New TV ad sees star athletes applaud the crowd that stayed home

Athletes such as gymnast Lefteris Petrounias and shooter Anna Korakaki, both gold medalists at the 2016 Rio Olympics, are used to applause. Indeed, just a few short months ago, they were likely imagining hearing the crowd roar as they once again stepped up to the podium at the now-postponed Tokyo Olympics.

The world, of course, has since changed, and there will be no such sporting glories this summer, no images of Greek athletes weeping tears of joy beaming into homes across the country.

Yet there is still pride, only of a different kind.

As Greeks emerge cautiously from an unprecedented period of lockdown, a new ad campaign has been released in which Petrounias, Korakaki and other sports figures take their turn to acknowledge and praise discipline and determination: this time that shown by ordinary citizens in the country's efforts to keep the Covid-19...