Gianniotis, Nikolaidou and national soccer team sweep PSAT awards
Swimmer Spyros Gianniotis, rower Katerina Nikolaidou and the national soccer team were elected as the sports personalities of the year by the Panhellenic Association of Sports Writers (PSAT).
They collected their awards at the annual PSAT gala held at the Melina Merkouri Hall of the Peace and Friendship Stadium in Piraeus on Monday night.
Liverpool-born Gianniotis stood out this year after winning gold at the World Swimming Championships in the 10-kilometer open water race, his second in a row after his triumph in 2011, plus contributing in Greece winning silver in the team five-km race.
Nikolaidou was voted best female athlete for 2013 for winning gold in the lightweight sculls in the European Championships, the World Under-23 Championships and the Mediterranean Games, and silver in the World Championship.
The national soccer team managed to qualify to the World Cup finals that will take place in June and July 2014 in Brazil. Its manager, Fernando Santos, was also voted coach of the year.
Olympiakos basketball coach Giorgos Bartzokas also received an award for becoming the first Greek coach to win the Euroleague.
