Gunmen
opened fire in a busy mall in the German city of Munich on Friday
evening, killing at least eight people and sending shoppers running for
their lives in the third attack against civilians in Western Europe in
eight days.Authorities told
the public to get off the streets as the city - Germany's third biggest
- went into lockdown with transport halted and highways sealed off.
A
police spokesman said up to three gunmen were on the run after the
initial shooting. The Bavarian capital was placed under a state of
emergency as police hunted for them and special forces deployed in the
city.
"We
are telling the people of Munich there are shooters on the run who are
dangerous," he said. "We are urging people to stay indoors."
Police
said eight people had been killed and an undetermined number wounded. A
ninth body had also been found about 1 km (0.6 miles) from the scene
and they were checking to see it was one of the gunmen.
Munich newspaper TZ said one of the shooters was dead. German news magazine Focus said a gunman had shot himself in the head.
At the height of the incident, people in the Olympia shopping center either fled or sought to hide.
"Many shots were fired, I can't say how many but it's been a lot," said a shop worker hiding in a store room inside the mall.
It
was the third major act of violence against civilians in Western Europe
in eight days. Previous attacks in France and Germany were claimed by
the Islamic State militant group.
A
police spokesman said there was no immediate indication that it was an
Islamist attack but it was being treated as a terrorist incident.
Friday
is also the fifth anniversary of the massacre by Anders Behring Breivik
in Norway in which he killed 77 people. Breivik is a hero for far-right
militants in Europe and America.
German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier said the motive for the attack was not yet clear.
Albania must pass anti-corruption reforms of its
judiciary on Thursday (21 July) or sacrifice its hopes of starting
negotiations to join the EU, MEPs warned today (19 July).
The Thursday deadline is the last possible one, Johannes Hahn, the
Commissioner responsible for EU’s neighbourhood policy and enlargement,
told MEPs.
He spoke in a hastily organised session of the Parliament foreign
affairs committee, which also discussed the aftermath of the foiled
Turkish coup.
“We want to make sure that the legislation has teeth,” Hahn said. He
added that the EU institutions also needed time to monitor how the
reform worked.
It is widely assumed that if Albania passes the test, the December EU summit could decide to launch accession talks.
Albania obtained the status of EU candidate country in June 2014. The
next step of its path toward EU accession is starting accession
negotiations.
The country has disappointed its EU partners with its protracted
in-fighting between government and opposition. That has resulted in an
inability to pass legislation and encouraged to corruption and organised
crime.
The Albanian mafia is, according to various reports, becoming a major
threat to the EU. Statements in favour of a ‘Greater Albania’ are also
hardly conducive to the country’s rapprochement with the EU.
Belgrade was upset. Left out of Europe, an isolated
Albania had threatened to unify with Kosovo, and awaken conflicts in the
Balkans, Prime Minister Edi Rama had said.
Attempt to create a protectorate?
EU and US diplomats have been seeking to convince MPs from the
opposition Democratic Party to back the proposed legislation, which is
aimed at reducing corrosive political influence on the judiciary.
An important element of the proposed legislation is that candidates
for judges and prosecutors would be vetted by an international committee
of EU and US officials.
A majority of 94 out of 140 MPs’ votes is necessary to pass the
reform, meaning that the vote of the Democratic Party is absolutely
needed.
The compromise proposal was delivered by US Assistant Secretary of
State Victoria Nuland, who visited Tirana this week as diplomatic
pressure on Albania escalated.
The Democratic Party has objected to the idea, arguing that it compromises Albania’s sovereignty.
Hahn said that arguement had come as a surprise. He repeated that
Thursday was the last possible deadline for passing the legislation,
adding that if there were no decision, there was the possibility of
holding a referendum. Reportedly, 90% of the population is in favour of a
comprehensive judicial reform.
Slovenian MEPs were particularly vocal in the debate.
MEP Ivo Vaigl (Slovenia, ALDE), said that Albanians should realise
how difficult EU enlargement has become, and that they should do their
utmost to catch “the last train” on Thursday.
Aloiz Peterle (Slovenia, EPP), argued that the EU had a “political
problem” with Albania, because the push for adopting the legislation was
interpreted as an attempt to create a protectorate.
Tanja Fajon (S&D, Slovenia), said as long as the main Albanian
negotiators were not assured of their “immunity, when it comes to life,
family and power base, in that order”, it would be “extremely difficult”
to achieve judicial reform.
Elmar Brok, the chair of the foreign affairs committee, said there
would be “telephone conversations in the next hours” with Albanian
politicians, to convey the message of the European parliament.
