Greek sailing champion George Papadakos will compete against other Hellenic sailors in the ILCA 7 Men’s World Championship in Adelaide, taking place from January 24-31.
This event will serve as an opportunity Papadakos and many other athletes to fight towards a spot in the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
Dimitris Papadimitriou, Tasos Panagiotidis, and Pavlos Kontides are among the Greek and Cypriot athletes scheduled to compete alongside Papadakos.
The Greek Community of South Australia (GOCSA) assisted Papadakos and his family with accommodation, with the sponsorship of community members Arthur and James Economos via Econ Property Group.
During his visit to GOCSA’s offices on Wednesday, January 24, Papadakos said “It has been a dream of mine since I started sailing at the age of 8 to qualify for the Olympics. It is the ultimate honour for an athlete.”
“If it weren’t for the efforts and the support of Australia’s Greek diaspora, we would not be here today,” he added.
Coach Nicholaos Chrysos, explained he admired George as an athlete “he carries great values and extraordinary talent. We are ready to achieve the Olympic dream”.
Running across several, this Men’s World Championship will see a total 153 boats coming from 51 countries.
The first race is set to take place on Friday, January 26.