SYDNEY Golden Greek' Pyrros Dimas, fired by a tongue-lashing from his coach after a shaky start, won his third straight Olympic weightlifting gold medal on Saturday.
Dimas took the title with a Herculean lift of 215kg in the clean and jerk and beat Germany's Marc Huster, also second at the Atlanta Games four years ago, and George Asanidze of Georgia on lower body weight after all three lifters totaled 390kgs.
The 29-year-old Dimas sent the flag-waving Greek supporters into raptures with his winning lift and he acknowledged them with a huge smile and a one finger victory salute, AFP reported.
He returned to the stage for a world record attempt of 218.5kg but, with his golden mission already successful, was not focused and failed.
He responded to chants from the crowd to come out for a curtain call and he danced with delight on the winner's podium after receiving his medal.
Dimas, dubbed the Golden Greek' despite being born in Albania, was at the center of a dramatic opening snatch discipline. The defending Olympic champion missed his first attempt at 175kg as he was timed out just as he bent to lift the bar.
Obviously ruffled, he failed in his second attempt and was manhandled by his coach on the way back to the warm up room where he verbally lambasted him. A few minutes later a more composed Dimas came to the stage and successfully hoisted 175kg, glancing right and then left in his trademark fashion with the bar still raised above his head.
Dimas was near to tears of relief as he strode off the stage.
His two failures opened the door for his rivals and world record holder at the snatch, Asanidze lifted 180kg to take a 2.5kg lead over Germany's Huster.
One of the favorites, world champion Shahin Nassirinia of Iran retired hurt after just one attempt.
Nassirinia, the surprise winner of last year's world championships, grimaced in pain while trying to snatch 175kg and grabbed his right elbow which seemed to be dislocated. He was helped from the stage by his coach and took no further part in the competition.
Dimas has been a superstar in Greece since fleeing there from Albania a decade ago. Born into the Greek ethnic minority, he switched his allegiance to the land of his father after a promising early career in weightlifting.
Back to back victories in the 1992 Barcelona and the 1996 Atlanta Games ensured sporting icon status in Greece.
Bulgaria's Georgi Gardev, ranked second in the world, was denied the opportunity to compete after his country's weightlifting squad was kicked out of the Olympics after three of their medalists tested positive for taking diuretics.