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 * Spyro Ksarxakos



Spyro Ksarxakos (Greek: Σπύρο Ξαρχακος; Born, August 28, 1994) is a Greek Track and field athlete, and a American college Football player for the University of Texas. He holds the World records for the 60 metres, and the 100 metres. He is the only human to run at a pace of 30 Miles per hour, doing so at the 2012 New Balance Indoor Grand Prix where he was clocked running 30.7 MPH/49.4 Km. Spyro is also the youngest sprinter in history to run under the 10-second barrier in the 100 Meter sprint at 16 years 183 days old. Spyro is the reigning Olympics gold medalist in the 100 metres, 200 metres, 110 metres hurdles, Long jump. Spyro is also the reigning World Champion in the 110 metres hurdles, and Long jump. He became the youngest athlete to win a medal in the World Championships, and the youngest to win a gold medal in Olympic athletics history. Spyro also set a record with most gold medals won at a single Olympic Games in athletics with 6 gold medals.

Along with track & field, Spyro is also a American college football player for the University of Texas. As a Walk-on, Spyro led the 2012 Texas Longhorn football team to a 13-0 season, and victory in the 2013 National Championship Game against Alabama Crimson Tide. ESPN analyst Chris Fowler, of ESPN College GameDay proclaimed Spyro as "the most exciting college football player to ever play the game." On the last play of the 2013 BCS National championship game against Alabama, Spyro ran the ball for a 55 yard touchdown by jumping over three Alabama defenders at the 6 yard line with 5 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter. This play is considered the greatest single play in American college sports history by many analyst.

Childhood

Ksarxakos was born on the outskirts of Sintiki, Serres, Greece in a small farming village to Zora Ksarxakos. Spyro was givin the name Decendant Of Spartacus, after the Thracian gladiator Spartacus turned slave revolter. At a few months old Spyro moved to Drangovo, Bulgaria then later to Petrich, Bulgaria where he lived for a year. Spyro spent another year living in Sandanski, Bulgaria. Zora was only 17 years old when she gave birth to Spyro. Spyro is a child of rape, and never met his father.

At 3 years old, Spyro and his teenage mother left Sandanski, Bulgaria, and migrated to the United States, moving to the The Cape Cod, Massachusetts. Since Zora was disowned by her parents when they found out she was pregnant before marriage, she and Spyro had no financial support when they arrived in the U.S. Zora used to break into cars so Spyro, only three at the time, and her would have shelter. After repressive months living out of stolen cars, Zora started using the money she made working at a fast food restuaraunt she turned to hard drugs. After months living in stolen cars, Zora brought Spyro to live in a run-down drug house with her drug dealer Tony D. Ortegaz who had sadomasochism, a severe personality disorder. Spyro was immediately physcially, and phsychologicly abused. A fear of being kicked out of the house, Zora did not interfere.

During his fourth birthday, Spyro trying to protect his mother Zora from Tony who was beating her with a belt, was then beat by Tony and slammed agasint a refridgerator, where Tony took a 12 inch knife and carved a line from Spyro's forehead to the bottom of his cheek-bone, and afterwards through him into a dog cage in the windowless basement without any medical treatment. When Spyro was five Tony D. Ortegaz also broke both Spyro's calcaneus (Heel bones) with a baseball bat, which forced Spyro to walk on his toes due to not receving medical treatment for the broken heels. Spyro witnessed his mothers death in another tragic event which also occured on Spyro's seventh birthday. Spyro was severly beaten, suffering a broken leg, and a permanent neurological brain injury. Tony who was wanted by federal agents then tied Spyro to a chair, as Tony upset about Zora over-dosing on drugs, hung her in front of Spyro.

Spyros childhood has been the center of international news media outlets, with talk show host Oprah Winfrey, ABC News, CNN, magazines New york times, and the Boston Globe heavily covering the the infamous case in 2001 Spyro was a victim of.