Hahn said the judicial reform in Albania had the potential to be an example for other countries in the region.
Serbia and Montenegro have already started accession talks, but
Macedonia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Kosovo are lagging behind Albania
in their EU accession process.
More than a dozen Turkish navy ships are reportedly still at sea and remain unaccounted for following the botched military coup.
The commander of the Turkish navy Admiral Veysel Kosele also remains missing, having been out of contact since Friday evening.
It
is unclear if he was part of the coup attempt or if he is being held
against his will after local media reports said he was tricked into
boarding one of the missing ships after being told there was a terrorist
attack.
+4
More than a dozen Turkish navy ships
are reportedly still at sea and remain unaccounted for following the
botched military coup (file picture)
According to the Times, the 14 missing ships were on active duty in either the Aegean or Black Sea on Friday.
They have failed to return to their ports even though they are likely to be traceable through radar on satellite.
It has prompted speculation that the ships may be on their way to Greek ports where the sailors will attempt to seek asylum.
The
Turkish government refused to comment on the but told the newspaper:
'We assess that there are sleeper cells that might try to hijack
helicopters or engage in other violent acts against peaceful
demonstrators and government buildings.'
Meanwhile
eight other military personnel who flew a helicopter to Greece amid the
coup have tried to claim asylum in the country.
Today they will appear before immigration authorities for interviews on their applications.
+4
Eight other military personnel who
flew a helicopter to Greece amid the coup have tried to claim asylum in
the country. One is pictured being led into a court in the Greek city of
Alexandroupolis
The eight were being interviewed today near the north-eastern city of Alexandroupolis.
One
of their lawyers has said they deny involvement in Friday's attempted
coup in Turkey, saying the helicopter had been used to transport wounded
and had come under fire from police, at which point they fled fearing
for their lives.
Turkey
is seeking their return and Greece has said their asylum applications
must be examined under international law, but the fact that they are
accused of participating in a coup would be taken into account.
The eight face trial on Thursday for illegal entry into Greece.
Meanwhile
the former Turkish air force chief Akin Ozturk has confessed to
prosecutors his role in plotting the coup that attempted to topple the
government over the weekend, the state-run Anadolu Agency reports.
General Ozturk was quoted as having told interrogators that he 'acted with intention to stage a coup'.
+4
Former Turkish air force chief Akin
Ozturk, centre, has confessed to prosecutors his role in plotting the
coup that attempted to topple the government
+4
General Ozturk was quoted as having told interrogators that he 'acted with intention to stage a coup'
Earlier
today officials accused of masterminding the uprising, including
Ozturk, were paraded on camera with their hands bound and ordered to
give their name and rank before being taken to be interrogated.
Photographs appeared to show several injuries to Gen Ozturk's head and upper body.
More
than 200 people were killed after a faction in the military launched
the coup attempt on Friday night, sealing off a bridge across the
Bosphorus, trying to capture Istanbul's main airport and sending tanks
to parliament in Ankara.
General Ozturk had earlier denied any involvement in the coup attempt and insisted he worked to stop it.
Turkish
president Tayyip Erdogan faced down the coup bid late on Friday by
elements in the military disgruntled with his 13-year rule.
However,
a a US-based Turkish cleric accused of plotting the coup to overthrow
the Ankara government has said President Erdogan staged the rebellion
himself to justify a major clampdown on opposition forces.
Turkish
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has indicated that there could be a link
between the pilots who shot down a Russian jet last November and the
Gulen movement, blamed for last week's failed coup attempt, and
suggested that foreign countries may have been involved in the attempt,
as well.
"Two
pilots who downed a Russian plane have been detained in connection
with the coup attempt. They could have links to Gulen organizatoin,
but we do not have clear evidence at this point, it will be established
by the court," Erdogan said in an interview with Al Jazeera.
Erdogan also suggested that there may have been foreign countries
involved in the coup attempt that left nearly 300 people and hundreds
more injured.
"Other states could be behind this coup attempt. Gulenists have a
'supreme intelligence,' which could have plotted all this. The time will
come for all these links to be revealed."
The Gulen movement is led by religious and political figure Fethullah
Gulen, currently living in exile in Pennsylvania. The Turkish
government has accused him of being behind the failed coup attempt and
filed a formal extradition request with the US government. Turkey is
awaiting a decision.
While Ankara seeks to detain Gulen, Erdogan suggested that there is "another superior mind" above the Gulen movement leader.
