Μake us preferred on Google Greek police have arrested a 58-year-old weightlifting coach accused of supplying and administering banned performance-enhancing substances to athletes, including his underage son, who tested positive for an anabolic steroid during a competition. Odysseas Dimas was arrested Thursday, Nov. 12, during a police operation in Attica. Officers searched a residence and sports facilities as part of an investigation into doping in Greek weightlifting.
The weightlifting coach who has been arrested is the brother of Pyrros Dimas, the celebrated Greek weightlifter who won three Olympic gold medals and later served in Parliament as a lawmaker for the PASOK party. The charges concern Odysseas Dimas.
Coach’s Son Tested Positive for Banned Steroid
A months-long investigation conducted by the police financial crimes division, in cooperation with the Hellenic Anti-Doping Agency (EOKAN) and the National Organization for Medicines (EOF), found evidence that Dimas had been supplying and administering prohibited substances to athletes since April 2024.
Among the cases examined was that of his underage son, who also competed in weightlifting. According to investigators, Dimas administered a prohibited substance to his son during a competition. A urine sample from the young athlete tested positive for oxandrolone, an anabolic steroid included on the World Anti-Doping Agency’s list of banned substances.
The incident has resulted in a 12-year suspension for Dimas and a 10-month suspension for his son.
Police Seize 871 Illegal Pharmaceutical Products
During searches conducted in the presence of judicial authorities, police seized 871 units of illegal pharmaceutical products and doping substances, along with 15,000 euros in cash. Officers also confiscated 17 athlete registration cards, handwritten notes and a mobile phone.
According to the National Organization for Medicines, the seized pharmaceutical products are not approved for sale on the Greek market and are considered harmful to health.
Dimas faces charges under Greek legislation governing doping in amateur and professional sports, as well as provisions of the criminal code concerning harmful pharmaceutical products.
