Ioannis Georgiadis
Ioannis Georgiadis (March 29, 1874 or 1876 – May 17, 1960) was a Greek fencing athlete and three-time Olympic champion, ranking him among the greatest athletes in the history of Greek sports. He was born in Tripoli and studied Medicine in France, later becoming a professor of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology at the University of Athens. He published many medical books and scientific writings. He was also the founder of the Forensic Museum, which began to take shape in 1933 under his care.
Georgiadis was also an avid collector of crime evidence since 1912, and during his 40-year tenure as Director of the Department of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology (1911-1952), he gathered and cataloged the first exhibits for the Forensic Museum. Due to his contributions, the museum became a key institution in forensic science in Greece.
In his athletic career, Georgiadis distinguished himself in fencing, winning three gold medals at the Olympic Games: in 1906 at the Intercalated Games, and in 1912 and 1920. He also participated in the First Modern Olympic Games of 1896 in Athens, winning the gold medal in the amateur sabre event. Ioannis Georgiadis was a medical student during these Games and became the first Greek Olympic champion in sabre, remaining undefeated in the competition with a score of 12 wins and 6 losses. Later, he also competed in the 1900 Olympic Games in Paris but was disqualified due to irregular hits.
Georgiadis ranks among the top fencers due to his strategic abilities and physical condition. At the 1906 Intercalated Games, he won two medals, gold in sabre and silver in the team fencing event with the Greek team. His participation in the 1924 Olympic Games was his last, without success, but until the second Olympic gold medal of Pyrros Dimas in 1996, he was the only Greek Olympian with two gold medals.
Beyond his athletic career, Ioannis Georgiadis served society. He founded the Anthropometric Department of the Police in 1909 and the Athens Morgue in 1912, and made significant contributions to the development of Forensic Medicine in Greece. After his retirement, he served as a scientific advisor to the Forensic Signaling Laboratory of the Ministry of the Interior and continued promoting fencing in Greece.
He passed away in 1960 in Athens, leaving behind a great legacy in Greek and international sports and Forensic Medicine."
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