Leonidas Pelekanakis

Leonidas Pelekanakis was a Greek sailor who competed in three Olympic Games. He started sailing at the age of 10 and joined the Greek national team in 1980. He participated in the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, where he finished 17th in the Finn class. He then switched to the Laser class and qualified for the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, where he placed 28th. He also competed in the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, where he was the flag bearer for Greece at the opening ceremony. He finished 21st in the Laser class. He was also a world champion in the Laser Masters category in 2013 and 2014. He was an officer of the Hellenic Navy and served as the head coach of the Greek sailing team. He was also involved in various sailing clubs and associations, promoting the sport and mentoring young sailors. He was widely respected and admired by his peers and the sailing community. He died of COVID-19 on 14 January 2021, after a two-month battle with the virus. He was 58 years old.