The Hellenic Olympic Committee announced Monday that television host and actress Maria Menounos has accepted its invitation to serve as Ambassador for the Greek Olympic team ahead of the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.
Menounos will also serve as Master of Ceremonies for the official Lighting and Handover Ceremonies of the Olympic Flame in Ancient Olympia and at the Panathenaic Stadium in Athens.
She visited the Committee’s offices in Athens for the official announcement and met earlier with Committee President Isidoros Kouvelos.
“I want to thank Maria for being with us and say how happy and proud I am that she accepted my proposal,” Mr. Kouvelos said. “Maria is truly a radiant personality, but more importantly, she’s a wonderful person. She is a Greek of the diaspora who honors and loves her homeland, and her willingness to be involved gives us joy and optimism.”
Mr. Kouvelos said Menounos will support a wide range of activities organized by the Committee leading up to the Games.
“She has agreed to serve as Ambassador for our Olympic team on the road to Los Angeles,” he said. “We want the Greek-American community to support our delegation at the Games, and Maria is the ideal person for that. She will also help with the fundraising efforts we need to support our team’s best possible showing.”
Menounos, visibly moved, expressed her gratitude for the opportunity. “I want to thank you for this proposal—it’s a great honor for me,” she said.
“I am proud to be Greek and to have the chance to be part of this effort. I want to help the athletes as much as I can and unite all Greeks in America. Wherever we are, we should be united to support Greece and help the team succeed.
When the day of the Lighting Ceremony comes in Ancient Olympia, I know it will be something truly special, and I’ll be crying.”
Mr. Kouvelos presented Menounos with a symbolic gift: a statue of the Goddess Nike.