The Olympians and Paralympians of Athens 2004  and Paris 2024 were honored by the Hellenic Olympic Committee in a memorable celebration that brought together emotion, nostalgia, pride, and the shining legacy of Greece’s greatest athletes. Held at the iconic Panathenaic Stadium, the event, titled “Athens 20 Years After,” commemorated two decades since the Athens 2004 Olympic Games and the historic victory of Greece’s national football team at Euro 2004.

Despite earlier rain, the Panathenaic Stadium was filled with an enthusiastic crowd eager to express their gratitude to the Olympians, Paralympians, and Euro 2004 champions.

The ceremony began with a stirring performance of the Olympic Anthem by soprano Vassiliki Karagianni, followed by a nostalgic look back at the unforgettable moments of the Athens 2004 Olympic Games. A parade of volunteers and key contributors from the Games followed, with the Organizing Committee receiving special recognition. Marton Simitsek, Executive Director of the Athens 2004 Organizing Committee, accepted the award from Deputy Minister of Sports, Giannis Vroutsis.

The awards for the 2004 Olympians and Paralympians were presented by HOC Secretary General Emmanouil Kolympadis, International Fencing Federation President Manolis Katsiadakis, and Vasiliki Millousi, Deputy Regional Governor of Sports for Attica.

(c) EUROKINISSI.gr

The Euro 2004 champions were then greeted with thunderous applause. Coach Otto Rehhagel personally greeted each of his former players, while Giorgos Karagounis received an award from Isidoros Kouvelos, President of the International Olympic Academy, and Petros Synadinos, Head of Greece’s Olympic Mission for Paris 2024.

(c) EUROKINISSI.gr

Next, the 2024 Olympic and Paralympic athletes took the stage, with Greece proudly celebrating a total of 21 medals from the Paris Games. HOC President Spyros Capralos and Greek Paralympic Committee President Giorgos Kapelakis presented the honors to these exceptional athletes.

(c) EUROKINISSI.gr

In his address to the athletes, HOC President and President of the European Olympic Committees, Spyros Capralos, reflected on the significance of the Athens Games: “Twenty years ago, all Greeks came together with an ambitious goal and a shared vision: to show the world the best version of our country. We overcame challenges, difficulties, and doubts—and together, we achieved the miracle. With enthusiasm, perseverance, sacrifice, and discipline, we put Greece back on the world stage where it belongs, and we regained our national confidence.” He expressed heartfelt thanks to the athletes for the moments of pride and joy they brought to the nation during the Paris Olympic and Paralympic Games.

(c) EUROKINISSI.gr

The evening concluded with a majestic performance by the ERT National Symphony Orchestra, followed by a breathtaking Cosmos Laser & Light show, leaving the audience in awe of the celebration’s grandeur and Greece’s enduring Olympic legacy.

(c) EUROKINISSI.gr