History the WeightLifting
In 1970, two more categories were added: 52kg and 110kg. The greatest lifters of that period were: Zikas, Stefanoudakis, Spyrou, Iakovou, Michailidis, S. Tsoukas, Kanaris, Athanasiadis, Iliadis and Tsikrikonis. At the National Championships, HANTH came up first, followed by Olympiakos and Iraklis Thessaloniki. The only international competition of that year was the one between Greece and Israel, which ended in a dead heat. At the Balkan Games in Turkey, Greece chose not to participate due to epidemic problems that the home country faced.
In 1971, Greece showed an excellent international performance.
Coached by Yiorgos Saniotis, Chr. Iakovou won the gold medal at the World Championships in Lima of Peru, pressing with both hands 162.5kg in the 82.5kg category. He was fifth in total. At Sofia European Championships, Chr. Iakovou came up forth in the 82.5kg category, Stefanoudakis seventh in the 67.5kg category and Spyrou eighth in the 75kg category. At the Mediterranean Championships, Iakovou won the gold medal, while S. Tsoukas and P. Spyrou the bronze. At the National Championships, HANTH came up first, followed by Panathinaikos and Olympiakos. At the National Junior Championships, once again HANTH took first place, followed by Atlas and Milon.
In 1972, at the Munich Olympic Games, Chr. Iakovou came up fifth in total; he also took second place in press with both hands at the World Championships. Iliadis was 11th, Spyrou 12th and Stefanoudakis 18th. At the European Championships of the same year, Chr. Iakovou came up sixth. At this point, two significant events are worth mentioning. After the Olympic Games, the International Weightlifting Federation decided to abolish press with both hands. Clean and jerk, and snatch were the remaining lifts. National Men and Junior Championships were not carried out.
In 1973, the permanent pre-national team was created; they trained in a modern gym at Karaiskakis Stadium. At the National Junior Championships, new talents emerged: Lespouridis, Tatsis, Galiatsatos, Klouvidakis, Tsamardinos, Zarzavatsidis and Sizopoulos.
At the World Championships (Havana), Greece took 16th place out of 42 countries. Stefanoudakis (67.5kg) and Iliadis (82.5kg) came up fifth in snatch, while Iakovou (82.5kg) and Spyrou (75kg) took 9th and 10th place in total respectively.
At the European Championships (Madrid), Stefanoudakis (67.5kg) took seventh place in total. In 1974, Greece did not participate in the World Championships because most of the athletes had joined the army. At the European Championships, Iliadis (82.5kg) took eighth place, smashing the national record by lifting the total weight of 315kg (140+175).
In 1975, the European Weightlifting Federation honored Christos Iakovou by inviting him to become a member of the Mixed European Team in two competitions (USA and Canada).
At the World and European Championships (Munich), Yannis Katsaidonis (52kg) broke the Junior European record in snatch, taking seventh place in Europe and tenth in the world. Christos Iakovou (90kg) was seventh both in Europe and in the world. Other competitors were Galiatsos in the 75kg category (11th), Stefanoudakis in the 67.5kg category (13th and 18th).
At the Mediterranean Championships (Alger), Stefanoudakis (67.5kg) and Iakovou (90kg) won the gold medal and Athanasiadis (52kg) the bronze, while Spyrou (90kg) and Zarzavatidis (110kg) came up forth and Galiatsatos (75kg) sixth.
Only Nikos Iliadis (HANTH) received international recognition at the Montreal Olympic Games (1976), after taking forth place in the 82.5kg category. Few months later, he was voted ‘’Best Athlete of the Year’’ by the Panhellenic Association of Sports Journalists (PSAT), a distinction that had been given, in 1976, to Christos Iakovou, as well.
At the European Championships (Eastern Berlin), Christos Iakovou (90kg) took sixth place after lifting a total of 345kg. Other participants were Athanasiadis (9th), Iliadis (10th). At the World and European Junior Championships, six Greek athletes participated. At the European Championships (Gdansk), Barbounakis (52kg), Katsaidonis (56kg) and Sizopoulos (100kg) came up sixth and Tselepis (90kg) seventh. At the World Championships, Zarzavatsidis (110kg) was fifth and Sizopoulos sixth. Greece ranked 8th in Europe and 9th in the world.
In 1977, at the World and European Championships (Sofia), Katsaidonis (56kg) took third place in Europe and fifth in the world, after lifting the total weight of 222.5kg (100+122.5), while Alekos Sizopoulos (100kg) came up forth place in Europe and fifth in the world, after lifting the total weight of 287.5kg (130+157.5).
At the World and European Championships (Stuttgart), Nikos Iliadis lifted a total weight of 337.5kg (152.5+185) losing third place in Europe due to body weight. Christos Iakovou (90kg) was fifth in Europe and sixth in the world, lifting 155kg in snatch but he was disqualified in clean and jerk. Yannis Katsaidonis (56kg) came up seventh in Europe and 12th in the world after lifting the total weight of 227.5kg (100+127.5).
In Greece, weightlifting begins to prosper in the province. Several sports clubs, such as Kidon Hania, Filippos Veroia, and A.O. Serres, show remarkable growth.
In 1977, Nikos Iliadis was once again named ‘’Best Athlete of the Year’’ by the Panhellenic Association of Sports Journalists (PSAT).
In 1978, the Hellenic Weightlifting Federation held the World and European Junior Championships. However, this event did not take place in Thessaloniki, as it was scheduled, but in Athens, due to the earthquake that hit the second largest city of Greece. Greece ranked 8th in Europe and 21st in the world. Nikos Iliadis (90kg) did not compete neither at the European (Haverof) nor the World Championships (Gettysburg, USA).
In 1979, the World Championship were held in Thessaloniki. 189 athletes out of 39 countries participated. Dimitris Zarzavatidis made an excellent performance, taking eighth place in the heavyweight category (350kg in total). Lespouridis and Panagiotopoulos came up 11th, Sidiropoulos 16th, Apostolakis 17th, while Amaxopoulos was eliminated in clean and jerk.
At the European Championships (Varna), Christos Iakovou (100kg) was fifth in clean and jerk (165kg), as well as in total (367.5kg) and sixth in snatch (202.5kg). Katsaidonis (56kg) came up seventh, Sidiropoulos (56kg) eighth and Zarzavatsidis ninth. At the Mediterranean Championships (Split), Yannis Katsaidonis (52kg) fixing 212.5kg and Christos Iakovou (100kg) fixing 342.5kg, won gold medal, while Paulos Lespouridis (67.5kg) fixing 275kg, settled for bronze.