Swimmer Spyros Gianniotis was born in Liverpool, England, but he will represent Greece in the upcoming London Olympics. At 32, he is the 10-kilometer open-water world champion, and one of Greece’s best hopes for a medal in London. He’s on a team of Olympians whose training budget has been drastically reduced by austerity measures and the economic crisis.
On a recent morning, Gianniotis’ training included three hours of laps in an outdoor Olympic-sized pool in central Athens. The lean, freckled marathon swimmer glides to the end of the pool.
Gianniotis first swam as a toddler. He was on a boat with his grandmother — whom he calls his Nan — watching his mother swimming in the Ionian Sea. His mother later told him she saw joy in his eyes.
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