She finished tenth in the 10,000 metres at the 1988 Summer Olympics. Her first real successes came in cross country running: she won the long race individual silver and the team bronze at the 1990 IAAF World Cross Country Championships. Dias won the Eurocross meeting in 1991 and went on to take sixth place at the 1991 Cross Country Championships. Competing at the world indoors for the first time, she finished in fourth place in the 3000 metres at the IAAF World Indoor Championships. At her first outdoor World Championships in Athletics in 1991, she failed to finish in the 10,000 metres final. Her second world medal, a bronze, came at the 1992 IAAF World Cross Country Championships long race.