As the Turkish government cracks down on those suspected of being
involved in last week's events, Erdogan has suggested that he will
approve the death penalty for mutineers if parliament approves. He also
stressed that the European Union must respect Turkey's wishes if capital
punishment is reinstated.
"I believe that this decision is up to the
people. If the people say this must be done, any country that believes
in democracy must respect this decision," Erdogan said. "We have been
knocking on the EU door for the past 53 years. They have made us wait
for 53 years. Many countries who came after us are already in."
On press liberties, Erdogan said he has never been anti-media,
but does not believe freedom of expression should be used as a weapon.
On Monday, a Turkish official speaking on condition of anonymity told
Bloomberg News that the pilots responsible for shooting down the
Russian jet had been arrested.
Speaking to Sputnik
on Wednesday, Dursun Cicek of Turkey's Republican People's Party warned
against drawing a connection between the the downing of the Su-24 and
last week's coup, since the pilots could not have acted without higher
orders.
"Therefore the pilot could not shoot without obtaining the relevant
permission. Could the pilot decide all by himself? Yes, he could, but in
any case, the shot was fired in line with the established legal norms,"
he said. "I think that is not right to link this incident with the coup
attempt."
The Russian Su-24 was shot down while flying through Syrian airspace
near the Turkish border on November 24. Following the incident, Russia
imposed a number of restrictive measures on Turkey and has repeatedly
said that Ankara should apologize for downing the plane and cover the
cost of any associated material losses to the country and the pilot's
family.
Erdogan send a letter of apology to Russian President Vladimir Putin late last month.
With
the beginning of the heating season, the People's Republics proclaimed
in Donbass will be in a much better position than Ukraine where the
population is faceing a sharp increase in tariffs. Since prices have not
risen in the LDPR, this model may be attractive to other Ukrainian
regions.
It was stated by Alexander Dubinsky, the host of
oligarch Igor Kolomoisky's TV channel "1 + 1", on his page in the social
network.
'A few facts about the "reintegration"
of Donbass. Or rather, why it will never happen. Tariffs for utility
services for a standard 2-room apartment (with heating) are about 700
rubles per month, or $12. In Ukraine, they are about three times higher.
Tariffs for gas for households are roughly about 2.5 UAH per cubic meter. In Ukraine, they are about three times higher.
So, never. Another process is much
more probable. Namely, other regions joining Donbas. Look at all the
screens of the country from the beginning of the heating season,'
predicts Dubinsky.
Την ένωση της Βόρειας Ηπείρου με τον εθνικό «κορμό» της Ελλάδας προέβλεψε ο Μητροπολίτης Κονίτσης Ανδρέας,
σε δήλωσή του μετά τις προκλητικές δηλώσεις του Αλβανού πρωθυπουργού
Ε.Ράμα ο οποίος με μεγάλο θράσος είπε ότι οι ελληνοαλβανικές σχέσεις
είναι πολύ κακές με ευθύνη της Ελλάδας.
Ο Μητροπολίτης του υπενθύμισε ότι «όχι μόνο δεν σέβεται τα
στοιχειώδη ανθρώπινα δικαιώματα των Ελλήνων της Βορείου Ηπείρου, αλλά
απροκάλυπτα και προκλητικά αρπάζει τις περιουσίες τους και απεργάζεται
τον αφελληνισμό της Χειμάρρας»
Συν τοις άλλοις ο Αλβανός πρωθυπουργός προχώρησε στην ψήφιση ενός
φωτογραφικού νόμου κατά των Βορειοηπειρωτών με βάση τον οποίο όσοι
Αλβανοί υπήκοοι δεν μένουν μόνιμα στην Αλβανία, διαγράφονται από τους
εκλογικούς καταλόγους
Aκολουθεί η δήλωση του Μητροπολίτη Δρυϊνουπόλεως, Πωγωνιανής και Κονίτσης κ. Ανδρέα:
«Εκδήλωση μισελληνισμού και αχαριστίας συνιστούν οι δηλώσεις
του πρωθυπουργού της Αλβανίας Έντι Ράμα. Οι δηλώσεις του δημοσιεύθηκαν,
εν περιλήψει, στην ημερήσια αθηναϊκή Εφημερίδα «ΕΣΤΙΑ», το
ΣαββατοΚύριακο 16-17.7.2016 και έχουν ως εξής:
«Νέα επίθεση κατά της Ελλάδος εξαπέλυσε ο Αλβανός Πρωθυπουργός,
Έντι Ράμα, χαρακτηρίζοντας τις ελληνοαλβανικές σχέσεις τις πλέον
προβληματικές των Τιράνων με τις γείτονες χώρες. Μιλώντας σε πρέσβεις, ο
κ. Ράμα επέρριψε στην Ελλάδα την πλήρη ευθύνη για την συσσώρευση τόσο
πολλών προβλημάτων» (οι υπογραμμίσεις, δικές μας).
