The spectator who helped rescue Vanderlei de Lima from an attacker as he led the Olympic Games marathon last month is to be invited to Brazil to meet the athlete and receive a special tribute.
The Brazilian Olympic Committee (COB) said today that the previously anonymous man, named as 53-year-old salesman Polyvios Kossivas, would receive the invitation in Athens on Friday from COB president Carlos Artur Nuzman.
Rank outsider De Lima was leading the race with around six kilometres to go when he was attacked and pushed off the road and into the crowd by former Irish priest Cornelius Horan.
Kossivas helped untangle De Lima, who won the bronze medal despite losing around 20 seconds in the incident as well as having his rhythm interrupted.
The COB said in a statement that Kossivas would be invited to Brazilian sport's top awards ceremony at the end of the year where he would receive a special tribute and meet De Lima.
Reuters
