Hellenic Weightlifting Federation
At the 1980 Olympic Games (Moscow), Dimitris Zarzavatsidis (heavyweight category) lifting the total weight of 347.5kg (155+192.5), and Nikos Iliadis (80kg) lifting the total weight of 345kg (150+195), came up eighth. Yannis Katsaidonis (52kg), with the total weight of 207.5kg, was tenth, like Yannis Sidiropoulos (56kg), with the total weight of 242.5kg, having upgraded the national record five times. Paulos Lespouridis (67.5kg) came up 15th with a total weight of 270kg.
At the European Championships (Belgrade), Zarzavatsidis and Sidiropoulos took 10th place. At the European Union Championships, Zarzavatsidis, with the total weight of 322.5kg, won three gold medals in the heavyweight category, while Sizopoulos, in the same category, won silver and bronze medal. Lespouridis, fixing the total weight of 280kg, won gold medal, in the 67.5kg category, and two silver medals, one in snatch and one in clean and jerk. Finally, Sidiropoulos, in the 56kg category, collected three bronze medals (105kg in snatch, 130kg in clean and jerk and 235kg in total) setting three national records.
In addition to old weightlifters, new talented athletes, such as Tsintsaris, Gerontas, Grammatikopoulos, Panagiotakis, Ilioudis, Daskalakis, who show remarkable progress, promote weightlifting in Greece. At the European Junior Championships (San Marino), Tsavahidis came up 6th in the 56kg category; Tsintsaris and Grammatikopoulos (heavyweight category), took sixth and seventh place respectively.
In 1981, at the World and European Championships (Lille), Yannis Tsintsaris (heavyweight category), with the total weight of 335kg, was sixth in Europe and eighth in the world. In the same category, Sizopoulos, fixing 330kg, came up seventh place in Europe and ninth in the world. In the 56kg category, Katsaidonis (225kg) came up seventh in Europe and eleventh in the world. In the 60kg category, Sidiropoulos (252.5kg) was eighth in Europe and 12th in the world. In the 67.5kg category, Lespouridis (287.5kg) was seventh in Europe and eighth in the world. In the 90kg category, Iliadis (350kg) came up eighth in Europe and in the world. In the heavyweight category, Zarzavatsidis (325kg) and Grammatikopoulos (325kg) were ninth in Europe and eleventh in the world and tenth in Europe and 12th in the world respectively. Greece ranked 7th in Europe and 10th in the world.
Athens hosted the European Union Championships. Iliadis won the gold medal in the 90kg category (320kg in total), Katsaidonis in the 56kg category (225kg in total), Sidiropoulos in the 60kg category (240kg) and Sizopoulos in the heavyweight category (332.5kg in total) won the silver medal. Grammatikopoulos won the bronze medal in the heavyweight category (327.5 kg in total).
At the World and European Junior Championships, (Liniano, Italy), the best Greek was Tsintsaris who took fifth place in Europe and seventh in the world. Gerontas was seventh in Europe, tenth in the world, and Tsavahidis seventh in Europe and 12th in the world.
In 1982, at the World and European Championships (Ljubljana), Lespouridis came up sixth in Europe and Zarzavatsidis eighth in the world. Sidiropoulos (9th, three national records) and Panagiotakis (10th) also participated in this event. Greece ranked ninth in Europe and thirteenth in the world.
At the European Junior Championships (Haskovo), Tsintsaris was forth in the heavyweight category, Daskalakis fifth in the 67.5kg category, Gerontas and Sarris (100kg category) seventh and ninth respectively. Finally, Sfakianakis came up eleventh in the 75kg category.
Having collected 80 points at the European Union Championships Greece took first place, followed by UK (78 points) and France (76 points). Sidiropoulos (60kg) with the total weight of 260kg, Iliadis (90kg) with the total weight of 342.5kg and Tsintsaris (heavyweight category) with the total weight of 350kg, won gold medals. Katsaidonis (56kg) with the total weight of 235kg, Lespouridis (67.5kg) with the total weight of 285kg, Grammatikopoulos (100kg) with the total weight of 342kg and Sizopoulos (heavyweight category) with the total weight of 340kg, won silver medals.
At the end of 1982, weightlifting was voted “Second Best Sport of the Year” by the Panhellenic Association of Sports Journalists (PSAT).
1983 was a year of serious injuries for the Greek weightlifting team. At the international competitions of that year, the athletes that represented Greece achieved modest results. At the World and European Championships (Moscow), Sidiropoulos was forth in Europe and ninth in the world, Gerontas was eighth in Europe and eleventh in the world, and Iliadis was seventh in Europe and eighth in the world.
At the Mediterranean Games, where Greece took first place, four athletes won gold medal: Katsaidonis (56kg) with the total weight of 235kg, Iliadis (90kg) with the total weight of 355kg, Zarzavatsidis (110kg) with the total weight of 365kg and Tsintsaris (+110kg) with the total weight of 370kg. Gerontas (100kg) won silver medal with 375,5kg and Grammatikopoulos (+110kg) bronze with 360kg.
At the European Union Championships Greece ranked second, following W. Germany. At the European Juniors Championships in San Marino, Greece ranked 10th out of 24 countries. Stavridis (82,5kg) came up 6th, Sfakianakis (75kg) 7th, Panteleakos (56kg) 8th and Daskalakis (67,5kg) 9th. At the World Juniors, Konstantinidis (67,5kg) came up 6th, Sarris (90kg) 9th, Stavridis and Daskalakis 11th.
In 1983, weightlifting was voted “Sport of the Year” by the Panhellenic Association of Sports Journalists (PSAT).