Αλλά αν οι Ελληνοαλβανικές σχέσεις είναι - κατά τον κ. Ράμα -
οι πιο προβληματικές για τα Τίρανα, γι’ αυτό ο μεγάλος ένοχος είναι η
Αλβανία.
Διότι όχι μόνο δεν σέβεται τα στοιχειώδη ανθρώπινα δικαιώματα
των Ελλήνων της Βορείου Ηπείρου, αλλά απροκάλυπτα και προκλητικά αρπάζει
τις περιουσίες τους και απεργάζεται τον αφελληνισμό της Χειμάρρας.
Αρνείται με πείσμα την συγκέντρωση και ταφή των οστών των
Ελλήνων ηρώων αξιωματικών και οπλιτών, όπως αρνείται, με το ίδιο επίσης
πείσμα, την δημιουργία Ελληνικού Στρατιωτικού Νεκροταφείου στην Κορυτσά.
Προπαγανδίζει αναίσχυντα την δήθεν «Μεγάλη Αλβανία», και
κυκλοφορεί χάρτες στους οποίους η Φλώρινα, η Καστοριά, τα Ιωάννινα και
ολόκληρη η Ήπειρος μέχρι την Άρτα και την Πρέβεζα «υπάγονται» στην ...
Αλβανία.
Μήπως, ακόμη, ξέχασε ο κ. Ράμα, ότι, τελευταία, η κυβέρνησή του
εψήφισε τον εξωφρενικό εκείνο νόμο, σύμφωνα με τον οποίο όσοι Αλβανοί
υπήκοοι δεν μένουν μόνιμα στην Αλβανία, διαγράφονται από τους εκλογικούς
καταλόγους ; Αλλά είναι φως - φανάρι, ότι ο πανάθλιος αυτός νόμος,
στοχεύει στους Βορειοηπειρώτες.
Υπάρχουν, βέβαια, και άλλα προβλήματα, για τα οποία
επανειλημμένως έχουμε διαμαρτυρηθή. Ας κατεβάση, λοιπόν, τον τόνο της
φωνής του ο λαλίστατος κ. Ράμα. Εμείς του λέμε ξεκάθαρα, ότι η πλήρης
«ευθύνη για την συσσώρευση τόσο πολλών προβλημάτων» ανήκει αποκλειστικά
και μόνο στην Αλβανία, για να μην αναφερθούμε στις τελευταίες
ανθελληνικές εκδηλώσεις των «Τσάμηδων» - απογόνων των εγκληματιών
εκείνων, που στα χρόνια της Κατοχής διέπραξαν ανήκουστα εγκλήματα στην
Θεσπρωτία, συνεργαζόμενοι πρώτα με τους Ιταλούς και μετά με τους
Ναζιστές Γερμανούς.
Ας αφήση, λοιπόν, στην άκρη το θράσος και την αναίδεια ο Έντι
Ράμα. Γιατί είτε το θέλει, είτε δεν το θέλει, η Βόρειος Ήπειρος, αργά η
γρήγορα, θα ενωθή με την Ελλάδα, της οποίας αποτελεί αναπόσπαστο
κομμάτι. Αλλά και ο πολιτικός κόσμος της Ελλάδος ας αναλάβη, επί τέλους,
τις ευθύνες του απέναντι στον χειμαζόμενο εισέτι Βορειοηπειρωτικό
Ελληνισμό ».
Despite
the much-discussed failure of the coup attempt in Turkey, retired
Turkish Admiral Turker Erturk told Sputnik Turkiye that it has actually
reached its point: the actual target of the attempted overthrow,
instigated by CIA, were the Turkish military, out of fear that they
would hamper the “Greater Middle East” project.
“My view is that the CIA was behind the coup,” Turker Erturk told Sputnik Turkiye.
“The major blow was delivered at the Turkish military. And the coup
attempt was a success, in a sense that certain aims pursued by some
certain forces, have been reached.”
The retired Admiral further explained that the attempt turned out to
be a failure for the supporters of the Gulen Movement, led by Turkish
opposition cleric Fethullah Gulen, but for the CIA, which was “pulling
the Gulen supporters by the strings” it was a success because the actual
purpose of the attempt was to paralyze the Turkish military, disempower
them and spoil their image.
