Yurik Vardanyan

Award ceremony in Moscow, 1980.

Jurik Vardanyan (Armenian Յուրիկ Վարդանյան, Russian Юрий Норайрович Варданян, transk Norairowitsch Yuri Vardanyan, . Born June 13, 1956 in Leninakan ) is a former Soviet weightlifter Armenian descent. He was Olympic champion in 1980 in Moscow, as well as multiple World and European champion at middleweight, light heavy and medium- heavy weight.

Career

Jurik (actually Juri ) Wardanjan grew up in Leninakan and business in his youth, various sports, such as athletics, volleyball and weightlifting. From the age of 16 he devoted himself entirely to the weight lifting. He started doing for the sport club "Locomotive " Leninakan. His first coach, who took care of during the entire career to him, was his uncle Sergei Vardanyan. At a size of 1.70 meters, he had ideal conditions for the weight lifting. He began his competition in the middleweight division ( class up to 75 kg body weight). He grew up in the course of his career in the Light Heavy and in the middle heavyweight ( classes up to 82.5 kg and 90 kg body weight) into it.

In 1975, Jurik Wardanjan first appeared in an international championship, the Junior World Championship in Marseille. He scored there in the middleweight division in a duel 325 kg and won with it before Jordan Mitkow from Bulgaria, which reached 320 kg. Junior World Champion, he was also in 1976 in Gdansk. He increased his power while in the middleweight division in the previous year to 335 kg in the total. With this performance he won mind before Todorov from Bulgaria and 315 kg. Towards the end of 1976, he increased the Soviet Cup tournament in Sverdlovsk his performance in the middleweight division at 342.5 kg ( snatch 150 kg, hitting 192.5 kg ) and thus defeated the Soviet champions in the senior Militosjan Vartan, who came to 335 kg.

1977 Jurik Vardanyan was the first time Soviet champion. In the middleweight division he scored it in a duel the new personal best of 347.5 kg ( 157.5 to 190 ). This year, he also took the first time in a World Championship ( zgl. European Championship), held in Stuttgart, in part. He was not there to hit, reaching in single combat in the Middle Weight 345 kg ( 152.5 to 192.5 ), which he won ahead of the two GDR athletes Peter Wenzel, 337.5 kg and Günter Schliwka, 330 kg.

In 1978, Jurik Wardanjan moved to the light heavyweight division, the weight limit at the time was body weight 82.5 kg. Even in this new weight class he dominated at first and was initially in Havirov with 372.5 kg ( 170 to 202.5 ) European champion, and then American Gettysburg with 377.5 kg ( 170 to 207.5 ) and world champion. In both events the Hungarian Peter Baczako took 2nd place, where he remained with his performances, 357.5 kg and 352.5 kg in Havirov in Gettysburg, clearly behind Jurik Vardanyan.

At the European Championships 1979 in Varna it underwent in the light heavyweight division, the misfortunes while beidarmigen tearing with 165 kg to fabricate three failed attempts. He thus left for the duel championship, won by the new Bulgarian Star lifter Blagoj Blagoev 380 kg from. But at least in pushing he won with 207.5 kg. At the World Championships the same year in Salonika, he was not at his best, but still clearly won, with 370 kg ( 170-200 ) against Blagoj Balgojew, who remained with his performance of 362.5 kg 17.5 kg under his power of Varna and against Jarik Wardanjan at this championship had no chance.

In 1980 became European Champion in the light heavyweight Jurik Wardanjan in Belgrade. Where his performance with 367.5 ( 167.5 to 200 ) was rather moderate by his standards. The more he crowed at the Olympic Games this year in Moscow. He scored in a duel with 400 kg ( 177.5 to 222.5 ) set a new world record and won so clearly before Blagoj Blagoev, which reached 372.5 kg and the Czech Dusan Poliacik, which increased to 367.5 kg.

In 1981, Jurik Wardanjan launched at the Soviet Championship in the middle heavyweight. He achieved this 402.5 kg ( 182.5 to 220 ) and won just ahead of the young Russian " miracle lifter " Yuri Sacharewitsch, who scored 400 kg. But with the World Cup and European Championship this year in Lille, he started back in the light heavyweight and scored in a duel 392.5 kg ( 170 to 222.5 ), beating Assen Slatew, a young Bulgarian who reached 372.5 kg and Dusan Poliacik, who scored 367.5 kg.

