SEGAS' internal discussions on the possible contribution of foreign coaches to the progress of Greek athletics focused in the 30's on finding a coach for the national team. There were many discussions both as to the nationality of the coach and the school that he would represent. The Technical Committee on Athletics had decided that Germans, Swedes or Hungarians were to be preferred as SEGAS had decided that the coach was to be a European. Seeing that its proposals were not handled with proper gravity, the Technical Committee suggested that the decision be postponed until the possibility of hiring a British or American coach could be looked into. The President, I. Ketseas, with the decisiveness that he was famous for, felt that the decision had to be taken soon so that there would be time to prepare the athletes properly. The most suitable candidate was deemed to be the Hungarian Otto Simicek and he took office in the autumn of 1930.

Otto Simicek with athletes E. Moiropoulos and S. Vamvakas

In the next Olympic Games, held in Los Angeles in 1932, Greece took part with ten athletes, four of which were Greeks from abroad. Otto Simicek accompanied the team at his own expense as the budget did not provide for “trifles”! The athletes' performance was satisfactory and, despite the opposition of the Hellenic Olympic Committee, SEGAS was proved right in including the wrestler G. Zervinis in the team when he won 4^th and 5^th places in his events.

G. Zervinis's match with the Briton, J. Ried.

Following the Los Angeles Olympic Games, SEGAS began to get involved in planning for Mediterranean Games. Its most important problem was financial. The deepening financial crisis meant that SEGAS did not have the funds necessary to send a team to the 1935 Balkan Games that were to be held in Constantinople. At the last minute, the Municipality of Athens undertook to defray a large part of the cost and Greece managed to attend the Games.

In the Olympic Games of Berlin in 1936, the Greek team numbered 58. Despite the fact that the athletes' training had improved, they were unable to compete with the Germans and the Americans who monopolised the gold medals. In spite of the fact that Greece was not in a position to go after medals, the performance of the Greek athletes was very satisfactory.

The entrance of the Greek team into the Berlin Stadium (1936)

The course of Greek athletics was rudely interrupted by WW II. Athletes and officials were called to fight in the Greek army and the losses were great. The entry of German forces into Greece put a stop to everything. Sport venues were commandeered, equipment was destroyed or stolen and stadiums were turned into army camps; all this did not bode well for the future development of athletics.