“Why has the CIA done it?” he asked himself. He then replied:
“They wanted to hit the Turkish Armed Forces
out of fear that Turkey, especially after normalizing its relationship
with Russia, could hamper the creation of the so-called Kurdish corridor
they are trying to set up in the north of Syria. And it’s all part
of the 'Greater Middle East' project.”
Turker
Erturk explained that under this project, they don’t want the forces
which oppose the setup of hegemony in the Middle East to be present
in the region, where Turkey, Russia, Iran, Iraq and Syria are the key
nations.
Hence they try to polarize the key players
according to ethnic or religious criteria. And the high-ranking
American officials are openly saying: do what you want, but without an
attack on the Turkish military; it is impossible to implement the part
of the project which involves Turkey.
The first blow, he says, was leveled by the court trials
“Sledgehammer” and “Ergenekon.” And the recent attempt comes as the
second blow under the very same project.
Its purpose was to deliver a fatal blow to the
image and influence of the Turkish Armed Forces, who tried to hamper the
“revamping of the region in a new way.” It was a success: the Turkish
Armed Forces have been practically destroyed.
Turker Erturk claims that the "imperialist forces" did not actually
want to see Erdogan ousted. They actually wanted a coup attempt
to weaken the power of the military, factor them out of the active
ongoing processes, and liquidate the mere opportunity that Ankara would
pose a threat to projects aimed against Syria, Iraq and Russia, as well
as projects aimed at breaking down Turkey.
“This is why I am saying that the coup has
failed but the coup attempt has reached its goal,” the retired Turkish
Admiral told Sputnik.
“If
the imperialistic forces really wanted to oust Erdogan with the help
of a successful coup, why would they need Gulen supporters?” he
wondered.
“They would have set the Armed Forces leadership against him,
everything would have been done with insubordination, and the coup would
have been a 100 percent success,” he explained.
Turker Erturk thus summarized that the final objective had not been a
coup and the ouster of Erdogan, but an attempted coup which was
designed to fail, delivering a hurtful blow at the Turkish Armed Forces,
depriving them of public support and spoiling their image. It was a
success, he concluded.
Dramatic developments in Turkey reverberated across the Aegean on Monday as eight Turkish soldiers who fled to Greece as the army attempted to overthrow the government in Ankara appeared in court charged with illegally entering the country.
Two days after landing a Black Hawk helicopter in the border town of
Alexandroupoli, the military personnel, who have sought refuge in Greece, were given until Thursday to prepare for a trial that has unsettled officials in both countries.
Calling for their extradition, Turkey’s government has been quick to brand them traitors.
“They fear for their lives and do not believe they will be given a
fair trial there,” said Vasiliki Marinaki, one of three Greek lawyers
representing the men. “They insist they were not involved in the coup,”
she added, saying that the officers had been on a mission to save
wounded civilians when they decided to flee after coming under police
fire.
The eight, who had initially removed the insignia from their uniforms
but have since been identified as two colonels, four captains and two
sergeants, left court handcuffed to each other in pairs.
Marinaki said she had asked that all eight remain in detention for security reasons.
The sight of the Black Hawk not only entering Greek airspace but
requesting to make an emergency landing after issuing a May Day alert
unnerved the leftist-led Athens government and military top brass, who
immediately demanded the scrambling of F-16 fighter jets.
Though Nato allies, the two countries are also long-time regional
foes that have clashed over Cyprus and come close to war on numerous
occasions. This is the first time Turkish military personnel have
requested asylum in Greece.
The attempted coup had barely been foiled when Turkey’s president, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, called the Greek prime minister, Alexis Tsipras, to demand that the men be speedily returned.
“Politically and diplomatically it is a hot potato for Greece,” the
defence expert Thanos Dokos told the Guardian. “This is a government
that is sensitive to human rights issues but also knows that the cost of
not sending them back could be great. Ultimately much will depend on
whether the death penalty is reinstated [in Turkey].”
With officials in crisis-hit Greece also concerned about the ability
of Turkish authorities to stop new waves of migrants pouring into the
country following the coup, Athens has attempted to walk a middle line.
On Monday, the deputy defence minister, Dimitris Vitsas, insisted
that while the asylum requests had to be dealt with under international
law, Turkey had a strong argument for their extradition because the
officers were accused of participating in an attempt to overthrow a
democratically elected government.
