The beautiful coastal city of Batumi is currently hosting some of the most recognizable figures in the Olympic movement. The European Weightlifting Federation, under the new leadership of Astrit Hasani, has opened a new chapter, staging the 2026 European Championships from April 19 to 26 in this Black Sea resort.

The event provided an opportunity to sit down with Pyrros Dimas at the elegant Hilton Batumi, overlooking the shores of the Black Sea. As I referred to his three Olympic gold medals from Barcelona 1992 Olympics, Atlanta 1996 Olympics and Sydney 2000 Olympics, he responded with a smile, joking that I had missed one. He was right. His bronze medal at the Athens 2004 Olympics had slipped my mind, overshadowed by the brilliance of his three golds.

Dimas comes across as humble, warm and deeply committed. Approachable and quick to engage, he answered questions with sincerity and ease. Having migrated to Greece with his family at a young age, he chose weightlifting over football, a decision that would define one of the most remarkable careers in Olympic history. This interview is presented in a question-and-answer format, and aims to offer insight into the mindset and journey of a champion whose legacy continues to inspire fans around the world.

Li Ning and Pyrros Dimas

Thank you for giving Sportsin this opportunity to speak with you. I would like to know how did you win those three Olympic gold medals?

When I turned 30, I felt very sad, even more than when I turned 50, because I knew the end of my sporting career was approaching. It was the only thing I had done my entire life. All of us feel anxious and even afraid of the day when we stop competing, wondering what life will look like without sport.

When I was 13, my coach asked me to choose between weightlifting and football, because I was playing both at the time. He told me the two were not compatible. That was the moment I decided to choose weightlifting. Of course, I loved football. It is a beautiful game and very attractive for young people. But I truly wanted to become a weightlifter, and I committed myself fully to that path. I went to sleep thinking about weightlifting and woke up with it on my mind.

My coach set clear goals for me. One day, I saw a photo of Yuri Vardanyan in a magazine, the “Iron Man,” and that image stayed with me.

There was also a very difficult bureaucratic process for me to prove my Greek identity. Issues of transparency and nationality made it a long and complicated journey before I finally made it to the Barcelona 1992 Olympics.

The federation never publicly stated that I was going there to win a medal. No one really knew who I was or what I was capable of, except one journalist, a close friend of mine, Tasos Papachristou. They deliberately kept expectations low so that there would be no pressure on me.

Dimas, Talakhadze, Kakhiashivili

I remember when we arrived in Barcelona, two reporters from ERT were asking athletes about their goals. Everyone gave cautious answers, but I said, “I came here to win the Olympic gold medal.” The cameraman and the journalist looked at each other in surprise. They did not know me and saw just a 20-year-old making a bold claim.

When I won my first gold medal, everyone went to sleep, but I could not sleep at all. I kept thinking to myself, “You are 20 years old and you are an Olympic champion. This is incredible.”

In the Olympic Village in Barcelona, there were several bridges. I went and sat on one of them, took a chair, sat next to a refrigerator, and stayed there until 5 in the morning eating ice cream. I had 36 ice creams that night.

I know that for the Greek people you are more than a national hero. What does Greece mean to you?

To be honest, I have travelled all over the world. I have been to Hawaii, Tokyo and China. They are beautiful places, with remarkable civilizations and immense history. But nowhere in the world, believe me, nowhere compares to this. I can make that comparison with certainty. I feel the warmth of the people, I feel that international spirit, the love of people.

I feel I belong to the world, but I would not change Greece for anything. I have been everywhere, Fiji, the Dominican Republic, Goa, and many other corners of the world. I have also been to Rio, in Brazil. But there is nothing like Greece. Truly, there is no place like Greece. Travelling is wonderful. Seeing the world and meeting different people is enriching, but in the end, nowhere feels like Greece.

Batumi 2026

Pyrros, not many athletes have achieved what you have in the Olympic Games. How do you plan to give back to weightlifting?

I am currently an elected member of the Executive Board of the International Federation and I serve as President of the Innovation Commission. In this role, we are working to make competitions more dynamic and engaging, while reducing the two-minute pauses that often interrupt the flow. The aim is to improve the overall rhythm so that spectators remain fully involved.

Weightlifting is not naturally as fast-paced as events like the 100m or 400m. However, we are trying to bring it closer to that level of intensity. Our focus is on increasing the pace of competition and reducing waiting times during athletes’ transitions. This requires adjustments to both the structure and the delivery of the events.

I have submitted a proposal which I hope will be approved at the upcoming Executive Board meeting in Cairo. At the end of August, we plan to present this concept in Lausanne in the presence of the President of the International Olympic Committee and IOC members. The presentation is scheduled for 27 August in a large, fully equipped venue that we have already visited and assessed as suitable for this format.

The proposed format includes 32 athletes, with 16 women and 16 men competing head-to-head. We are developing a new structure designed to be faster and more engaging for audiences. I presented this concept to IWF President Mohammed Jalood, who expressed his support. Since then, we have held several meetings with the technical committees via Zoom to further develop the format.

Our objective is to introduce a model that strengthens the position of weightlifting within the Olympic programme. If not for Los Angeles, we are targeting Brisbane. The long-term vision is to establish this as a one-day competition format and position it for inclusion in future Olympic Games.

How about the European Weightlifting Federation?

President Hasani is the new president of the European Federation. He is at the beginning of his journey, but so far he has shown very strong performance. He is willing to cooperate with everyone. He has his own executive board within the EWF, which is different from the International Federation’s board.

However, we are all sitting at the same table, moving in the same direction, and working together for the development of weightlifting.

We need to further develop weightlifting, and of course President Hasani has the future ahead of him to play an even more significant role in advancing our sport.