1. 62 Spetses Spotlight Spetses Spotlight 63
Going for gold
More than 10,500 athletes of 206 nations are
expected to take part in the 2016 Rio Olympics,
participating in 28 different sports. We take a
sneak peEk at what’s cooking in Brazil’s capital
and talk to some of Greece’s hopefuls.
B y I s a b e l l a Z a m p e ta k i ; P h o t o s b y N i k o s K a r a ni k o l a s
Preparationfor the Olympics
has been as fast-paced as the steps of
your typical samba. Rio de Janeiro has
prepared 34 competition venues, built 43
miles of road and planted 15,000 trees.
According to Embratur, Brazil's state-
owned tourism agency, an estimated
380,000 foreign tourists are expected
in Rio during the Games, creating high
demand for hotel rooms. Restricted
availability has, for the first time in the
history of the Olympics, prompted the
local organizing committee to name
Airbnb as the event's official alternative
accommodation services supplier.
The opening ceremony is highly
anticipated, as a vision of “what the
country can become”. Fernando
Meirelles, Brazilian filmmaker and part of
the creative team, elaborates, “We have
listened to specialists who have different
visions of what Brazil is; the ceremony
will be a synthesis of our popular culture.”
The acclaimed director of City of God
and The Constant Gardener notes, “It
will be ten times smaller than the London
Rio from above;
swimmer
Kelly Araouzou (left);
the Brazilian
Copacabana (below)
in the City of God
photo:Riotur
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2. 000 Spetses Spotlight Spetses Spotlight 65
Sailing champions
Panayiotis Mantis and
Pavlos Kagialis (left);
sprinter Lykourgos
Tsakonas (above);
the Sugarloaf Cable
Car (right)
2012 opening ceremony. It does not make
sense to be extravagant in this moment that
the country is facing. It will not be a high-tech
ceremony; it will be high-concept.”
High morale is one thing that Brazil and the
Greek delegation definitely have in common,
as they overcome substantial economic
difficulties for the sake of the Olympics.
Greeks on the road to Rio
Over 60 athletes are expected to represent
Greece in 11 different sports in the 2016
Olympics. Commenting on the Greek
delegation, Spyros Kapralos, president of the
Greek Olympic Committee, says: “We have a
strong presence in track-and-field, swimming,
sailing and rowing. What is more important
is that most of our athletes have already won
in European and World Championships
and have true potential to be Olympic
winners.” He singles out Lefteris Petrounias,
a gold winner in the World Gymnastics
Championship 2015, Sophia Asoumanaki and
Katerina Nikolaidou, who won silver medals
in rowing at the World Championship last
September, and Byron Kokkalanis, ranked as
one of the top five windsurf athletes in the
world by the International Sailing Federation.
“Marathon swimmers Spyros Gianniotis and
Kelly Araouzou are also among the best on a
global level,” he continues. “Anna Korakaki,
at age 19, and Efthimios Mitas are two young
talents in shooting. Ilias Iliadis has won a
medal in Judo both in Athens and in the
London Olympics.”
Greece will be represented in only one team
sport, men’s water polo, but Kapralos believes
the chances to bring home a medal are high.
It is ironic that, in spite of their excellent
performance, many Greek athletes have
considered quitting their preparation for the
Olympics due to economic restraints and the
inability of the state to sponsor their effort.
However, as Kapralos explains, “It takes a lot
of time and work to create Olympic athletes
and it would be unthinkable for us to let the
‘investment’ we have already made to be
wasted.” This is one of the main reasons why
they created the ‘Adopt an Athlete on the
Road to Rio’ programme, he says. “The key
to its success is that we brought sponsoring
companies in direct contact with the athletes.
Sponsors can see that their money goes where
it is supposed to and athletes feel not just
economic, but also moral, support. Most of our
athletes are supported under this programme
and I believe that they will be ‘paying us back’
by offering us the moments of pride that we
are in great need of these days.”
What does it mean, however, for an athlete to
participate in the Olympics?
Swimmer Kelly Araouzou is determined to
make the most of this opportunity: “When
you participate in an event of this magnitude,”
she says, “you cannot but aim for a distinction.
I do not view swimming just as something I
enjoy doing; it is what earns me my living and
I consider it my responsibility to honour the
sponsors who support me. I feel well prepared
and determined to win.” When asked which
aspects of the Rio Olympics she most looks
forward to, Araouzou gives a surprising reply:
“I am already enjoying the journey. I feel
proud for all that I have achieved since I first
started and for where I stand today. Taking a
minute to think about the progress covered so
Three events not
to be missed
Beach Volleyball
It is, after all, a signature
Brazilian event, especially
when played in a party
atmosphere on Rio's
Copacabana Beach.
Football (pronounced 'foo-
chee-bol' in Portuguese)
Brazil will be redeeming
itself against Germany as
its supporters work their
drums, fireworks and
coloured banners in support
of the home team.
Marathon
The Rio Marathon will
start and finish in the
Sambadrome. The steeply-
raked stands on either side
of the circuit are a reference
to Ancient Greece.