In 1982, Jurik Wardanjan raised at the Soviet Championship in Medium weight 415 kg ( 190-225 ) a new world record in the total. But with the World Cup 1982 in Ljubljana, he had to put a heavy defeat against Blagoj Blagoev. He arrived in Ljubljana in a duel only 395 kg ( 185-210 ), remaining significantly behind Blagoev, who set the world record of Jurik Wardanjan 415 kg ( 192.5 to 222.5 ).

In 1983, Jurik Wardanjan more at the World Championships in Moscow from a recent duel with Blagoj Blagoev and trained from in the light heavyweight division. In this weight class he was 392.5 kilograms ( 180 to 212.5 ) narrowly winning against Assen Slatew who scored 390 kg, and was so for the sixth time world champion. 1984 was for Jurik Wardanjan then no chance for the second time to be Olympic champion, as the socialist countries boycotted the Olympic Games in Los Angeles. In an alternative event of soz States in Varna, he scored 405 kg in a new world record.

1985 Jurik Vardanyan was then in Södertälje for the last time world champion. With 397.5 kg ( 177.5 to 220 ), he won again in the light heavyweight division. Assen Slatew was 392.5 kg, in turn, Vice World Champion.

After this World Cup Jurik Wardanjan resigned. The attempt at a comeback in 1988 with the aim to qualify for the Olympic Games in Seoul, failed.

Jurik Vardanyan has never tested positive throughout his career in a doping test. Nevertheless, it must be pointed out that: It is now recognized by all experts fact that the 1970s and 1980s were the years of doping par excellence in the history of weight lifting. The doping controls, which were then carried out, were not very effective. In the Soviet Union as no doping tests were conducted as well. Nevertheless, his closest rival Blagoj Blagoev was found guilty of doping. When after 1990 the International Weightlifting Federation doping tests have been strengthened, the performance of weightlifters declined rapidly. In 1992, for example Pyrros Dimas of Greece in the light heavyweight division, with 370 kg in the Olympic champion. Jurik Wardanjan scored in his career as Leichtschwergewichtler several times over 400 kg in the total. Since the international weightlifting federation recognized this problem, he changed in the last 20 years several times weight class division. The weight limit for the light heavyweight for example, was first increased to 84 kg and 85 kg. All hitherto upscale world records, Jurik Wardanjan scored in his career no less than 41, were canceled at the same time. Even today, in 2008, achieved the Olympic champion in the light heavyweight division, the Chinese Lu Yong 394 kg in less than Jurik Wardanjan in his prime, even though he is 2.5 kg heavier than this. This weight advantage would Lu Yong actually bring a performance advantage of at least 10 kg.

More life

After the collapse of the Soviet Union Jurik Wardanyan went with his family to the United States. He worked as a coach with the U.S. Weightlifting Federation in its Training Center in Colorado Springs. After the expiry of the contract with the weightlifting federation, he went to Chicago and spent four years working as a physiotherapist at the basketball team the Chicago Bulls. After that he went to California, where he still lives today. Jurik Vardanyan was involved from the beginning of his stay in the United States in the community of 1.5 million Armenians in the United States. He is now spokesman for this group, and as such politically active for this community.

One of his three sons, Norik is also weightlifters and in 2008 and 2009 U.S. champion in the class up to 94 kg.

Statistics

International success

(OS = Olympic Games, WM = World Championship, European Championship EM =, Mi = middleweight, light heavyweight = Ls, Ms = Medium weight, then up to 75 kg, 82.5 kg and 90 kg body weight)

EM individual medals

Gold: 1977/Reißen, 1977/Stoßen, 1978/Reißen, 1978/Stoßen, 1979/Stoßen, 1980/Reißen, 1980/Stoßen, 1981/Reißen, 1981/Stoßen, 1983/Stoßen.

Silver: 1983/Reißen.

USSR Championships

World Records

Jurik Vardanyan stated in his career on a total of 41 world records. Of these world records, no one has more validity, because in the meantime the weight classifications were changed several times.

Bests

Middleweight: 157.5 kg snatch, pushing 193 kg;
Light Heavyweight: 182.5 kg snatch, pushing 224 kg;
Medium Weight: 190 kg snatch, pushing 228 kg.

Swell

Journal athletics, numbers 8/1976, 1/ 1977 6/1977, 8/ 1977 9/1977, 10/1977, 5 /1978, 71978, 11 /1978, 5/1979, 6/1979, 7/ 1979 12/1979 and 8 / 1980.
Website " www.chidlovski.net "
Website " sports.123.com "
Website " www.peoples.ru "
Database of the Institute for Applied Training Science at the University of Leipzig.

458337