When Spyro was 8 years old he was sent to Foster homes, and Orphanages around the Cape Cod, but usually ran away spending 6 years of his life homless. During his childhood he was diagnosed with Dysthymia and Social anxiety disorder. Spyro also fought Alchoholism, since the age of nine.

Early competition, 2010

Spyro Ksarxakos started running Track & Field when he was 15 for his high school Barnstable High. It only took his fifth meet for Spyro set a United States high school national record for the long jump, with a jump of 8.19 metres, taking the record from Marquise Goodwin, who would later become a teammate of Spyro's for the University of Texas football team. By the end of Spyro's sophmore year, he held the 200 metres, 110M hurdles, and long jump United States high school national records in track and field.

At the 2011 Massachuetts high school track & field championships, Spyro broke his first Greek national record, breaking Angelos Pavlakakis's 13 year old Greek national record in the 100 meters, with a time of 10.07 seconds.

Within months on the Barnstable High school track team, Spyro represented Greece, his home country in his first international meet, the 2010 World Junior Championships in Athletics in Moncton, Canada. In Moncton, Spyro broke his own National high school long jump posting a 8.34 metres. Spyro then ran the 100 metres sprint in 10.03 seconds defeating the 20 year old Jamaican Dexter Lee who won the 2008 World Junior Championships in Athletics in Bydgoszcz, Poland. Lee was who was deemed the next Usain Bolt, and was considered to easlily retain his title, was shocked, as well as the track & field community. Spyro also won the 200M race by posting a time of 20.11 seconds. Spyro led Greece with four gold medals. Spyro also became the youngest athlete at the World Junior Championships(Limited to athletes 20 years and younger) to win a medal. Ksarxakos is one of only nine athletes, (along with Valerie Adams, Veronica Campbell-Brown, Jacques Freitag, Yelena Isinbayeva, Jana Pittman, Usain Bolt, and Dani Samuels to win world championships at the youth, junior, and senior level of an athletic event.

Two weeks after his performance in Moncton, Spyro led the Greek Youth team in the 2010 Youth Olympics winning four gold medals, participating in the 100 metres tying the United States of America national high school record with 10.01 seconds. Spyro ran the 200 metres in 20.04 seconds. Spyro then jumped 2.19 metres in the high jump, and 8.32 metres in the long jump.

 Prominence, 2011 

Even after winning major athletics competition, Spyro still at the age of 16, was a homeless teenager. He told no one of this matter, not even his coach Prodromos Korkizoglou who traveled to events with Spyro, as his temporary gaurdian.

Spyro became a serious threat to the elite athletics competitors, when he made his first no-age restricted meet at the 2011 European Indoor Championships in Athletics in Paris, France. In his first event, the 60 metres hurdles, Spyro ran 6.47 S, edging out Petr Svoboda by only 0.02 seconds. Spyro participate in the Long jump where he jumped a world leading 8.58 metres. On the last day of the championships, Spyro was to face the 2004 Summer Olympics 100 metres silver medalist Francis Obikwelu. Obikwelu would be the first Olympic medalist that 16 year old Spyro would face in his career. With a reaction time of 0.234 s, Spyro finished in a time of 6.47, winning the gold, and defeating his first Olympic medalist competitor Obikwelu by 0.06 s.

Spyro's next meet was at the historical Athletissima stadium, in Lausanne, Switzerland. The meet was part of the 2011 Diamond League, a series of meets which award prize money. Being Spyro's first meet where money was awarded he knew this was his chance to end his time of being homeless. Spyro's only event of the evening, was the 110 metres hurdles. He was also not favored to win a gold medal due to being only 16 and competing against Dayron Robles, who held the world record(12.87 s), was the 2008 Olympic gold medalist, and 2011 world leader. Spyro did not let the odds faze him, and ran the 110 m hurdles in 13.06 s, running 0.06 s faster than Robles. Spyro left Switzerland, and returned to the Cape Cod with his first check of 10,000€.

