Greece’s first modern Olympics winner, Ioannis Georgiadis took part in the First Olympic Games of Athens in 1896, winning Greece’s first ever gold medal. Tragically passing on May 17, 1960, his incredible achievements are remembered with every gold medal won on the Olympic stage.
Ioannis Georgiadis was born in Tripoli on March 29, 1874. He studied medicine at the University of Athens (1894-1899), while at the same time practicing fencing, first as an athlete of the Gymnastics Society of Patras (today’s Panachaiki) and then of the Athenian Club.
In 1896, he took part in the First Olympic Games of Athens and won the gold medal, undefeated, in fencing. The match took place on March 28 in the atrium of Zappeion Megaron between five swordsmen and Georgiadis defeated Georgios Iatridis (3-0), the Austrian Adolf Smal (3-2), Telemachos Karakalos (3-2) and Dane Holger Nielsen (3-2).
In 1900, while pursuing a master’s degree in Paris, he took part in the Second Olympic Games, which took place in the French capital. He was eliminated in the qualifiers due to irregular blows. His athletic career ended in 1924 at the Paris Olympics when, at the age of 50, he took part in the fencing competition without success. From 1918 to 1936 he was a member of the Greek Olympic Committee.
Ioannis Georgiadis died in Athens on May 17, 1960.
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