The ex-commander of the Turkish Air Force has pleaded guilty to organizing the coup attempt, Anadolu news agency reported.
"I started to act aiming to stage a coup," Akin Ozturk said during the interrogation.
Ozturk was the commander of the Turkish Air Force from 2013 until 2015.
Earlier, Akin Ozturk, who is the leader of the military coup attempt in Turkey and the former commander of the country's air force, was detained in Turkey.
According
to Sabah newspaper, Ozturk may be linked to Turkish Islamic scholar
Fethullah Gulen staying in self-imposed exile in the United States, who
was blamed by Ankara for the attempted coup.
Late on Friday, Turkish authorities said that an attempted coup
is taking place in the country. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan
urged Turkish citizens to take to streets, stating that the coup attempt
was carried out by a small group within the military.
The coup attempt was suppressed by early Saturday, with Turkish Prime
Minister Binali Yildirim stating that all coup supporters have been
detained and the country is returning to normal life.
Some 208 people were killed and over a thousand wounded in a coup
attempt by a faction in the military on Friday. Turkish authorities have
arrested over thousands of people, including a number of high-ranking
military officials in connection with the failed coup.
UPDATE:
USA-W has just named Pyrros Dimas, the most decorated weightlifting
Olympian of all time, as technical director for USA-W. In his new role,
he will serve as both head coach to USA-W’s elite athletes as well as
work with the national coaching staff to prepare the USA for
international success. Read on to learn more about Pyrros Dimas from
what he shared during the Q and A session the USA-W Olympic trials this
past May.
The following is a guest post by Dane Miller, owner
of “Garage Strength: The World’s Fittest Strength Farm.” Dane is one of
the best up and coming weightlifting coaches in the United States, as
well as a coach for track and field and a strength coach for wrestlers.
He has developed some of the best youth lifters who have gone on to
perform well on the senior national stage, including Hayley Reichardt
who placed 2nd in the 48kg division at US Senior Nationals and Jacob
Horst, the Senior National champion at 62kg. He also is the coach for
US American record holder, Norik Vardanian, and recently coached five
athletes at the United States Olympic Trials for track and field in
Eugene, Oregon. He is the only coach in the United States to have
coached an athlete at the Olympic Trials in both weightlifting and track
and field. He also owns Earth Fed Muscle, a protein supplement company. (Use code “BarbellPress” for 5% off all products).
Pyrros Dimas
When Pyrros Dimas was a child in Greece, he would climb
trees in order to pick fruit for himself. One time he was caught
climbing aneighbor’s tree
and like any child would be, he was frightened and readied himself for a
scolding. Instead, the neighbor, who recognized his strength, suggested
he get into weightlifting.
Though he played many sports as a child, such as soccer,
Dimas soon recognized that his talent lies in weightlifting and he
decided to pursue it seriously. His intention, at the time, was simply
to improve his snatch technique.
Technical development is the most crucial aspect of
training for a young lifter. Because of this, Dimas spent his early
years (from age 7 until age 19) focused primarily on developing a
greater understanding of the movements. He followed a Russian program
focused on volume and variation in his lifts. In fact, it wasn’t until
he was 19 that he began to lift heavy weights in training. His training
intensified and rather than focusing on volume, he hit many heavy
singles in training.
As a youth lifter, he competed in the 67kg class, snatched
140, and clean and jerked 167. By 17, his body had matured and he moved
up to the 75kg class As a result, he accomplished 145kg in the snatch
and 185kg in the clean and jerk.
Perhaps the most positive influence on his training was
the addition of his training partner, Kakhi Kakhiashvili, who moved from
Georgia in the then USSR to Greece where Dimas trained. Lifters tend to
spend more time with their teammates than they often get to spend with
their wife and children. Positive relationships, thus, are essential to
the athletic development of lifters.
Around the same time, Dimas switched from primarily split
jerking to competing with the power jerk. This was never his intention,
but he had already trained the power jerk in order to develop a stronger
split jerk. His coach recognized that he was a better power jerker and
thus, he adopted this style of jerking. Suddenly, training became even
more enjoyable.
But even still, there were times when he questioned his
dedication. The road to success in this sport demands a great deal of
mundane repetition in training. There were many times when he
contemplated quitting in order to live a more “normal” lifestyle. Yet,
it was his love for competition which kept him involved in the sport.
Nothing could beat the feeling of chalking his hands and approaching the
bar in front of spectators.
