Pyrros Dimas

Pyrros Dimas
MP
Member of the Hellenic Parliament
Assumed office
17 June 2012
Personal details
Born (1971-10-13) 13 October 1971
Himara, Albania
Nationality Greek
Political party Panhellenic Socialist Movement
Profession Weightlifter, Politician
Medal record
Competitor for  Greece
Men's weightlifting
Olympic Games
1992 Barcelona -82.5 kg
1996 Atlanta -83 kg
2000 Sydney -85 kg
2004 Athens -85 kg
World Championships
1993 Melbourne -83 kg
1995 Guangzhou -83 kg
1998 Lahti -85 kg
1999 Athens -85 kg
European Championships
1995 Warszawa -83 kg
1998 Riesa -85 kg
1992 Szekszard -82.5 kg
1993 Sofia -83 kg

Pyrros Dimas (Greek: Πύρρος Δήμας; pronounced [piros ðimas], born on 13 October 1971) is a retired Greek weightlifter. He is currently involved in politics, as a member of the Greek parliament, representing the Panhellenic Socialist Movement. Dimas is widely considered as one of the greatest weightlifters of all time, having been three times Olympic Gold Medalist (in his fourth Olympiad, a knee injury notwithstanding, he won the Bronze medal), and three times World Champion.

Background

Dimas was born in 1971 in Himara (Northern Epirus), southern Albania to ethnic Greek parents.[1][2]

Results representing Albania

Dimas started the sport at 11 and competed at a junior's level at 14. At 18, in 1989, he became triple Champion of Albania for the 82.5 kg category and in 1990 he repeated himself.[3] While in Albania, he was coached by Zef Kovaci.

In 1990 he was also accorded the title "Master of Sports" by the Albanian government and the title "European Master" by the European Weightlifting Federation.[3]

He was part of the Albanian weightlifting team to which he made important contributions: In 1989 in the 62nd World Championship of Weightlifting Dimas ranked 12th in the World and helped Albania rank 13th in the world.).[3]

In the 69th European Weightlifting Championship (held in Aalborg, Denmark May 1990), Dimas ranked 4th in Europe and Albania ranked 3rd (after 1st placed USSR and 2nd placed Bulgaria), and in the European Cup for nations (in Antalya, Turkey, December 1990) Dimas, Leonidas Sabanis and Fatmir Bushi helped Albania rank 2nd in Europe (after 1st placed Bulgaria).[3]

Results representing Greece

Dimas emigrated to Greece in 1991, at age 20. He acquired Greek citizenship in 1992,[3] and first competed under the Greek flag in the 1992 Summer Olympics, winning the gold medal in the 82.5 kg class.

During his third lift at the clean and jerk, he shouted "Για την Ελλάδα!" (transliterated "Gia tin Ellada!"; meaning "For Greece!"), thus dedicating his victory to Greece. This is the catchphrase with which he is most associated in Greece.

At a time when Greek success at the Olympics was limited, he and Voula Patoulidou (the surprise gold medalist at the 100m hurdles) became instant national heroes. They were greeted as such on their return to Greece at a grand ceremony attended by 60,000 people at the Panathinaikon Stadium in Athens, with a further 30,000 outside the stadium.[4] His birthplace gave rise to his nickname "The Lion of Himara". His outstanding number of Olympic Gold Medals created another nickname "Midas".

Characteristic of his self-confidence was his tendency to keep the weights lifted after the buzzer had sounded so that the crowd could take photographs.

With the 1993 and 1995 World titles under his belt, Dimas was the favorite to win Olympic Gold in the 83 kg class at the 1996 Summer Olympics, where he was the flagbearer of the Greek Olympic team. He won the event with two new World Records.

At the 2000 Summer Olympics, he won yet another gold medal, this time in the 85 kg class. This made him one of just three weightlifters at that time to have won three Olympic gold medals, the others being Naim Süleymanoğlu (Turkey, but born in Bulgaria) and Kakhi Kakhiashvili (Greece, but born in Georgia). Halil Mutlu (like Süleymanoğlu, a Bulgaria-born Turk) would become the fourth in 2004.

At the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Greece, Dimas was again chosen as Greek flagbearer for both the opening and closing ceremonies. Dimas was recovering from knee surgery and a hurt wrist and was not expected to compete in these Olympics, but he came away with a bronze medal in the 85 kg class, becoming only the fourth weightlifter in history to win a medal at four different Olympic Games and only the third to win them successively four times, thus cementing his status as a national hero in Greece.

After earning the bronze medal he signalled his retirement by leaving his shoes on the platform, while the appreciative Greek crowd gave him a standing ovation.[5]

In June 2008, Dimas became vice-president,[6] and in October 2008 president of the Hellenic Weightlifting Federation.[7]

Political activities

In 2012 Dimas entered politics as a member of PASOK.[8] He was soon polemical with Greece's policies with Northern Epirus, claiming that the Greek government has "forgotten" it.[9]

In February 17, 2014 Dimas participated in the ceremony of 100th anniversary of the declaration of Autonomy of the Republic of Northern Epirus.[10]

Personal life

Dimas is married to Anastasia Sdougkou, a former Greek National Television (ERT) sports reporter. Together they have four children, Eleni (b. 1995), Victor (b. 1998), Maria (b. 2000), and Nickolas (b. 2009).

Career bests

Notes and references

  1. ↑ Heinrichs, Ann (2002). Greece. Danbury, Conn.: Children's Press. p. 113. ISBN 9780516222714. Born in northern Epirus in 1 971, Dimas competes in the 159-pound
  2. ↑ Keridis, Dimitris (2009). Historical dictionary of modern Greece. Lanham, Md.: Scarecrow Press. p. 55. ISBN 9780810863125. Born in Himara in southern Albania to ethnic Greek parents, Pyrros Dimas is a Greek sports hero.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 Armillotta, Giovanni (April 2008). "Cili ishte shqiptari Pirro Dhima ne Shqiperi?" [Who was the Albanian Pyrros Dimas in Albania]. Albanian Football Magazine (in Albanian) X (178): 12–13. Retrieved 2010-06-11.
  4. ↑ "Godina out, Washington in discus final". The Denver Post. 30 July 1996.
  5. ↑ "Pyrros DIMAS - The most successful weightlifter". International Olympic Committee. Retrieved 2008-12-10.
  6. ↑ "Board of Directors Milestones". Hellenic Weightlifting Federation. Retrieved 2008-12-15.
  7. ↑ "Pyrros Dimas carries weight of rebuilding his sport". Kathimerini. 2008-10-13. Retrieved 2008-12-15.
  8. ↑ Panorama (24 April 2012). "Pirro Pirro Dhima deputet, ne krye te listes PASOK". Panorama.
  9. ↑ Samarxhiu, Thimi (11 June 2012). "Pirro Dhima: Greqia të mos e harrojë ‘Epirin e Veriut’". Balkanweb. Kjo zonë për shumë-shumë vite ishte e harruar nga partitë politike greke; This area was forgotten for many many years from the Greek political parties.
  10. ↑ Panorama (17 February 2014). "Athina feston 100 vjetorin e Pavaresise se Vorio Epirit, i pranishem edhe Pirro Dhima". Panorama.
  11. ↑ "Dimas Pyrros (GRE)". Database Weightlifting. Retrieved 2009-07-27.

External links

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