Coach Filikidis is a world champion in arm wrestling and European Champion in Olympic Weightlifting.
It should be noted that Coach Filikidis still competes and recently won again the Veterans world championship in Kerch , Ukraine and the world arm wrestling veterans championship that was held in Rosolina di Mare, Italy in August 2009.
He has more than 20 world records under his belt some of them still unbreakable, including managing to lift of the ground 112 kg with his pinky finger.
As a coach he has personally trained more than 35 world champions in sports like Kettlebell lifting, Olympic weightlifting, powerlifting, arm wrestling and wrestling.
He has born in Pavlodar, Kazakhstan in 1951, by Greek parents and he has trained numerous world champions there, among them World renowned Valery Fedorenko, head coach of the American kettlebell club and 3 times world champion.
In Kazakhstan the national games are named after him to honor him for his great athletic achievements both as a coach and as an athlete.
He came back to Greece 8 years ago and since then has trained 5 world champions in kettlebell lifting:
George Tsangouridis, Dimitris Filikidis, George Papadopoulos, Anastasios Heliopoulos and Pavlos Georgiadis.
Coach's Filikidis ability to distinguish and train young talents is trully remarcable
Apart from kettlebell lifting he has trained numerous young athletes in Olympic Weight Lifting, that are considered the future of the Greek national weightlifting team, having won numerous medals in national and international competitions.
As a Top strength a conditioning expert he has trained and still training many combat sports athletes, Boxers, wrestlers and MMA fighters.
Having trained in Wrestling, Sambo and Boxing in his youth, he has deep knowledge of the physical requirements of these sports.
Athletes trained with him experienced tremendous progress in strength and conditioning levels that enable them to dominate the competition.
He is the vice president of the World Kettlebell lifting Federation (Girevoy Sport Federation) and the head coach of the Greek kettlebell Team.