Greek politician and former weightlifter
Pyrros Dimas
|
|
Nationality
| Greek
|
---|
Born
| (
1971-10-13
)
13 October 1971
(age 52)
[1]
Himare
, Albania
|
---|
Height
| 173 cm (5 ft 8 in)
[1]
|
---|
Weight
| 83.15 kg (183.3 lb)
|
---|
|
Country
| Greece
|
---|
Sport
| Weightlifting
|
---|
Event
| 85 kg
|
---|
|
Personal
bests
| - Snatch: 180.5 kg (1999)
- Clean and jerk: 215 kg (2000)
- Total: 392.5 kg (1996)
|
---|
|
Pyrros Dimas
(
Greek
:
Π?ρρο? Δ?μα?
;
pronounced
[piros
ðimas]
; born 13 October 1971) is a
Greek
politician and former
weightlifter
. He is currently the technical director for
USA Weightlifting
, having taken that position in June 2017.
[2]
Dimas has also been involved in politics as a member of the
Hellenic Parliament
, representing the
Panhellenic Socialist Movement
from 2012 to 2015.
Dimas is the most decorated Greek athlete in the Olympics and is widely considered 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
. He was named the
Greek Male Athlete of the Year
, for the years 1992, 1993, 1995, and 1996.
Early years
[
edit
]
Dimas was born in 1971 in
Himara
, southern
Albania
,
[3]
to ethnic
Greek
parents.
[4]
[5]
[6]
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.
[7]
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.
[7]
Results representing Albania
[
edit
]
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.
[7]
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).
[7]
Results representing Greece
[
edit
]
During his stay in Aalborg he came in contact with representatives of the Greece national team: Giannis Sgouros and
Christos Iakovou
and he expressed great enthusiasm for a future cooperation. However, the political situation in Albania prohibited him from leaving the country.
[8]
Dimas managed to cross the Greek-Albanian border at 7 February 1991, after a several hour exhaustive trip. He then stayed in Athens.
[8]
He acquired Greek citizenship in 1992,
[7]
and first competed under the Greek flag in the
1992 Summer Olympics
, winning a gold medal in the 82.5 kg class.
During his third lift for the clean and jerk event, he shouted "Για την Ελλ?δα!" (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 Greece's success in the Olympics was limited, he and
Voula Patoulidou
, the
surprise
gold medalist in 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 in the
Panathinaikon Stadium
in Athens, with a further 30,000 outside the stadium.
[9]
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 for the
1996 Summer Olympics
, where he was the flag bearer of the Greece Olympic team. He won the event with two new World Records.
At the
2000 Summer Olympics
, he won 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 Suleymano?lu
(
Turkey
, but born in
Bulgaria
) and
Kakhi Kakhiashvili
(Greece, but born in
Georgia
).
Halil Mutlu
(like Suleymano?lu, a
Bulgaria-born Turk
) would become the fourth in 2004.
At the
2004 Summer Olympics
in Athens, Greece, Dimas was chosen as Greece flag bearer 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,
[
citation needed
]
but he came away with a bronze medal in the 85 kg class, becoming the fourth weightlifter in history to win a medal at four different Olympic Games, the third to win those four medals successively, and the only one whose four medals include 3 golds, thus cementing his status as a national hero in Greece and as an international weightlifting legend.
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.
[10]
In June 2008, Dimas became vice-president,
[11]
and in October 2008 president of the Hellenic Weightlifting Federation.
[12]
Political activities
[
edit
]
In 2012 Dimas entered politics as a member of
PASOK
.
[13]
He was soon polemical with Greece's policies with
Northern Epirus
- his place of origin- claiming that the Greek government has "forgotten" it.
[14]
Dimas has campaigned for the rights of
ethnic Greeks in Albania
, drawing attention to alleged human rights abuses (in particular alleged land grabs against the Greek community of
Himara
), while calling on the Greek government to intervene.
[15]
On 17 February 2014 Dimas participated in the ceremony of 100th anniversary of the declaration of Autonomy of the
Republic of Northern Epirus
.
[16]
Dimas propagates against what he considers to be discrimination policies of the Albanian state against the Greek community of Himara,
[17]
as well as of the rights of the Greek population of
Northern Epirotes
in general.
[18]
In an interview in 2016 he stated that "we are referring to
Pontus
,
Cyprus
, but for the first time
Northern Epirus
was heard in the Greek parliament when they saw me".
[19]
At December 2018 Dimas protested against the confiscation of properties that belong to the ethnic Greek community of Himara and called the Albanian government to avoid discrimination of this kind.
[20]
On May 15, 2023, Dimas protested against the arrest and imprisonment by the Albanian authorities of the representative of the Greek minority, Fredi Beleri, on charges of vote buying. The latter was elected mayor of Himara.
[21]
[22]
Personal life
[
edit
]
Dimas was married to Anastasia Sdougkou, a former
Hellenic Broadcasting Corporation
sports reporter. Together they had four children. His wife died of brain cancer on 14 June 2018.
