With a fantastic performance in the qualifying round of the Tokyo Olympics, the Lord of the Rings Lefteris Petrounias collected the highest score of all participants, 15,333,, leaving behind the Chinese, Lu Yang with 15,300 points.
Too bad that Greeks sitting in front of their TVs did not have the opportunity to watch Live the excellent performance. State broadcaster ERT had switched over to canoe kayak.
A sh*tstorm broke out on social media with ERT blaming the Japanese live streaming for missing one of the country’s top athletes Petrounias.
Και εδω βλεπουμε την προσπαθεια του Πετρουνια, που μας εδειξαν #ERTTokyo2020 pic.twitter.com/q7nWHlIIvh
— ☠ 𝓹𝓪𝓷𝓸𝓼_𝓹❾❺ ☠ (@panos_p95) July 24, 2021
Here are Lefteris’ efforts on ERT TV.
In a statement the state broadcaster said “ERT does not have the slightest responsibility for directing the Olympic Games. It transmits the sources and images chosen by the Japanese live streaming directors. A protest move to Tokyo was made immediately and the video of our champion will be broadcast on tape as soon as it is sent to ERT.”
It needed a few hours until ERT could finally broadcast Petrounias on the rings.
However, many Greeks slammed the state broadcaster saying that Eurosports was live streaming the performance of the Greek champion.
Επειδή η Ερτ έριξε τις ευθύνες στην κεντρική διαχείριση των τηλεοπτικών επειδή δεν έδειξε την προσπάθεια του Λευτέρη Πετρουνια, να ξέρετε υπάρχει και το Eurosport που την έδειξε ζωντανά. Έτσι για να μη νομίζουν ότι απευθύνονται σε μπαμπουινους.
— lazaros gkoumas (@akisgkoumas) July 24, 2021
Ας δούμε #πετρουνιας μιας και η ΕΡΤ έδειχνε κανόε καγιάκ εκείνη την ώρα. #ERTTokyo2020 #Olympics2021 #Olympics #OlympicGames pic.twitter.com/M8pRFT16kW
— 🤔✍️📰 nbozionelos.gr (@nbozionelosgr) July 24, 2021
Η προσπάθεια του Λευτέρη Πετρούνια και η πρόκριση στον τελικό των κρίκων! 🇬🇷💪 @Petrounias_E
🇯🇵🔥 Απολαύστε όλα τα αθλήματα και κάθε στιγμή των Ολυμπιακών Αγώνων του #Tokyo2020 στο https://t.co/Kk6yjfxGqM pic.twitter.com/uYxnVXWPvB
— Eurosport Greece (@EurosportGR) July 24, 2021
According to media, ERT did not pay extra to receive special feed from the efforts of the Greek athletes in Tokyo Olympics if when they are not included in the live streaming main program.
Left behind are a disappointed audience and a bitter champion.
“I feel disappointed and saddened by the fact that some Greeks woke up in the morning to see Petrounias on TV and did not see Petrounias. I’m not a footballer, I’m not a basketball player, I’m not in a sport where ones sees me on TV every and I consider it a blunder and unfair.” Lefteris Petrounias said in a statement.
The finals are scheduled at 11:00 a.m. Greek time on August 2.
PS We can only hope to not see them a day or even a week later…
