The double Finn Junior European Champion, and runner up in the 2010 Finn Junior World Championship, Ioannis Mitakis (GRE) has been awarded an honorary distinction prize by the Hellenic Sports Journalist Association in Piraeus, Greece.
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The double Finn Junior European Champion, and runner up in the 2010 Finn Junior World Championship, Ioannis Mitakis (GRE) has been awarded an honorary distinction prize by the Hellenic Sports Journalist Association in Piraeus, Greece.
A big reception was held to award the 'Athletic Prizes', an institution established and organised for the 57th year by Hellenic Sports Journalist Association, in the "Melina Merkouri" theatre in the Peace and Friendship Stadium in Piraeus. The prizes were awarded to best athletes, teams, coaches and disabled athletes voted for by the HSJA members. During the reception HSJA also awarded special prizes and honorary distinctions to people of the athletic community.
The 21 year old Piraeus Sailing Club athlete Ioannis Mitakis was awarded an honorary distinction prize. Mitakis is supported by the Piraeus Sailing Club and is one of the club's many promising athletes.
This young sailor has achieved some major accomplishments in the last couple of years. In 2009 he won the Junior European Championships in Varna, Bulgaria. He retained that title in Split in May 2010 and also finished 12th overall in the senior fleet. Then in August he placed second at the Silver Cup – the Finn Junior World Championship – in San Francisco, USA.
Mitakis said, "I am really happy about this award. This award means a lot for me because is the first time that somebody has recognised my hard work. Also I am happy because sportscasters have voted for this award, and as we all know the media are not always keen on our sport, so to vote for me is really important."
On the future he says, "As a senior now it will be harder but until now my steps are quite good so my plan for 2011 is to continue this progress and my main goal is to take a place for my country in Perth for the Olympics of 2012."
