Spyridon Gianniotis

Personal information
Full name	Spyridon Gianniotis
Nickname	Spyros
National team	Greece
Born	(1980-02-19) 19 February 1980 (age 43) Liverpool, England
Height	1.85 m (6 ft 1 in)
Weight	72 kg (159 lb)
Sport
Sport	Swimming
Strokes	Open water, freestyle
Club	Olympiacos
Medal record Men's swimming Representing  Greece Event 1st 2nd 3rd Olympic Games 0 1 0 World Championships 2 3 2 World Cup 1 0 1 European Championships 2 1 2 Mediterranean Games 1 2 1 Total 6 7 6 Olympic Games 2016 Rio de Janeiro 10 km open water World Championships 2011 Shanghai 10 km 2013 Barcelona 10 km 2009 Rome 5 km 2011 Shanghai 5 km 2013 Barcelona Team 5 km 2007 Melbourne 5 km 2015 Kazan 10 km World Cup 2012 World Cup 10 km 2011 World Cup 10 km European Championships 2008 Dubrovnik 5 km 2010 Budapest Team 5 km 2014 Berlin Team event 2002 Berlin 4×200 m freestyle 2010 Budapest 5 km Mediterranean Games 2001 Tunis 1500 m freestyle 2005 Almería 400 m freestyle 2005 Almería 1500 m freestyle 2005 Almería 800 m freestyle

Spyridon "Spyros" Gianniotis (Greek: Σπυρίδων "Σπύρος" Γιαννιώτης; born 19 February 1980) is a Greek competitive swimmer who specialises in long-distance and open-water freestyle events. He is an Olympic silver medalist, two-time World Champion, World Cup gold medalist, and two-time European Champion.^[1] A five-time Olympian, Gianniotis has won a total of 15 medals in major international long-course competition, totalling 5 gold, 5 silver, and 5 bronze spanning the Olympics, the World Championships, the World Cup and the European Championships. In 2011 he won the World Open Water Swimmer of the Year award, becoming the first and only Greek swimmer to earn that distinction.

He was named the Greek Male Athlete of the Year, for the years 2011, 2012, and 2013. He won the silver medal at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio at the 10 km marathon swim. Initially, Gianniotis was given as the gold medalist as he appeared to cross the finish line first, but the Dutchman Ferry Weertman touched the timing pad before him.^{[citation needed]} After 15 minutes of deliberations by the judges and the use of photo finish, Weertman was awarded the gold medal and Gianniotis the silver, despite the fact that both were credited with the same time: 1 hour, 52 minutes, 59.8 seconds (1:52:59.8).^{[citation needed]} Gianniotis won the silver medal at the age of 36, being the oldest competitor in the event.^{[citation needed]}

Career

He won three individual medals at the 2005 Mediterranean Games. He has represented Greece at five consecutive Summer Olympics, starting in 2000. In 2011 he became world champion in the 10 km open water at the world championships in Shanghai. Gianniotis also claimed gold at the 2013 World Aquatics Championships in Barcelona in the men's 10 km open water swimming.

At the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens Gianniotis took the 5th place in the 1500 m freestyle and the 7th place at 400 m freestyle. At the 2012 Olympic Games in London, he was 4th at the 10 km marathon swim, missing the bronze medal by 5 seconds.