One month after the Lausanne meet, Spyro set out to London where he participated in the Crystal Palace Diamond league meet. Spyro once again was up against Dayron Robles in the 110 m hurdles. In his first sub-13 second 110 metres hurdles Spyro ran 12.99 s, slightly defeating Robles by 0.05 seconds. Spyro also won the Long jump with a jump of 8.75 metres, a personal best.

2011 World Championships

A week before his 17th birthday Spyro competed in the 2011 World Championships in Athletics, Daegu, South Korea. Spyro competed in the 110 metres hurdles and, Long jump.

In the 110 metres hurdles Spyro had his toughest competition yet, with Liu Xiang, the 2004 Olympics 110 metres hurdles Gold medalist, and Dayron Robles the 2008 Olympics 110 metres Gold medalist. Although only 16 Spyro won the race in 12.94 s, a personal best. Although having a wide margin of victory ahead of second place finisher Jason Richardson by 0.22 seconds Spyro dove to the finish line out of a nervous reaction. After laying on the ground for a mintue he got up with his right arm covered in blood, and with his left hand, smeared the blood across the "Hellas" logo (meaning Greece) located on his uniforms chest. In a post-race interview Spyro was asked about why he dove with a sufficient lead, and he stated " I got nervous about how I was going to compete with Liu (Xiang), Dayron (Robles), and the other guys, and with crowd staring at me, I got scared when I heard someone behind me and just jumped foward to make sure I won"

Spyro who was the 2011 world leader in the high jump was favored to defeat reigning 2009 Long jump Gold medalist, Dwight Phillips, who also was the 2004 Athens Olympic Gold medalist, and won the 2003, and 2005 World Champion Gold medalist. Spyro had a jump of 8.70 metres, which was 0.25 metres longer than Phillips jump(8.45m) earning Spyro his second Gold medal of the World Championships. The 2011 World Championships in Athletics become a historic moment for the World Championships, Spyro, and Greece after he became the youngest athlete to win a medal at the World Championships.

2012- Senior High school year World Records At the beginning of Spyro's Senior year in high school, his height grew to 1.87 metres (6'2 feet). On the 3rd of April Spyro broke Dayron Robles 110 metres hurdles record of (12.87 s.) with a time of 12.72 seconds, Spyro's first outdoor world record.

After leading Barnstable high school to a Massachusetts high school state championship in track & field in the previous year (2011 season), Spyro led Barnstable to a consecutive victory in the Massachusetts high school state championship. In the championship he posted a personal best 100 metres time of 9.67 s, making him the second fastest human in the world, second to only Usain Bolt.

Spyro became the 60 metres world record holder at the New Balance Boston Indoor Grand Prix held in Boston on February 5, 2012 in the legendary Reggie Lewis Track and Athletic Center. In the 60 metres final, Spyro had a reaction time of 0.108 seconds. Within 37 metres of the sprint Spyro reached a top speed of 30.7 Miles Per Hour/49.3Km, and hit the finish line at 5.36 seconds, obliterating the previous record of 6.39 seconds held by Maurice Greene (athlete) a four time Olmpic medalist and two time olympic gold medalist. Spyro became the first human in history to run a speed of at least 30 Miles per hour (Usain Bolt's top speed clocked 27.45 miles per hour during his 100 meters world record of 9.58 seconds.)

 2012 World Indoor Championships in Athletics  

Considered the overwhelming favroite to win the 2012 IAAF World Indoor Championships 60 metres sprint after coming off a unprecident 60 metres world record two months prior, Spyro won the 60 m sprint in 6.40 seconds, but this time barely edging out Justin Gatlin by 0.04 s. Spyro won the gold medal in the 60 metres hurdles with a personal best time of 7.37 s. and Long jump jumping 8.67 metres.

2012 Diamond League Series During the month of May Spyro participated in two Diamond League meets. Of the two the Qatar Athletic Super Grand Prix Meet in Doha, Qatar was his first meet. Spyro ran a 2012 World leading 9.73 second 100 metres, outing Justin Gatlin, and once 100 metres world record holder Asafa Powell. Spyro also ran 19.38 seconds in the 200 metres, beating second place finished Walter Dix by 0.54 seconds. Spyro also won the Long jump 8.67 metres.

