Nasos Gkavelas gifted Greece another gold medal at the Paralympic Games.

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The second gold medal at the 2024 Paralympic Games in Paris was won by Nάsos Gkavelas, competing in the 100 meters.

He had also won gold at the Tokyo Paralympics, and has also distinguished himself at the World and European Championships, winning gold medals in all three major championships.

He has been competing since the age of 17 and holds the World Record in the T11 category in the 100m with a time of 10.82 seconds and in the 60m with 7.10 seconds.

Who is Nάsos Gkavelas

He was born and raised in Athens. He graduated from the 1st General Lyceum of Nea Psychiko, from which he also succeeded in the Panhellenic Exams and was admitted to the Department of Psychology of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens in 2017.

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At the age of 10, Nάsos Gkavelas realized that his vision was deteriorating, as he could not see the teacher well, had difficulty reading, and had to spell words out.

These difficulties stemmed from a genetic disease, Stargardt's disease, which appears gradually and results in progressive vision loss. Nevertheless, these difficulties did not prevent him from pursuing his path to becoming a champion.

"The problem with my vision never stopped me"

In the past, Nάsos Gkavelas had stated: "When I was 10 years old, the problem with my vision appeared. But it never stopped me. I always continued and built on it. That's how I also built a very strong friendship with my guide, and that's the most important thing for me right now.

The category in which I compete is about vision problems, and if something like that happens in our lives, we must have the energy and strength to continue and not give up. I wish all those who face a problem to continue doing what they love in any way they can."

Records and global distinctions

He has participated and been distinguished, beyond the Panhellenic championships, in European and World Championships, winning high rankings, culminating in the World Record in the 100m T11 category with a time of 10.82 seconds in the summer of 2021 at the "Tokyo 2020" Paralympic Games and the World Record in the 60m with 7.07 seconds in the context of the SEGAS Indoor Athletics Meeting in February 2022, in Athens.

His athletic career is characterized by participation in domestic and international meetings, such as the International Para Athletics Meeting in Marrakech (Gold in 200m), the World Para Athletics Grand Prix in Dubai (Gold in 100m), the Grand Prix Paris -Handisport Open Paris- (Gold in 100m) and the Diamond League in Oslo, where he took part in the "Race to Zero" event with the aim of raising awareness for the inclusion of athletes with disabilities in major events. In the framework of the Panhellenic AMEA Championship, he also ran in the 200m (22.08s) and made his debut in the Long Jump with a jump of 6.15m.