Editing Pyrros Dimas (section)

==Results representing Greece==
During his stay in [[Aalborg]] he came in contact with representatives of the Greece national team: Giannis Sgouros and [[Christos Iakovou]] and he expressed great enthusiasm for a future cooperation. However, the political situation in Albania prohibited him from leaving the country.<ref name=Kavouras>{{cite web |last1=Κάβουρας |first1=Χρήστος |title=Όταν ο Πύρρος ήρθε για να... σηκώσει την Ελλάδα! |url=https://www.onsports.gr/afieromata/story/558137/otan-o-pyrros-irthe-stin-ellada |website=Onsports.gr |access-date=23 February 2018 |language=el |date=7 February 2017}}</ref> Dimas managed to cross the Greek-Albanian border at 7 February 1991, after a several hour exhaustive trip. He then stayed in [[Athens]].<ref name=Kavouras/> He acquired Greek citizenship in 1992,<ref name="Armillotta"/> and first competed under the Greek flag in the [[1992 Summer Olympics]], winning a gold medal in the 82.5&nbsp;kg class.

During his third lift for the clean and jerk event, he shouted "Για την Ελλάδα!" (transliterated "Gia tin Ellada!"; meaning "For Greece!"), thus dedicating his victory to Greece. This is the catchphrase with which he is most associated in Greece.

At a time when Greece's success in the Olympics was limited, he and [[Voula Patoulidou]], the [[Gail Devers|surprise]] gold medalist in the [[100 metres hurdles|100m hurdles]], became instant national heroes. They were greeted as such on their return to Greece at a grand ceremony attended by 60,000 people in the [[Panathinaiko Stadium|Panathinaikon Stadium]] in Athens, with a further 30,000 outside the stadium.<ref>{{cite news |title=Godina out, Washington in discus final |work=[[The Denver Post]] |date=30 July 1996}}</ref> His birthplace gave rise to his nickname "The Lion of Himara". His outstanding number of Olympic Gold Medals created another nickname "Midas".

Characteristic of his self-confidence was his tendency to keep the weights lifted after the buzzer had sounded so that the crowd could take photographs.

With the 1993 and 1995 World titles under his belt, Dimas was the favorite to win Olympic Gold in the 83&nbsp;kg class for the [[1996 Summer Olympics]], where he was the flag bearer of the Greece Olympic team. He won the event with two new World Records.

At the [[2000 Summer Olympics]], he won another gold medal, this time in the 85&nbsp;kg class. This made him one of just three weightlifters at that time to have won three Olympic gold medals; the others being [[Naim Süleymanoğlu]] ([[Turkey]], but born in [[Bulgaria]]) and [[Kakhi Kakhiashvili]] (Greece, but born in [[Georgia (country)|Georgia]]). [[Halil Mutlu]] (like Süleymanoğlu, a [[Turks in Bulgaria|Bulgaria-born Turk]]) would become the fourth in 2004.

At the [[2004 Summer Olympics]] in Athens, Greece, Dimas was chosen as Greece flag bearer for both the [[2004 Summer Olympics Opening Ceremony|opening]] and [[2004 Summer Olympics#Closing ceremony|closing]] ceremonies. Dimas was recovering from knee surgery and a hurt wrist and was not expected to compete in these Olympics, but he came away with a bronze medal in the 85&nbsp;kg class, becoming the fourth weightlifter in history to win a medal at four different Olympic Games, the third to win those four medals successively, and the only one whose four medals include 3 golds, thus cementing his status as a national hero in Greece and as an international weightlifting legend.

After earning the bronze medal he signalled his retirement by leaving his shoes on the platform, while the appreciative Greek crowd gave him a standing ovation.<ref name="ioc">{{cite web |url=http://www.olympics.org.uk/athletes/profiles/bio_uk.asp?par_i_id=64877 |title=Pyrros DIMAS – The most successful weightlifter |publisher=[[International Olympic Committee]] |access-date=10 December 2008}} {{Dead link|date=July 2021}}</ref>

In June 2008, Dimas became vice-president,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.weightlifting.gr/English/frames/Board02.htm |title=Board of Directors Milestones |publisher=Hellenic Weightlifting Federation |access-date=15 December 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080320080023/http://www.weightlifting.gr/English/frames/Board02.htm |archive-date=20 March 2008}}</ref> and in October 2008 president of the Hellenic Weightlifting Federation.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.ekathimerini.com/4dcgi/news/sport_1KathiLev&xml/&aspKath/sports.asp&fdate=13/10/2008 |title=Pyrros Dimas carries weight of rebuilding his sport |date=13 October 2008 |newspaper=[[Kathimerini]] |access-date=15 December 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091112131833/http://www.ekathimerini.com/4dcgi/news/sport_1KathiLev%26xml/%26aspKath/sports.asp%26fdate%3D13/10/2008 |archive-date=12 November 2009}}</ref>