Greek weightlifters “were there” for the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles. Yannis Tsintsaris (+110kgr) came up 4th with a total of 342,5kg (162,5+185), Nikos Iliadis (90kg) 6th with 350kg (155+195) and Yannis Gerontas (110kg) 7th with 350kg (152,5+197,5). Yannis Katsaidonis (56kg), Iordanis Ilioudis (75kg), Pavlos Lespouridis (75kg), Vassilis Stavridis (82,5kg) and Giorgos Panagiotakis (100kg) competed without earning any distinction.
At the European Championships (Madrid), Panagiotakis came up 6th, Katsaidonis and Tsintsaris 7th, Grammatikopoulos and Gerontas 9th.
The European Union Championships (Bordeaux) was an easy case for Greeks. Katsaidonis and Sidiropoulos took the first place; Lespouridis, Iliadis, Panagiotakis and Grammatikopoulos came up second.
At the 1985 World Championships (Sodertalje), Tsintsaris was the only Greek who managed to reach the ninth place. At the European Championships Kelaidis (60kg) and Lespouridis (75kg) took 8th place with 215kg and 297,5kg respectively, while Gerontas (100kg) remained 10th. Greece ranked 12th in the final standings.
At the 1986 World Championships (Sofia) Zarzavatsidis took 11th place. At the European Juniors, Papoutsis (56kg) came up 8th, Drossos (60kg), Rembelis (67,5kg) and Fourtounis (82,5kg) 10th. As for Kelaidis (56kg) and Saris (90kgr), they took second and third place respectively at the European Union Championships.
In the same year, the Greek Weightlifting Federation held the first international meeting dedicated to Tofalos and Kakoussis. Sfakianakis (75kg) and Tsintsaris (+110kg) won the gold medal, Kelaidis (56kg) the silver, Ilioudis (82,5kg), Sloukas (90kg), Klothakis (100kg), Panagiotakis (110kg) and Sizopoulos (over 110kg) the bronze.
At the 1987 European Championships, Greece ranked 9th. Lespouridis (82,5kg) came up 7th, Sidiropoulos (60kg) and Sfakianakis (75kg) 8th, Saltsidis (100kg) 9th, Kelaidis (56kg) 10th, Konstantinidis (67,5kg) 11th and Stavridis 12th.
At the Mediterranean Games, Tsintsaris won two gold medals and one bronze, Lespouridis two silver, Stavridis three bronze, Sidiropoulos one silver and one bronze, Ilioudis one silver, Konstantinidis and Grammatikopoulos one bronze.
The Greek Weightlifting Federation held the 1987 European Union Championships in Athens. Konstantinidis (67,5kg) took second place; Sidiropoulos (60kg), Sfakianakis (75kgr), Lespouridis (82,5kgr) and Tsintsaris (over 110kgr) came up third.
At the European Juniors, Greece ranked 9th. Rembelis (67,5kg) came up 6th, Kiartzidis (60kg) 7th, Papoutsis (56kg) 8th, Tambakakis (110kg) and Petanidis (over 110kg) 10th.
At the 1988 Olympics in Seoul, 33 year-old Yannis Sidiropoulos (60kg) took 6th place with a total of 265kg (120+145). Christos Konstantinidis (67,5kg) and Pavlos Saltsidis (+110kg) made it to the first eight with 300kg (137,5+162,5) and 367,5kg (160+207,5) respectively. Charalambos Sfakianakis (82,5kg) was disqualified.
Athens hosted the World and European Juniors Championships. For the first time in weightlifting history, Greece ranked 5th in Europe (14th in the world). Georgiadis and Liossis came up 7th and 8th respectively in the 52kg category. Kazantzis finished 9th in the 67,5kg category. In the 110kg category, Tzambatzakis and Chatzopoulos took 9th and 10th place respectively. Petanidis and Kellis took 5th and 6th place respectively.
At the European Championships, Greece ranked 10th in the final standings. Sidiropoulos (60kg) and Konstantinidis (67,5kg) took 6th place, Grammatikopoulos (67,5kg) and Tsintsaris (over 110kg) 8th, Lespouridis (82,5kg) and Drakopoulos (100kg) 10th.
Greek athletes made a great performance at the European Union Championships, where Christos Konstantinidis (67,5kg) and Yannis Gerontas (110kg) won gold medal.
Konstantinidis lifted a total of 300kg (135+165), Gerontas 325kg (145+180). Sidiropoulos won the silver medal after lifting a total of 262,5kg (115+147,5). Panagiotis Grammatikopoulos (67,5kg) and Panagiotis Drakopoulos (100kg) came up 4th with 270kg (120+150) and 350kg (165+185) respectively. Giorgos Iliadis (75kg) and Pavlos Lespouridis (82,5kg) finished 5th with 287,5kg (127,5+160) and 330kg (145+185) respectively. Maria Christoforidou won two silver medals and one bronze at women’s World Championships; at the European Championships she won one gold and two silver medals.
The Greek Weightlifting Federation held the World and European Championships in 1989. A record number of 220 athletes out of 37 countries took part. Panagiotis Drakopoulos (110kg) took 6th place in Europe and 9th in the world with a total of 347,5kg. Konstantinidis (67,5kg) was 7th and Takos (52kg) 9th in Europe, with 297,5kg and 185kg respectively.
At women’s World and European Championships in Manchester, Greeks did not fail to leave their mark. Maria Christoforidou (60kg) took 3rd place in the world after lifting 100kg in clean & jerk. Spanou (75kg) came up 3rd in Europe with 97,5kg in clean & jerk. By lifting a total of 167,5kg she took 4th place in Europe and 7th in the world. Aktypi (over 82,5kg) came up 4th in Europe too. The best was yet to come…