Onassis’s man wants to ride for Greece
razilian equestrian champion Alvaro Alfonso de Miranda Neto, the husband of shipping heiress Athina Onassis, has begun proceedings to become a Greek citizen and then compete for his adopted country. Neto went with his wife to the offices of the Greek Equestrian Federation this week to fill out the necessary documents that would grant him Greek nationality, local media reported. Neto, who won bronze medals as part of the Brazilian show-jumping team at the 1996 and 2000 Olympics and also represented Brazil at the Athens Olympics in 2004, hopes to be able to compete for Greece in Beijing in 2008. «I hope for the matter to be settled in the next 15 days so that I will be able to officially compete with the Greek colors,» he told reporters. «It would be a great honor for me. I feel proud that I will be able to compete for Greece.» Federation president Isidoros Kouvelos said he believed that Neto’s nationalization would be settled quickly. Neto’s application must be approved by the International Equestrian Federation when it meets in Kuala Lumpur during the April 26-30 World Cup, local reports said. Onassis, who also competes in equestrian events, met Neto in 2002 at a riding center in Belgium. They married in December last year. (Reuters/AP)
