Vanderlei returns to the Athens marathon in the arms of the Greek people – 12/11/2023 – Sport

To this day, when Brazilian Vanderlei Cordeiro de Lima, 54, sets foot in Greece, the local population hails him as a true Olympic hero. Drivers, hotel staff, waiters and racing fans who cross your path make a point of stopping you to say hello and ask for a photo.

The Paraná native from Cruzeiro do Oeste deserves the recognition. The act of overcoming after being attacked by the Irish priest Cornelius Horan while leading the marathon race at the Athens Olympics in 2004, with the unforgettable entry of a small plane into the historic Panathenaic Stadium to win bronze, earned Vanderlei the Baron Pierre de Coubertin medal .

To this day, he is the only Latin American to receive the honor, given to athletes recognized by the IOC (International Olympic Committee), for their high level of sportsmanship.

In 2023, 19 years later, the Brazilian returned to Greece to once again run the Athens marathon, a race that harks back to the origins of the sport.

Legend has it that the first marathon in history took place in 490 BC (BC), when the soldier Phidippides ran between the cities of Marathon and Athens to announce the victory of the Athenians in the battle against the Persians.

In the first edition of the Olympic Games in the modern Greek capital, in 1896, the marathon was held over the 40 km that separate the two cities. In 1908, at the beginning of the last century, it was extended by 2,195 km, so that the start took place in front of Windsor Palace, home of the British royal family.

The only Brazilian to win a medal in the marathon at the Olympic Games, Vanderlei states that it has always been a dream to run the race route again.

“It was my desire to one day return and complete the race in a different way”, says Vanderlei to Sheet. He returned to Athens as an amateur athlete, sponsored by the sports shoe brand Olympikus, the same one that sponsored him in 2004.

The runner retired professionally from the track in 2008 and had run his last marathon in April 2019, in Paris.

“We seek to rescue the history that many young people of the new generation don’t know”, says Bianca Dallegrave, marketing manager at Olympikus. Retelling the episode, says the executive, is an opportunity for new sporting talents in Brazil to be inspired and aim for glories like that achieved by Vanderlei.

In the six months of preparation to run the Athens marathon this year, the Brazilian had to suspend training for a few weeks, after contracting dengue fever.

This Sunday (12), on a hot day in the Greek capital, Vanderlei Cordeiro de Lima completed the 42.195 km in 2 hours, 54 minutes and 29 seconds, crossing the finish line in 138th position.

Around 20 thousand runners took part in the race, the winner of which was Kenyan Edwin Kiprop Kiptoo, who set a new record with a time of 2 hours, 10 minutes and 34 seconds.

The Brazilian arrived exhausted due to the strong pace he set, despite the hot day, when the thermometers registered more than 25 degrees in the Athenian streets. Upon completing the route, he needed medical attention.

“Every effort was worth it to get to this special day for me,” said the Brazilian. “Today I feel like Phidippides, like the real soldier who accomplished the mission.”

Coach of the Brazilian runner for over 30 years, Ricardo D’Angelo says that Vanderlei “doesn’t know how to play”, and far exceeded his own goal of completing the race in just over 3 hours.

“For us to relive this moment is a great recognition from the organizers of the marathon, who welcomed us very well. Vanderlei is well recognized for his Olympic medal and for everything that happened in his history.”

As he passed kilometer 36 of the race, where he was intercepted by the Irish priest almost 20 years ago, residents of the city who accompanied the runners celebrated the Brazilian’s passage.

This time, without the presence of the priest, nor of the Greek Polyvios Kossivas, who was the one who helped him free himself from Horan. Polyvios died in early 2023, aged 71.

“It was the guardian angel who welcomed me and got me out of a situation that could have been even worse. If it weren’t for his attitude, I could have lost a lot more time and wouldn’t have achieved the bronze medal”, says Vanderlei.

When the incident happened, no one knew who that burly man was who helped the Brazilian without blinking. After questioning the police and the Greek Ministry of Public Order, without success, the Sheet published an advertisement in the newspaper “Goal News”, seeking the identity of the spectator.

Kossivas replied. “I reacted immediately, without calculating the risks. I pushed the intruder away and saw Vanderlei lying like a wounded bird. I started shouting ‘go, go’ to encourage him”, reported the Greek at the time.

Vanderlei says that, if he could meet with Polyvios, he would praise even more his act of courage and altruism for helping him in a difficult time he was going through, and would thank him again.

The runner even met his daughter, Smaragda Tsirka. She praised the Brazilian for his character and determination, demonstrated throughout his career. “Your physical and mental strength are admirable. Congratulations, Vanderlei!”, she celebrated.

The way Vanderlei reacted to the episode — without letting himself be put off by the attack and saluting the fans as he entered the stadium — causes commotion to this day, as it brings those memorable moments to the surface again, says the Greek. “I wish my father were here. He would hug and lift Vanderlei again.”

People who attended the marathon in person in 2004 and remember that day also praised the Brazilian’s achievement.

“Vanderlei is a legend and I hope to one day tell my children about his story of courage and overcoming”, says Andreas Vougioukas, who was among the fans who attended the Olympic marathon and worked as Vanderlei’s driver on that trip to Athens.

“I was present at an interview with Vanderlei with a Greek running news portal, and the journalist was very moved by his presence here. The Greeks have a very special affection for him”, says Laila Roberta de Ornelas Chagas, translator of Vanderlei in Greece.

Fans, Greeks, Brazilians and other nationalities, should have the opportunity to see the runner in action for a while longer, but perhaps not over such long distances. Exhausted at the end of the race this Sunday, Vanderlei stated that he has no intention of running a marathon again anytime soon.

“I want to do shorter races, especially because the preparation isn’t as demanding,” he said, adding that he intends to intensify participation in street races in Brazil, thanks to the pressure he receives from the sports community. “That’s cool, because it’s a sign that Vanderlei’s absence from the tests is making a difference.”

According to him, the greatest legacy he wants to leave for future generations is through education and sport. In 2008, when he was about to retire from the track as a professional, he founded, together with his coach, the IVCL (Instituto Vanderlei Cordeiro de Lima), in Campinas.

There are around 350 children and adolescents between the ages of 6 and 17 who receive technical guidance for athletics, nutrition and medical support, among other activities. “It’s a way of educating through sport,” he says.

Regarding the infamous Irish priest, Vanderlei says he doesn’t hold any grudges or grudges. “The fact happened, it’s part of history, but it’s not part of my life context, of searching for and winning a medal.”

*The reporter traveled at the invitation of Olympikus