Pyrros Dimas

Pyrros Dimas carrying the Olympic torch

Pyrros Dimas (Albanian Pirro Dhima; Greek Πύρρος Δήμας; born October 13, 1971 in Himara, Albania ) is a retired Greek weightlifter.

Sporting career

Up to the age of 20 Dimas was successfully active for Albania, but emigrated in 1991 to Greece. The Major of the Greek army took 1992 for the first time in the Olympic Games in Barcelona and won the gold medal in the class to 82.5 kg. The seven-time World and three -time European champion could repeat his success at the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta in class to 83 kg. The third gold medal came at the 2000 Olympics in Sydney, which made him one of the most successful athletes in the history of Olympic weightlifting.

In his last Olympic Games in 2004 in his native Athens the now plagued by numerous injuries Dimas failed in his last gold medal attempt. He eventually won the bronze medal and was celebrated by the Greek audience at the last race of his career on the podium as the Olympic champion. By winning his fourth Olympic medal, he is therefore the most successful weightlifter of all times (3x gold, 1 bronze ) and, together with Ronny Weller of Germany ( 1 gold, 2 silver, 1 bronze ) the winner of the most Olympic medals in weightlifting.

Professional and political career

Since October 11, 2008 Dimas is president of the Greek weightlifting federation ΕΟΑΒ.

In April 2012 the social democratic PASOK Pyrros Dimas sat surprisingly on the top spot of their country list for the general election.

Private

Dimas is married to Anastasia Sdougkou, a former Greek sports reporter. The couple has three children, Eleni (* 1995), Victor ( * 1998) and Mary (* 2000).

Trivia

  • At the 2004 Olympic Games Dimas was the Greek flag bearer at the opening and closing ceremonies.
  • During his 202.5 kg test in Barcelona in 1992, he called just before the ejection " Για την Ελλάδα " ( transferred " Gia tin Ellada ", translates as " Greece ").
  • Dimas is a very self-confident lifter. So he held after each successful attempt the bar high for some time and looked with a keen eye to victory by the spectators.

Bests

  • Tear: 180.5 kg at the 1999 World Cup in Athens.
  • Launched: 215.0 kg at the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney.
  • Duel: 392.5 kg 1996 in Atlanta OS at the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta.
Weight class (boxing) Panhellenic Socialist Movement Charles Rigoulot Stanley Stanczyk Trofim Lomakin Tommy Kono Leif Jenssen Yurik Vardanyan Lu Yong
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