Football and basketball are rivaling over the position as Greece’ most popular sport. Some people know about alpine skiing, but cross country? No chance. “This is like asking me about the name of Neil Armstrong’s sister”, my colleague tells me when I ask him if he knows any Greek winter athletes.
But for Lefteris Fafalis, the country's by far best skier internationally, the lack of media and public interest isn’t going to kill his motivation to improve in the tracks.
- Most people don’t understand why I do it, but I love cross country skiing, says Fafalis on the phone from Finland.
Top 30
As the late November sun is still shining in Athens, Fafalis is preparing for the second stop on the World Cup tour in Kuusamo – a weekend that will earn him a 57th place in the sprint competition. He tells us it’s snowing and minus two degrees.
It’s now five years since his best performance in the World Cup, a surprising 17th place in the Czech town Nove Mesto. A year later, he came 29th in the Olympic sprint.
- For me, that place was “crazy high”. This time I want to do better, that is my goal. But the level in international cross country is getting higher every year; I don’t know where I stand.
The Greek ski team. From left: Dimitrios Kappas, Alexis Ckunko, Lefteris Fafalis and Georgios Nakas.
Norwegian domination
While thousands of Norwegians fly to Greece to get a break from the cold weather, Lefteris Fafalis is chasing the snow as he prepares for his fourth Winter Olympics in Vancouver.
Strange as it may sound, finishing in the top 30 is actually easier for someone like Fafalis in the Olympics than in the World Cup. Why? For one, fewer Norwegians.
In Kuusamo for example, five Norwegians finished in the top 10, with another three also competing. In the Olympics each nation can only have four skiers in each discipline.
Overwhelming
The big skiing nations, like Norway, Germany, Sweden and Russia travel the winter world with a huge delegation of coaches, athletes, prep experts (those that prepare the skies for the current temperature, moisture etc), sponsors and media.
- When I see the Norwegian team, with that much support, it’s a bit depressing. Sometimes I think to myself “How can I compete with them?” But whenever I manage to beat just one of them, I am very happy.
Fafalis, who turns 33 in February, was born in Munich. However, after one month the family moved back to the small town Metsovo in Northern Greece.
- There was a ski club there and my parents took me there. I liked it very much, and I continued to ski as I grew up.
- We have a lot of young skiers in Greece, but after they finish school, it gets more difficult. I think there are around 10 to 15 skiers at senior level at the moment. There is no system to keep the sport going, we are just some athletes that really love cross country skiing.
Sporty couple
From 2001 to 2006 he spent most of the winter season in Germany and Austria, but the last years he has been in Greece most of the time. This season however, he has based himself in Germany again to ensure the best possible skiing conditions as he prepares for the Winter Games in Vancouver, Canada.
The link to Germany is not only about his birth place. Fafalis is married to German skier Viola Bauer, who has a Gold, Silver and Bronze medal from previous Olympics. He speaks very good German and has good contacts with both their team and the Austrians.
- They help me out when they can, he explains.
While thousands of Norwegians fly to Greece to get a break from the cold weather, Lefteris Fafalis is chasing the snow as he prepares for his fourth Winter Olympics in Vancouver.
Little attention
While the Norwegian media covers winter sport heavily almost every day during the winter, and especially new cross country superstar Petter Northug, the Greek athletes are rarely mentioned.
- If your result is very good, you might find a small article in some newspaper, but that does not happen very often. In this sense, Greece and Norway are very far apart. Norway is the mother of cross country and every child that can run and walk can also ski. I also see how big the interest is when we go there with the World Cup, says Fafalis.
- Here in Greece, it’s alpine skiing that people know, and then it’s only for leisure. It’s not thought of as a sport. But even if we don’t get the media coverage, we still try to do the best that we can. And that’s what’s important.