The 52-year-old ascended to the position at the governing body's Electoral Congress which was held alongside the Mediterranean Weightlifting Cup and Malta International Open in Sliema.

He is joined on the Board by new general secretary Manareddin Eshelli of Libya as well as vice-presidents Jesmond Caruana of Malta and Egyptian Ahmed Abdelmaksoud.

France's Bossian David, Italian Maurizio Lo Buono, Nedim Mašić of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Tunisian Boubaker Bechradui, and Algeria's Kamel Saidi then completed the Board as members.

"Our goal is to make weightlifting bigger, more beautiful, and to elevate it to the position it rightfully deserves," said Dimas.

Representatives of the International Weightlifting Federation (IWF) were also present at the Congress.

Secretary general Antonio Urso travelled to Malta while President Mohammed Jalood greeted participants with an online message.

IWF Board members Khaled Mehalhel and Antonio Conflitti were also in Sliema on behalf of the organisation.

They are also respectively President of the African Weightlifting Federation and European Weightlifting Federation.

Greece's Dimas is the world's most decorated Olympic weightlifter with three gold medals and one bronze.

The first of his titles came in the men's 82.5-kilograms category at Barcelona 1992 before he added consecutive titles in the 83kg and 85kg classes at Atlanta 1996 and Sydney 2000.  

At his home Games, Athens 2004, he finished third in the 85kg division.

He was born in Albania to Greek parents and shouted "For Greece!" when making his final lift in Barcelona, which saw him become a national hero.

At the Atlanta and Athens Olympics, he served as flagbearer.

In addition he won three World Championships gold medals in 1993, 1995, and 1998, a European victory in 1995, and set 11 world records in his career.