On May 26th Spyro for the first time raced Usain Bolt at the "Golden Spike" IAAF World Challenge meet in Ostrava, Czech Republic. Spyro lost to Bolt (8.79s) in the 100 metres sprint with a time of 9.89s. Exactly one week later after his loss to Bolt, Spyro faced him once again in the diamond league meet Golden Gala in Rome, Italy. With the stadium full of Usain Bolt supporters the two participated in the 100 metres. Spyro won the race with a time of 9.63 s (Second fastest time in history) with Bolt finishing second posting a time of 9.72 s. Spyro won the long jump event in 8.73 metres, and the high jump with a jump of 2.33 metres.

2012 European Athletics Championships

The 2012 European Athletics Championships in Helsinki, Finland was Spyros last meet before going on a two month hiatus to train for the 2012 Summer Olympics. In the 100 metres Spyro shattered his previous personal best (9.67s.) with a time of 9.62 seconds, the second fastest time ever recorded only behind Bolts 9.58 seconds sprint. Spyro also set another personal best in the 200 metres crossing the line at 19.28 seconds, winning by a 1.14 seconds margin over second place finisher Churandy Martina. Spyro's 19.28 seconds 200 metres run would be the thirsd fastest time in recorded history, and was the 2012 world leading time. Spyro timed 12.89 seconds in the 110 metres hurdles.

2012 London Olympics

At only 17 years old Spyro was among the busier athletes at the 2012 London Olympics competing in six events. Spyro's first Olympic event in his still young career was the Long jump held the 4th of August. Spyro was only one of three athletes to achieve the automatic qualifying marks, and was considered the overwhelmign favroite to win the gold medal. On his first two attempts he jumped over the take-off line however on his third attempt he jumped 8.85 metres which was higher than any other competeitors personal best. Spyro jumped 8.87 metres on his third attempt, and even though his coach persauded him to skip his last jump, feeling secured Spyro had one the gold medal. On his fifth and last jump, Spyro jumped 8.89 metres. In his first Olympic event Spyro went on to win the Gold medal.

Before going against Usain Bolt in the 100 metres finals, Spyro ran the semi-final sprint in his second consecutive personal best with a time of 9.59 s. This time was only 0.01 seconds off of Bolt's world record 9.58 s. When the sprinters got set on their blocks Spyro was cleary full of nerves, as his body was shaking un-controllably, and tears streaming down his face. Spyro was so nervous he forgot to tie his cleats. In the 100 metres final Spyro had a reaction time off the blocks in 0.057 seconds which gave him a early lead. Spyro's reaction time was so fast, that Yohan Blake who was favored to finish third behind Bolt, and Spyro stopped running thinking that Spyro false started. Within the 75 metres mark Spyro for the second time in his carreer eclipsed running 30 Miles Per Hour by running 30.173 MPH/48.54 KM, and grew the margin between him and Bolt. Spyro crossed the line at 9.57 seconds a new World Record. As soon as Spyro saw his world record time, he fell to the track in tears in front of a shocked crowd full of Usain Bolt supporters. After a few moments of complete shock, a standing ovation by the Olympic Games crowd was givin to Spyro.


 * Legendary sprinter Michael Johnson who was a commentator for the London Olympics said that Spyro would upset Bolt, prior to the race. After the sprint Johnson stated "I can't believe what I just saw, truly inspiring, at only 17 years old, this is truly a moment to take in. Following the race, eighth place finisher Anaso Jobodwana of South Africa compared Spyro to a "ghost" who "disappears in front of you".

In a post-race interview Spyro stated "I said instead of waking up at 4 in the morning, I would wake up at 3 in the morning, I said instead of training until I cryed, I would train until I was near death, I was hospitalized 3 times within the last two months, but hell it was worth it." This interview being influenced by the promise Spyro made to himself after loosing to Bolt in Ostrava three months prior.

