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Kharilaos Vasilakos

The Olympic Games or Olympics is an international multi-sport event taking place every four years which comprises of summer and winter games. Though the first ancient games were held in 776 B.C., the modern games started from 1896. The unity of the 5 continents is shown on the Olympic flag by five colorful intertwined rings of red, blue, green, yellow, and black, created by Baron Pierre de Coubertin to represent at least one color of the participating country’s national flag.

Kharilaos Vasilakos was born in 1877 and was a Greek athlete who competed at the 1896 Summer Olympics in Athens. Vasilakos was one of 17 athletes to start the marathon race. He finished in second place for the 40 kilometer event, behind Spiridon Louis, with a time of 3 hours and 6 minutes as one of only nine finishers. He also won the 40 kilometer Greek qualifying competition with a time of 3 hours and 18 minutes.

Vasilakos passed away in 1969 and was a challenging contender. His superior approach and dedication towards the sport made him surpass the other players of his epoch. However, he gained prominence only after he won a silver medal at the Olympics and became an international celebrity and a symbol of hope to millions.

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