[23]
Career bests
[
edit
]
Major results
[
edit
]
Year
|
Venue
|
Weight
|
Snatch (kg)
|
Clean & Jerk (kg)
|
Total
|
Rank
|
1
|
2
|
3
|
Rank
|
1
|
2
|
3
|
Rank
|
Olympic Games
|
1992
|
Barcelona
, Spain
|
82.5 kg
|
162.5
|
167.5
|
167.5
|
1
|
202.5
|
207.5
|
207.5
|
4
|
370.0
|
|
1996
|
Atlanta
, United States
|
83 kg
|
172.5
|
175.0
|
180.0
WR
|
1
|
202.5
|
207.5
|
213.0
WR
|
2
|
392.5
WR
|
|
2000
|
Sydney, Australia
|
85 kg
|
175.0
|
175.0
|
175.0
|
4
|
210.0
|
215.0
|
218.5
|
1
|
390.0
|
|
2004
|
Athens
,
Greece
|
85 kg
|
170.0
|
175
|
175.0
|
3
|
202.5
|
205.0
|
207.5
|
4
|
377.5
|
|
World Championships
|
1993
|
Melbourne
|
83 kg
|
170.0
|
175.0
|
177.5
|
|
202.5
|
202.5
|
205.0
|
4
|
377.5
|
|
1994
|
Istanbul
,
Turkey
|
83 kg
|
167.5
|
172.5
|
178.5
|
|
200.0
|
200.0
|
200.0
|
--
|
--
|
--
|
1995
|
Guangzhou
, China
|
83 kg
|
170.0
|
172.5
|
175.0
|
|
207.5
|
212.5
|
212.5
|
|
385.0
|
|
1998
|
Lahti
,
Finland
|
85 kg
|
172.5
|
178.0
|
178.0
WR
|
|
207.5
|
210.0
|
212.5
|
|
387.5
|
|
1999
|
Athens
,
Greece
|
85 kg
|
175.0
|
180.5
WR
|
182.5
|
|
207.5
|
212.5
|
212.5
|
|
387.5
|
|
European Championships
|
1992
|
Szekszard
,
Hungary
|
82.5 kg
|
165.0
|
|
|
|
202.5
|
|
|
|
367.5
|
|
1993
|
Sofia
,
Bulgaria
|
83 kg
|
170.0
|
|
|
|
200.0
|
|
|
5
|
370.0
|
|
1995
|
Warsaw
,
Poland
|
83 kg
|
177.5
|
|
|
|
210.0
|
|
|
|
387.5
|
|
1998
|
Riesa
, Germany
|
85 kg
|
167.5
|
167.5
|
172.5
|
|
200.0
|
205.0
|
210.0
|
|
377.5
|
|
2000
|
Sofia
,
Bulgaria
|
85 kg
|
167.5
|
170.0
|
170.0
|
4
|
200.0
|
205.0
|
205.0
|
7
|
370.0
|
4
|
2004
|
Kyiv
,
Ukraine
|
85 kg
|
165.0
|
170.0
|
170.0
|
6
|
200.0
|
200.0
|
205.0
|
5
|
375.0
|
5
|
See also
[
edit
]
References
[
edit
]
- ^
a
b
Evans, Hilary; Gjerde, Arild; Heijmans, Jeroen;
Mallon, Bill
; et al.
"Pirro Dhima"
.
Olympics at Sports-Reference.com
.
Sports Reference LLC
. Archived from
the original
on 17 April 2020
. Retrieved
11 June
2014
.
- ^
Ford, Bonnie D. (29 November 2017).
"Raising the Bar"
.
ESPN.com
. Retrieved
16 December
2017
.
- ^
Goodbody, John.
"100 greatest Olympic moments: Dimas has the Midas touch"
.
The Times
. Retrieved
13 September
2022
.
the Greek weightlifter Pyrros Dimas had a similar burden in Athens. ... partly because he had been born in Albania in northern Epirus,
- ^
Repanas, Antonios.
"Pyrros Dimas and the "American Dream" in Greece"
. Retrieved
19 August
2016
.
This three-time Olympic gold medal winner and one-time bronze winner came to Greece from Albania in 1991. "Personally I have never felt like a refugee. I came to my country. I did not go to another country to feel like a refugee or an immigrant. I came here with legal papers and with my entire family. I also had help from Yianni Syorou. However, there were other people from the Northern Epirus who came here illegally from the mountains and who risked their lives.
- ^
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
- ^
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.
- ^
a
b
c
d
e
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
11 June
2010
.
- ^
a
b
Κ?βουρα?, Χρ?στο? (7 February 2017).
"?ταν ο Π?ρρο? ?ρθε για να... σηκ?σει την Ελλ?δα!"
.
Onsports.gr
(in Greek)
. Retrieved
23 February
2018
.
- ^
"Godina out, Washington in discus final".
The Denver Post
. 30 July 1996.
- ^
"Pyrros DIMAS ? The most successful weightlifter"
.
International Olympic Committee
. Retrieved
10 December
2008
.
