Honorary Awards

As part of the 33rd International Congress on Physical Education and Sport Science, Mrs. Tasoula Kelesidou, Olympic Medalist in Discus Throw will be honored for her big achievements and her contribution to sports. Anastasia Kelesidou is one of Greece’s top female discus throwers. She became the first Greek woman to surpass 60 meters in the discus throw (1994), and in 1999 she won her first major medal: a silver at the World Championships in Seville. This was followed by two consecutive silver medals at the Olympic Games (Sydney 2000 and Athens 2004), while in total she won medals in six major competitions (World and European Championships).

As part of the 33rd International Congress on Physical Education and Sport Science, Maria Prevolaraki will be honored for her outstanding achievements and her enduring contribution to the history of Greek sports. Maria Prevolaraki is a distinguished Greek freestyle wrestling athlete, with significant successes also in beach wrestling. She is a graduate of the School of Physical Education and Sport Science at the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens and has an impressive international career. She has won bronze medals at the World Championships (2012, 2017, 2022) and was crowned World Cup champion in 2020. In 2014, she became a world champion in beach wrestling. On the European stage, she has earned silver medals in 2013, 2014, 2021, and 2022, as well as bronze medals in 2017, 2018, 2023, and 2024. In 2025, she added yet another top distinction to her record by winning the gold medal at the European Championship. Moreover, she has been crowned Mediterranean Games champion three times (2013, 2018, 2022), firmly establishing her among the top athletes in her sport.

As part of the 33rd International Congress on Physical Education and Sport Science, Kostas Thanos, veteran Greco-Roman wrestling athlete, will be honored for his contribution to Greek sports. The highlight of his athletic career was his 4th-place finish at the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games. He has also competed and distinguished himself in World and European Championships, notably winning the bronze medal at the 1997 European Championship in the 97kg category. He served for several years as President of the Hellenic Wrestling Federation and, in 2013, held the position of Vice President of the Mediterranean Committee of the United World Wrestling (UWW) for one Olympic cycle. Since 2025, he has been a member of the Hellenic Olympic Committee (HOC), while also serving as General Secretary of the Hellenic Wrestling Federation and a member of its Technical Committee. His award is a recognition not only of his remarkable athletic career but also of his ongoing and meaningful contribution to the field of sports, which he continues to serve with the same passion and dedication he showed as an athlete.