Hellenic Weightlifting Federation
Greek weightlifting history can be divided in 4 periods. The first extends from 1888 Zappas Olympiad to the 1906 Mid-Olympics featuring two gold Olympic winners, Periklis Kakoussis (1904) and Dimitris Tofalos (1906). The second, from 1906 to the 50s, is the worst one given the fact that weightlifting was not given the proper attention. The third period begins with the first Greek championships in 1960 and ends at the 1988 Olympics in Seoul. The fourth period, the 90s, bears the mark of Christos Iakovou, head coach of the national team.
The last period is undoubtedly the most successful. Till then only Christos Iakovou of Panathinaikos had achieved distinction in his favorite move, press (discontinued in 1972), coming off with two medals in world championships; one gold in Lima with 162,5kg and one silver a year later in Munich with 170kg in the 82,5kg category. However, until the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona, where Pyrros Dimas’ star began to shine, Greek weightlifters showed modest performance.
Nikos Iliadis came up fourth with 340kg (150+190) in the 82,5kg category at 1976 Olympics in Montreal and sixth with 350kg (155+195) at 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles. Giannis Tsintsaris took fourth place with 347,5kg (162,5+185) in the +110kg category at the Los Angeles Olympics. Giannis Sidiropoulos came up sixth with 265kg (120+145) in the 60kg category at 1988 Olympics in Seoul.
In world championships only Nikos Iliadis, who came up fourth with 337,5kgr (152,5+185) in the 82kgr category in Stuttgart (1977), and Pavlos Lespouridis, who took sixth place with 282,5kgr (127,5+155) in the 68kgr category in Ljubljana (1982), achieved distinction.
The rise of Greek weightlifting began in Budapest on October 20, 1990, when Pavlos Saltsidis took the third place with 382,5kg in the 110kg category after winning one silver medal in snatch with 172,5kg and one bronze in clean & jerk with 210kg. Based on Saltsidis’ experience Christos Iakovou started to forge his dream team. In 1991, Pyrros Dimas, Yorgos Tzelilis, Leonidas Sabanis, Viktor Mitrou and Leonidas Kokkas left Albania for Greece, and three years later Akakios Kahiasvili came from Georgia completing a brave new team, able to beat super powers like Russia, Bulgaria and Turkey.
Pyrros Dimas won the gold medal in the 82,5kg category with 370kg (167,5+212,5) at 1992 Olympics in Barcelona. Four years later, in Atlanta, he won his second Olympic gold with 392,5kg (180+213) setting new clean & jerk world record with 213kg. But this time he was not alone; Akakios Kahiasvilis dominated the 99kg category after lifting a total of 420kgr (185+235). Valerios Leonidis, Leonidas Sabanis and Leonidas Kokkas won silver medal in their categories, while Yorgos Tzelilis, Viktor Mitrou came up forth and Pavlos Saltsidis seventh. The Greek team ranked world’s no1 and the whole nation erupted with joy. On their return to Athens, the people showered the winners with laurels and rose petals. In five world championships (1990, 1993, 1994, 1995 and 1998) Greek weightlifters won 14 gold, 16 silver and 12 bronze medals.
Greeks achieved what would seem impossible a few years ago when they earned the most medals (6 gold, 4 silver, 4 bronze) at the 1995 World Championships in Guangzhou. Three years later their dominance was clearly established at the World Championships in Lahti, Finland with 15 medals (6 gold, 4 silver, 5 bronze) and 566 points. “These amazing Greeks keep on making history in every competition they participate”, said the minister of Press at the welcome ceremony in Athens, while Christos Iakovou promised “we’ ll do better in Athens and Sydney”.
And he kept his word. At the World Championships in Athens Greece ranked once more no1 earning 20 medals (4gold, 10 silver and 6 bronze). Greek lifters excelled also at the Sydney 2000 Olympics where they took first place in men’s categories with 4 medals (Greece won 5 medals; 2 gold, 2 silver and 1 bronze). New distinctions came along with the new century; in the absence of major athletes like Dimas, Kahiasvili, Mitrou, Spyrou, Sabanis, Chatzioannou at the World Championships in Antalya, Giorgos Tzelilis and Anastasia Tsakiri earned more medals for Greece.