Main Page | See live article | Alphabetical index

Leonidas Pyrgos

Leonidas Pyrgos, born in Martineia, was a Greece fencer. He was the first modern Greek Olympic champion.


He was the first Greek Olympic medallist in the history of the modern Olympic Games. His competitor in the finals was one of the best fencers in the world, the Frenchman Jean Perronet. After a close contest, Pyrgos won 3-1. The crowd cheered the first Greek Olympic medallist. He was lifted onto their shoulders and carried throughout the streets of Athens.