One of his inspirations was Yuri Vardanian. From a young
age, he was in awe of the way Vardanian smiled as he held so much weight
overhead. The strength and control that Vardanian exhibited during
competition was both fascinating and inspiring. Thus, as Dimas grew in
the sport, he drew upon the same Vardanian-like theatrics in order to
intimidate his opposition.
Looking back, he reflected upon the importance of his
relationship with his coach. Though at times he enjoyed irritating his
coach with his attempts to gain more control over his own training
regimen, he always respected his coach and allowed him the final say
regarding both training and competitions.
Clearly his coach made effective decisions because Dimas
had incredible numbers in training. At a bodyweight of 92kg, he was able
to front squat 292kg and back squat 325kg. However, in hindsight, he
wishes he hadn’t trained with such heavy squats as he would have
preferred to have spent more time improving his technique in the lifts
instead. Even still, his best snatch in training was 190kg with straps
and his best clean and jerk was 220kg. His best clean was 225kg.
Of course, it is not his training numbers, but rather his
impressive accomplishments on the Olympic platform that made Pyrros
Dimas a legend. When competing, he always cut to an 83 (which was a
weight class of the time). To cut, he would change his eating habits a
few weeks out from competition so that he would be able to lose 5-6
kilos but still feel strong. He liked to eat a small bowl of rice and
chicken with a little bit of gravy and salt leading up to a competition.
While cutting, he drank water with vitamin C to maintain his energy
levels and ate bananas to prevent cramping.
Once competition day arrived, he followed a very specific
routine in order to ensure that he did his best. Leading up to a meet,
he would wait to shave his face until the competition day arrived. Also,
he would bring his bag of “lucky charms.” Among his “lucky charms” was
an article of his daughters’ clothing which reminded him of why he was
competing.
In order to focus, he did not talk to anyone on the day of
competition, but instead, spent his time visualizing his success. He
imagined all of his lifts and the feeling of being successful after each
attempt. To Dimas, this routine was just as important as the training
that led up to competition, and he stressed that every competitor should
have their own way of preparing.
His preparation was effective as he won three Olympic golds and three World Championships. His loss to Shahin Nassirinaat
the 1999 World Championship was not for lack of preparation, but rather
because he was battling a shoulder injury that required him to fly to
New York City in search of the best medical care available. Even with
such an injury, he took second place and after the World Championships
ended, he was able to rehabilitate his shoulder in time to win the 2000
Olympics in Sydney.
In fact, he took gold in three of the four Olympics he
participated in which makes him the most decorated weightlifting
Olympian of all time. It was in the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens,
Greece, his home country, that he finished third. By these games, he had
already had his fair share of injuries and was thirty-three years of
age, which is relatively old in the world of weightlifting. Despite
placing third, the experience was tremendously moving as he competed at
the highest level possible in front of his home crowd. For Dimas, this
was the highlight of his career.
The toughest battle for Dimas was his retirement. After so
many years of being an elite athlete earning Olympic and World medals
for his country, he found himself irritable and depressed. Without
weightlifting, he struggled to find what would make him happy.
Eventually he came to realize that there is life beyond weightlifting
and his joy came from spending time with his family.And of course, he still finds his way to the gym where he lifts for sheer enjoyment these days.
The McKenna’s Gym Family meets Dimas.Reflections: It was incredible that USA
Weightlifting was able to bring Pyrros Dimas to the Olympic trials.
Anyone who is interested in weightlifting is aware of his ability and
his past performances. During the question and answer session, he was
open to sharing information and even fielded a question regarding the
current socio-economic situation that Greece and the Greek people are
currently facing. It was refreshing to hear that one of the best
lifters to have ever walked the planet struggled with the same issues
that American lifters do. It was impressive that Dimas was critical of
his own training despite being a multi-time World Champion, a three-time
Olympic champion and four-time Olympic medalist. He still critically
analyzed his training and reflected upon how his training could have
been improved just as all athletes should do. This question and answer
session at the Olympic trials is one thing I will never forget!
At
least 42 helicopters have gone missing from Turkey's military inventory
in the wake of the failed coup attempt on Friday evening causing
concern that there may be another act to the attempted overthrow of
Erdogan.
CNN
Turk anchor Serdar Tuncer reports that at least 42 helicopters have
gone missing from the Turkish military inventory and says concern is
brewing that another coup effort may soon be underway.
"It is as though this rogue will try more things. Can they succeed? No! But will they try?" said the reporter.
Unrest continues in Turkey in the wake of Friday's failed coup
attempt that left at least 265 dead and over 2000 people wounded, most
of whom were civilians answering the call of President Erdogan to put
down the coup attempt.
