On Wednesday 11 February, the annual award ceremony of the Hellenic Gymnastics Federation (EGO) for the competitive year 2025 took place at the amphitheatre of the Hellenic Olympic Committee (HOC), recognizing the efforts and successes of athletes. The event was well attended by Olympians, champions, distinguished personalities and friends of gymnastics.
The attendees stood on their feet as a video dedicated to the people of gymnastics who passed away in 2025 was shown: Alexandra Argalia and Thanasis Pneumatikas, administrators of the EΓO, Sophia Iordanidou, international athlete and National Coach, the Olympic Champion Coaches Athanasios Kapnidis and Alexandros Ioakeimidis, as well as Professor Ioannis Satratzemis.
The event was opened by the President of the EΓO, Vassilis Tsolakidis, followed by a tribute to Masters and National Coaches who left their imprint on Greek Gymnastics. Demosthenes Tabakos, President of the National Olympic Academy and two-time Olympic champion, expressed his gratitude for the contribution and influence of his two coaches, Athanasios Kapnidis and Alekos Ioakimidis, and spoke about Alekos Ioakimidis as the coach who put coaching in Greece on a scientific basis, with regard to training planning and general and specific physical condition. He also referred to his fearlessness in asking and examining other opinions, his willingness to constantly learn, his willingness to share his knowledge with everyone, and his inventiveness in the composition of programmes and the creation of new exercises, stressing that «through gymnastics he led us all to become better people». He then presented the award for Alekos Ioakeimidis to Vassilis Tsolakidis.
The Olympic gold medalist in gymnastics, Ioannis Melissanidis, spoke about Athanasios Kapnidis, the coach who, as his coach, brought the first medals for Greece in gymnastics in European and World Championships, as well as the first Olympic gold medal in the sport after 100 years.
As part of the top honors, Dr. Odysseas Paxinos, member of the Board of the National Olympic Academy (ETHNOA), former Chief Medical Officer of the Olympic Games and President of the UEG Medical Committee, was honored for his long-term contribution to sport.
The presentation of the event was undertaken by the journalist Dimos Bouloukos, coordinating the process of the awards and tributes.
The event concluded with the annual cake cutting and wishes for a successful sports year, with the lucky coin falling on Demosthenes Tabakos, which corresponded to the sport of trampoline.
