‘Memorias Olimpicas’ in Greek presented by Samaranch
With us once again is an «immortal» who spent 21 years as president of the International Olympic Committee. Don Juan Antonio Samaranch is the man who made the announcement «And the winner is Athens,» which led to an outburst of joy and celebration, followed by the assumption of the responsibility and the turning of Athens into a huge work site with deadlines looming. Samaranch came to present his book «Memorias Olimpicas,» in a Greek translation published by Kastaniotis, where he talks about his 21 years as IOC president, in itself a feat that deserves a reward for stamina and belief in the Olympic idea. The presentation took place at the Hotel Grande Bretagne, with Athens 2004 Organizing Committee President Gianna Angelopoulos-Daskalaki on the rostrum, together with publisher Thanassis Kastaniotis, writer Philippos Dracontaidis and Greek «immortals» Lambis Nikolaou and Nikos Filaretos. Samaranch was received yesterday at the Maximos Mansion by Premier Costas Simitis, to whom he gave a copy of the book, then he went across to the Presidential Palace to meet President Costis Stephanopoulos, who also received a copy of the book, which the president looked at with interest. A lot of pages; a whole life in the Olympic movement: «I’ll read it at my leisure,» the president said in French.