The Turkish government asserts that it has retained full-control
of the government and has begun a "systematic purge of the military." On
Saturday, the government rounded up over 6,000 individuals who will
face prosecution under the country's treason laws with President Erdogan
refusing to rule out applying a death sentence to the traitors. The
arrested include 2,745 judges and over 2,800 soldiers in the Turkish
military including Erdogan's top military adviser.
The US State Department cautions that the situation in Turkey remains
unstable in the wake of the failed coup plot and warns foreign
travelers against visiting the country citing an increased terror threat
as chaos ensues across the country.
NATO also maintains roughly 90 tactical nuclear weapons at the
Incirlik Air Base, from where the 42 helicopters have gone missing,
causing concern about the security of US weapons in Turkey and raising
the specter that terrorists may ultimately be able to get their hands
on advanced weaponry or potentially a nuclear bomb.
Turkish
officials threaten to go to war with “any country” supporting exiled
cleric Fethullah Gulen, the alleged mastermind of the coup plot, which
would put the US right in Ankara’s crosshairs.
Prime
Minister Binali Yildirim threated to go to war with any country that
would "stand by" exiled Turkish cleric Fethullah Gulen, a resident
of Pennsylvania in the United States who Washington refuses to extradite
citing a lack of evidence that he was behind the attempted overthrow
of the Erdogan government.
This appears to be a pointed threat against the
United States with an implicit demand that Washington must extradite
Gulen or face Ankara’s wrath. The provocative comments came
after Turkish Labor Minister Suleyman Soylu shocked the world
by accusing the America of manufacturing the overthrow effort.
"The US is behind the coup attempt. A few journals that are published
there [in the US] have been conducting activites for several months.
For many months we have sent requests to the US concerning Fethullah
Gulen. The US must extradite him," said the Labor Minister in a
statement.
Secretary of State John Kerry responded by saying that Turkey has
failed to provide sufficient evidence for the Obama administration
to even consider their request to extradite the cleric. He also went
on to condemn Ankara’s provocative statements saying that remarks
alleging US involvement do serious harm to relations between the two
countries.
State Department spokesman John Kirby said that during a conversation
on Saturday evening with Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavosoglu, the
Secretary of State warned Turkey to never make such an accusation.
"He made clear that the United States would be
willing to provide assistance to Turkish authorities conducting this
investigation, but the public insinuations or claims about any role
by the United States in the failed coup attempt are utterly false and
harmful to our bilateral relations," said Kirby.
The cleric allegedly behind the overthrow effort has also strongly condemned the coup.
"I condemn, in the strongest terms, the attempted military coup
in Turkey. Government should be won through a process of free and fair
elections, not force," said Gulen to the New York Times. "As someone who
suffered under multiple military coups during the past five decades, it
is especially insulting to be accused of having any link to such an
attempt. I categorically deny such accusations."
Gulen later questioned whether the failed coup attempt was a
legitimate effort to overthrow the government or political theater
at the hands of Erdogan.
The situation for the United States is now as perilous as ever
with Turkey in possession of roughly 90 US tactical nuclear weapons that
are stored at the Incirlik Air Base. Turkish officials have blocked
access to the air base and the commander in charge of securing those
weapons was arrested on Sunday.
Turkish
military coup supporters have seized Yavuz frigate and taken head of
Turkish fleet as a hostage, CNN Turk reported on Saturday.
ATHENS (Sputnik) — The frigate was seized at the Golcuk naval base on the east shore of the Marmara Sea, according to CNN Turk. The Turkish government warned of the possibility of repeated attempts to take over.
Earlier, a Turkish helicopter allegedly carrying several coup supporters landed in Greece, according to local TV ERT.
Late on Friday, Turkish authorities said that an attempted coup is taking place
in the country. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan urged Turkish
citizens to take to streets, stating that the coup attempt was carried
out by a small group within the military.
The coup attempt was reportedly suppressed by early Saturday,
with Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim stating that all coup
supporters have been detained and the country is returning to normal
life.
In total, over 180 were killed and 1470 were injured during the events, while nearly 3,000 people have been detained, according to the prime minister.
Turkish former air force commander tells interrogators he...
Erdogan's revenge: Map shows shocking scale of Turkey...
Police escort Turkish military officers to court in Alexandroupoli.
Photograph: Xinhua/Rex/Shutterstoc
Their appearance – in civilian clothes and with heads covered –
elicited howls of protest from members of Greece’s Turkish-speaking
Muslim minority who had also gathered for the hearing. 