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3. Spetses Spotlight 6766 Spetses Spotlight
Ioannis
Drymonakos,
swimmer (left);
the Museum
of Tomorrow
(far left)
Ioannis Drymonakos, European
swimming champion, has set himself
a tough challenge: to be amongst
the very few Olympians who have
competed in the Sydney Olympics
and the Rio Olympics, spanning
an incredible career of 16 years.
“I am aware of the difficulties of
my journey to Rio, but I am really
determined and I draw courage from
my friends, fellow athletes and my
sponsors who support and believe
in me,” says Drymonakos, who was
just 16 when he swam for Greece
in Sydney. “Every Olympic Games
I have participated in has been
very different. It’s not only that
the hosting cities are different; my
perspective has changed as I grew
from a young talent to a decorated
athlete,” he says. “The only thing that
has never changed, though, is how
proud I always feel when I wear the
national emblem on my swimming
cap and line up at the start of the
race next to the best athletes of the
world.” Drymonakos is hoping that
his journey and achievements will not
only inspire the young generation to
take on competitive swimming, but
also to encourage participation by all
age groups in swimming and triathlon
competitions such as the Spetses mini
Marathon and Spetsathlon.
As to what makes the Rio Olympics
unique, Spyros Kapralos points out:
“Brazil is a country facing substantial
economic and political challenges.
I believe that the Games’ ‘magic’
will help everything come together
nicely.” He continues, “What makes
these Olympics special is that most
of the venues are new builds but also
the Brazilians' high and lively spirits,
which is a promise to have some of the
most festive Games in the history.”
Let the Games begin! 
far is also what gives me strength to
move on.” She doesn’t lose her sense
of focus, even when it comes to the
sensitive issue of water pollution in
the bay of Rio. “We definitely hear a
lot about the pollution,” she says, “but
I can assure you that the cleanliness
of the water is the last thing you are
thinking about when you are racing!”
Men of gold
For sprinter Lykourgos Tsakonas,
Rio is his second Olympics and he
feels that he is in his best shape ever.
“The conditions under which Greek
athletes train are far from ideal,” he
comments, “but I believe in doing the
best I can, under any circumstances.”
His goal is to keep improving his
personal record of 20.09’’ for 200m.
When asked what he thinks of to give
himself strength to continue even
during hard times, he replies, “There
are no thoughts. There is only a target.
Once your mind is set on the goal, you
simply focus on achieving it.”
The same seems to apply to World
and European sailing champions
Panayiotis Mantis and Pavlos
Kagialis. “The Olympics are obviously
a very special event but a race is still
a race,” says Mantis. “When you are
competing, your mind is set on the
fight you are fighting and nothing
else.” Acknowledging the difficulties,
Kagialis points out that while the
hardest part of their experience so far
was finding sponsors to support their
effort, other sailing teams from all
over the world started their training
in Brazil as early as three years ago.
But they aren’t complaining. They
draw strength from each other and
their coach, Thanasis Pachoumas.
Having qualified for the Olympics,
they will be striving for a place among
the top three.
Rio Olympics in numbers
10,500 athletes
206 countries
306 medal events
42 sports, including
two new: rugby and golf
7.5 million tickets
315 horses
60,000 clothes hangers
25,000 tennis balls
11 million meals
34,000 beds
100,000 chairs
72,000 tables
The Rio 2016 logo
was designed
by Tatil Design
and represents
contagious
energy,
harmonious
diversity,
exuberant
nature, and
Olympic spirit.
The official
mascots, Vinicius
and Tom, are
both named
after Brazilian
musicians
(Vinicius de
Moraes and
Tom Jobim)
and represent
Brazilian
wildlife.
Take five from
the Olympics:
Time out in Rio
1. Hiking and trekking in Tijuca
National Park: Tijuca, the largest
urban forest in the world, covers
15 square miles around Rio de
Janeiro. Apart from hundreds of
miles of trails amongst unique
species of flora and fauna, it also
offers some of the best views of
Corcovado, Christ the Redeemer
and Pedra da Gávea.
2. Visit the Museum of
Tomorrow: It may be one of
the world’s most extraordinary
buildings, but it also aspires
to become known as one of
the planet’s most powerful
arguments for sustainability.
Combining science and art, this
brand-new Santiago Calatrava-
designed museum devotes itself
to the need for change in order
to avoid climate disaster.
3. Get behind the scenes in
Maracana Stadium: Picture
Pele’s 1,000th goal where it
actually happened: at Maracanã
Stadium. Take a 4-hour small-
group tour of this iconic temple
to football. Enter locker rooms
and VIP press boxes, and even
take a seat on a team bench.
Listen to stories of the legendary
matches that took place here,
including Brazil’s heartbreaking
loss at the 1950 World Cup.
4. Dance the samba in
Lapa: Lapa, one of Rio’s most
bohemian neighbourhoods,
stands out for its lively social
scene. It’s the perfect place to
enjoy live Brazilian music and to
break out some samba moves.
5. Blend in with the locals at
Copacabana: From popular
Copacabana and Ipanema to
lesser-known Grumari, a day on
one of Rio’s sandy beaches is an
absolute must-do.