Members of the Greek team from Tokyo 2020 were welcomed by the country's President Katerina Sakellaropoulou ©HOC

A reception has been held at the Presidential Palace in the Greek capital Athens for athletes and coaches who represented the Hellenic Olympic Committee (HOC) at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.

The country’s President Katerina Sakellaropoulou was present to welcome returning members of the Greek contingent from the Japanese capital.

Greece won four medals at Tokyo 2020, including Stefanos Ntouskos’ rowing gold in the men’s singles sculls.

He was in attendance at the Presidential Palace, along with members of the men’s water polo team which earned silver and gymnast Eleftherios Petrounias, who secured a men’s rings bronze.

A number of leading figures from the HOC were also there, including its President Spyros Capralos, who was elected as President of the European Olympic Committees (EOC) in June and is a member of the International Olympic Committee, the Chef de Mission Michalis Fysentzidis and deputy Chef de Mission Iakovos Filippousis.

Lefteris Avgenakis, the deputy minister of culture and sports, and Giorgos Mavrotas, the secretary general of sports, ensured representation from the Greek Government at the reception.

Greek athletes and coaches, as well as figures from the HOC and the Greek Government were present at the Presidential Palace ©HOC
Greek athletes and coaches, as well as figures from the HOC and the Greek Government were present at the Presidential Palace ©HOC

Capralos expressed his gratitude to President Sakellaropoulou for allowing the event to take place.

"I would like to thank you [President Sakellaropoulou] once again, for welcoming our Olympic team," he said.

"All the athletes, whether getting a medal or not, did their best in Tokyo.

"We are here with their coaches, as they are playing a key role in the athletes’ life and they deserve a similar recognition.

"I would like to underline that the athletes deserve our congratulations not only because of the sports performance, but mainly because they have displayed excellent behaviour which led Greece one step higher, one step further."

Greece’s artistic swimming team were forced to withdraw from Tokyo 2020 after a COVID-19 outbreak, while it was this week announced that the Association of National Olympic Committees (ANOC) General Assembly would be moved from Athens to the island of Crete.