The start of the 2024 Youth and U15 European Weightlifting Championships for boys and girls was officially announced on saturday night, the 15 of July 2024, at the “Alexandrio Melathros” Sports Complex in Thessaloniki by the EWF President Antonio Conflitti, who welcomed all the athletes and delegations: “I want to wish good luck to all the participants in these great championships that are taking place just before the Olympics, in the country where the Olympics were born. And you Greeks have here the most iconic weightlifting athlete, Pyrros Dimas.”
The start of the 2024 Youth and U15 European Weightlifting Championships for boys and girls was officially announced on saturday night, the 15 of July 2024, at the “Alexandrio Melathros” Sports Complex in Thessaloniki by the EWF President Antonio Conflitti, who welcomed all the athletes and delegations:
“I want to wish good luck to all the participants in these great championships that are taking place just before the Olympics, in the country where the Olympics were born. And you Greeks have here the most iconic weightlifting athlete, Pyrros Dimas.”
Afterwards, Mr. Conflitti and the EWF General Secretary, Dr. Milan Mihajlovic honored Pyrros Dimas with the EWF “Golden Collar”, while a special honorary award was also given to the President of the Hellenic Weightlifting Federation, Ms. Theano Zagliveris. Also awarde were the Member of Parliament Stavros Kalafatis, the Deputy Governor Christos Mitas, the Deputy Mayor Kyriaki Giannakidou, the President of the Thessalonikis Athletic Center Kostas Violitzis, the representative of the Metropolitan of Thessaloniki Filotheos, the Olympian Pavlos Saltsidis and the doctor of the Hellenic Weightlifting Federation and IWF Medical Committee Member, Christos Tsikouris.
The President of the Hellenic Weightlifting Federation, Theano Zagliveri, in her greeting said: “On behalf of the entire Federation, I welcome you with great joy and honor to the European Weightlifting Championship in the emblematic “Alexandrio Melathros”. The heart of weightlifting beats here and Europe’s best young athletes will compete in a spirit of solidarity and fair play. I am sure that we will record excellent competion sessions that will contribute to the legacy of the sport and I want to thank the Mayor of Thessaloniki Stelios Angeloudis, Voula Patoulidou, Deputy Mayor Kyriaki Giannakidou and the President of the Sports Association of Greece Costas Violitzis who are always by our side.”
The President of the Hellenic Weightlifting Federation, Theano Zagliveri, in her greeting said: “On behalf of the entire Federation, I welcome you with great joy and honor to the European Weightlifting Championship in the emblematic “Alexandrio Melathros”.
The heart of weightlifting beats here and Europe’s best young athletes will compete in a spirit of solidarity and fair play. I am sure that we will record excellent competion sessions that will contribute to the legacy of the sport and I want to thank the Mayor of Thessaloniki Stelios Angeloudis, Voula Patoulidou, Deputy Mayor Kyriaki Giannakidou and the President of the Sports Association of Greece Costas Violitzis who are always by our side.”
The Olympian and General Secretary of HWF Pyrros Dimas emphasized: “I want to thank you for coming to the largest European Youth’s Championships that has ever taken place in history. The entire weightlifting family is here and I want to thank them for being by my side in both the easy and the hard times. I would also like to thank the Deputy Minister of Sports Yannis Vroutsis, the Region of Central Macedonia, the Municipality of Thessaloniki, the President and Secretary General of the European Weightlifting Federation, Antonio Confilitti and Milan Mihajlovic for their support and perfect cooperation, the mega sponsor ELEIKO and all the other partners. Good luck to all the athletes, to these young athletes who represent the future of weightlifting.”
The Philharmonic Orchestra of the Municipality of Thessaloniki played the National Anthem while there was a demonstration of traditional dances from the Greek High School.
On the occasion of the Opening Ceremony, the official and traditional presentation of the 39
participating countries of the more than 400 athletes attending the event took place and there was also an ample moment of exchanging trophies and distinctions.
The Opening Ceremony was also attended by athletes, coaches, delegates and weightlifting fans but also by well know Greek athletes, among them the Olympic champion Tasoula Kelesidou.