[
dead link
]
- ^
"Board of Directors Milestones"
. Hellenic Weightlifting Federation. Archived from
the original
on 20 March 2008
. Retrieved
15 December
2008
.
- ^
"Pyrros Dimas carries weight of rebuilding his sport"
.
Kathimerini
. 13 October 2008. Archived from
the original
on 12 November 2009
. Retrieved
15 December
2008
.
- ^
Panorama (24 April 2012).
"Pirro Pirro Dhima deputet, ne krye te listes PASOK"
. Panorama. Archived from
the original
on 13 April 2014.
- ^
Samarxhiu, Thimi (11 June 2012).
"Pirro Dhima: Greqia te mos e harroje 'Epirin e Veriut'
"
. Balkanweb. Archived from
the original
on 4 March 2016.
Kjo zone per shume-shume vite ishte e harruar nga partite politike greke; This area was forgotten for many many years from the Greek political parties.
- ^
"Οργ? Π?ρρου Δ?μα για την αρπαγ? των περιουσι?ν των ομογεν?ν στη Χιμ?ρα"
.
AthensVoice
(in Greek)
. Retrieved
5 October
2022
.
- ^
Panorama (17 February 2014).
"Athina feston 100 vjetorin e Pavaresise se Vorio Epirit, i pranishem edhe Pirro Dhima"
. Panorama. Archived from
the original
on 6 April 2014.
- ^
"Οργ? απ? τον Π?ρρο Δ?μα για την αρπαγ? των περιουσι?ν των ομογεν?ν στη Χειμ?ρρα"
.
ProtoThema
(in Greek). 13 December 2018
. Retrieved
30 January
2020
.
- ^
"Π?ρρο? Δ?μα?: Η αλβανικ? κυβ?ρνηση καταπατ? τα δικαι?ματα των Βορειοηπειρωτ?ν"
.
CNN.gr
(in Greek). 13 December 2018
. Retrieved
2 October
2022
.
- ^
Κατσουν?κη, Μαρ?α.
"Π?ρρο? Δ?μα?: To 2012 με προσ?γγισαν απ? τον ΣΥΡΙΖΑ μ?σω τρ?του"
.
www.kathimerini.gr
.
Αναφερ?μαστε στον Π?ντο, στην Κ?προ, για πρ?τη φορ? ακο?στηκε η Β. Ηπειρο? στην ελληνικ? βουλ? ?ταν με ε?δαν
- ^
Group), Radiotileoptiki S. A. (OPEN Digital (1 January 1980).
"Επ?θεση Π?ρρου Δ?μα σε Αλβαν?α για απαλλοτρι?σει? στη Χειμ?ρρα"
.
ΕΘΝΟΣ
(in Greek)
. Retrieved
2 October
2022
.
Εν?νω τη φων? μου με εκε?νε? των απανταχο? Βορειοηπειρωτ?ν, και καλο?με την Κυβ?ρνηση τη? Αλβαν?α? να ανακαλ?σει, ?στω την ?στατη στιγμ?, την εν λ?γω υπουργικ? απ?φαση και να αποσ?ρει το σχετικ? Νομοσχ?διο, που στην ουσ?α απαλλοτρι?νουν περιουσ?ε? που αποδεδειγμ?να, β?σει χαρτ?ν, αν?κουν σε Βορειοηπειρ?τε?.
- ^
"Greece protests arrest of mayoral candidate in Albania accused of buying votes"
.
Washington Post
. Retrieved
15 May
2023
.
The detention of a mayoral candidate belonging to the Greek minority in Albania has raised tensions between the two neighboring countries.
- ^
"Π?ρρο? Δ?μα? για ν?κη Μπελ?ρη: "Το φω? τη? αλ?θεια? ν?κησε το σκοτ?δι τη? τρομοκρατ?α?"
"
.
CNN.gr
(in Greek). 15 May 2023
. Retrieved
15 May
2023
.
- ^
Giannakidis, Kostas (14 June 2018).
"To συγκινητικ? μ?νυμα και οι ?μορφε? λεπτομ?ρειε? για την Αναστασ?α Σδο?γκου, απ? τον δημοσιογρ?φο Κ?στα Γιαννακ?δη"
.
TLIFE
(in Greek).
- ^
"Dimas Pyrros (GRE)"
. Database Weightlifting
. Retrieved
27 July
2009
.
External links
[
edit
]
|
---|
|
- 82.5 kg
(1920?1992)
- 83 kg
(1996)
- 85 kg
(2000?2016)
|
|
---|
|
- 82.5 kg
(1920?1991)
- 83 kg
(1993?1997)
- 85 kg
(1998?2017)
- 89 kg
(2018?)
|
|
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History
| |
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Society
and culture
| |
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Geography
| |
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Settlements
1
| |
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Organizations
| |
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Individuals
2
| |
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1
Includes localities with a substantial ethnic Greek population, or otherwise with any kind of cultural or other type of significance, historical or current, for the Greek minority in Albania.
2
Includes individuals not necessarily of Greek ethnicity but with important contributions to Greek civilization.
|