As the world record holder in the 110 metres hurdles Spyro was favored to win gold. Spyro ran a world record time finishing in 12.69s, defeating Robles the former world record holder who pulled up after 45 metres due to a hamstring cramp.

Following Spyro's 100 metres victory, President of Greece Karolos Papoulias, and Prme minister of Greece Antonis Samaras took a plane from Athens, Greece to London, UK just to watch Spyro face Usain Bolt in the 200 metres final.

The 200 metres sprint between Spyro, and Usain Bolt, watched around the world by a estimated 2 billion people was a highly anticipated event. The two athletes left a margin between themselves and the rest of the field and crossed the line in thier second photo finish of thier three races. Spyro won the sprint running 19.31 s. while Usain Bolt ran 19.32 seconds.

Following his glory in the 2012 London Olympics, Spyro became a instant national hero of Greece. Greek Olympic Committee President Spyros Kapralos proclaimed Spyro as the "Greatest Greek athlete the country has produced".

Freshman Football Season 2012-2013

After his success at the London Olympics Spyro joined the University of Texas Longhorn football team as a walk-on. Many critics were reluctant and harsh in words as if Spyro could be a genuine football player due to Spyro only having one year of high school football experience with Barnstable High School, Massachusetts a state not known for producing great football players. Spyro was primarily the special teams kick-returner for the Longhorns first four games with great success scoring 9 touchdowns and 8 blocked kicks. Spyro however was givin the starting running back position on the fifth game versus #9th ranked West Virgina. With a un-defeated regular season (12-0) Spyro led the #2nd ranked Longhorns to a dramatic victory in the 2013 BCS National Championship Game against #1 ranked Alabama Crimson Tide.

Although Spyro began the season primarily on special teams his play against #9th ranked West Virginia in which he rushed for 141 yards gaining credibility among football analyst. Against TCU Spyro broke Archie Manning's 43-year-old total offense record in just 11 games (took Manning 12 games).

In the October 13th Red River Rivalry game against Oklahoma Sooners with the score tied 59-59 and only 3 seconds left in the game and Oklahoma comfortably within field goal to win the game, Spyro blocked the field goal and ran it all the way back for a touchdown to secure a victory for the Longhorns. This victory moved the #5 Longhorns to the #4th ranked team in the AP rankings in week 8 of BCS standings.

Spyro led the # 2 Longhorns to the 2013 BCS National Championship Game against #1 ranked Alabama Crimson Tide. Spyro led the Longhorns to a bloody, dramatic victory with 441 rushing yards, and one kick-off return touchdown. With only 0:05 seconds left in the 4th quater Spyro converted a fumble by Texas quarter-back David Ash into a 55 yard touchdown which is considered the greatest play in college football history" by many.

USA Today journalist George Schroeder proclaimed the last play of the 2013 BCS National Championship Game "The greatest show case of athleticism, commitment and a sense of eccentric entertainment performed Spyro." Associated Press sports reporter also stated "The greatest 0:05 seconds in football history." In the post-game interview Alabama head coach Nick Saban (clearly still in awe about his team loosing) stated "I never seen anyone play with that much passion, that much anger, I've never seen anything like that".

Bold Opponent Names = Big 12 conference games

2013 Track Season As the newest member of the University of Texas track & field sqaud, Spyro led the Longhorns to their first NCAA Track & Field National Championship in school history.

At the Oslo Diamond League meet in Norway Usain Bolt and Spyro faced off for the first time since the 2012 Olympics. Lined up for the 200 metres Spyro's 19.75 second finish once again out-ran Bolt's time of 19.79 seconds.

Personal Life: Spyro attends the University of Texas at Austin, where he is majoring in "Ancient History and Classical Civilization". Spyro is fluent in English, Greek , and French. His favroite athlete is Russian MMA fighter Fedor Emelianenko.