. Earlier in the season she was fourth at the Oregon Worlds.
In addition, Antigone is a graduate of the Gymnastics Academy of the Faculty of Physical Education and Sports Science and is currently doing postgraduate studies in Sports Management for the Disabled at the University of Peloponnese.
THE GREEK FLAG BEARERS
1908 Nikolaos Georgantas Stivos
1912 Konstantinos Tsiklitiras Stivos
1920 Vassilis Zarkadis Fencing
1924 Christos Vrettos Stivos
1928 Antonis Kariophyllis Athletics
1932 Christos Mantikas Athletics
1936 Ioannis Seraidaris Athletics
1948 Giorgos Kalambokidis Sailing
1956 Giorgos Roubanis Stivos
1960 The then successor Konstantinos Istioplouia
1964 Giorgos Marcellos Stivos
1968 Christos Papanikolaou Athletics
1972 Christos Papanikolaou Athletics
1976 Vassilis Papageorgopoulos Athletics
1980 Ilias Hatzipavlis Sailing
1984 Stelios Mygiakis Wrestling
1988 Babis Holidis Wrestling
1992 Lambros Papakostas Athletics
1996 Pyrros Dimas Dimas Weightlifting
2000 Nikos Kaklamanakis Sailing
2004 Pyrros Dimas Weightlifting
2008 Ilias Iliadis Judo
2012 Alexandros Nikolaidis Taekwondo
2016 Sofia Bekatorou Sailing
2020 Anna Korakaki Shooting
Lefteris Petrounias Gymnastics
Athletics is the sport with the most Flag Bearers, since 13 times its athletes have held the flag.
This is followed by sailing with five, wrestling and weightlifting with two, fencing, judo, taekwondo, gymnastics and shooting with one.
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