Nazeli "Nazik" Avdalyan Armenian: Նազելի "Նազիկ" Վարդանի Ավդալյան, born October 31, 1986, in

Gyumri Gyumri (, ) is an urban municipal community and the List of cities and towns in Armenia, second-largest city in Armenia, serving as the administrative center of Shirak Province in the northwestern part of the country. By the end of the 19th centur ...

Armenia Armenia, officially the Republic of Armenia, is a landlocked country in the Armenian Highlands of West Asia. It is a part of the Caucasus region and is bordered by Turkey to the west, Georgia (country), Georgia to the north and Azerbaijan to ...

) is an Armenian weightlifter known for her achievements in

weightlifting Weightlifting or weight lifting generally refers to physical exercises and sports in which people lift weights, often in the form of dumbbells, barbells or machines. People engage in weightlifting for a variety of different reasons. These can ...

. She won a gold medal at the

2009 World Weightlifting Championships The World Weightlifting Championships 2009 was held in Goyang, South Korea. The event took place from November 20 to November 29, 2009. Medal summary Men Women Medal table Ranking by Big (Total result) medals Ranking by all medals: Big ( ...

. Avdalyan is the first ever weightlifter from

to win a gold medal at the

World Weightlifting Championships The World Weightlifting Championships is an international weightlifting competition, currently held annually (except for years of the Summer Olympic Games) by the International Weightlifting Federation (IWF). The predecessor organization of the I ...

and the first ever woman from

to win a world championship in any sport.

Early life and education

Nazik Avdalyan was born October 31, 1986, in

. She rose in a family of an engineer (father- Vardan Haykaz Avdalyan) and an accountant (mother- Anush Karlen Vardanyan). She was the eldest of her two siblings. From the age of 5 to 17 she did acrobatics. As back then opportunities of participating in overseas competitions were not abundant, at the age of 18 she decided to shift her professional career path to weightlifting. By doing so she could stay in sport which she was deeply in love with. Her trainer was Artashes Nersisyan. From 1993-2003 she attended Basic School № 4 in Gyumri. From 2003-2007 she studied at Gyumri State Pedagogical University, the faculty of

Physical Education Physical education is an academic subject taught in schools worldwide, encompassing Primary education, primary, Secondary education, secondary, and sometimes tertiary education. It is often referred to as Phys. Ed. or PE, and in the United Stat ...

, the department of

Kinesiology Kinesiology () is the scientific study of human body movement. Kinesiology addresses physiological, anatomical, Biomechanics, biomechanical, Pathology, pathological, neuropsychological principles and mechanisms of movement. Applications of kines ...

. From 2020-2021 she did her

Master’s Degree A master's degree (from Latin ) is a postgraduate academic degree awarded by universities or colleges upon completion of a course of study demonstrating mastery or a high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practi ...

in the

Armenian State Institute of Physical Culture and Sport Armenian State Institute of Physical Culture and Sport () is a higher educational institution institute, located in Yerevan, Armenia. It was founded in 1945 and prepares coached, sport journalists, and specialists in the field of health improving ...

, the faculty of

Sport psychology Sport psychology is defined as the study of the psychological basis, processes, and effects of sport. One definition of sport sees it as "any physical activity for the purposes of competition, recreation, education or health". Sport psychology i ...

Competitive career

2006 World Championships In 2006 she appeared at an international championship for the first time which was the

World Championship A world championship is generally an international competition open to elite competitors from around the world, representing their nations, and winning such an event will be considered the highest or near highest achievement in the sport, game ...

Santo Domingo Santo Domingo, formerly known as Santo Domingo de Guzmán, is the capital and largest city of the Dominican Republic and the List of metropolitan areas in the Caribbean, largest metropolitan area in the Caribbean by population. the Distrito Na ...

(

Dominican Republic The Dominican Republic is a country located on the island of Hispaniola in the Greater Antilles of the Caribbean Sea in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean. It shares a Maritime boundary, maritime border with Puerto Rico to the east and ...

). She started in the weight class up to 69 kg body weight (KG) and achieved 221 kg (100-121) in the duel with which she took the 7th place. 2007 European Championships In 2007, in

Strasbourg Strasbourg ( , ; ; ) is the Prefectures in France, prefecture and largest city of the Grand Est Regions of France, region of Geography of France, eastern France, in the historic region of Alsace. It is the prefecture of the Bas-Rhin Departmen ...

she became vice-European champion (up to 69 kg body weight) and increased her performance in duels to 241 kg (105-136). 2007 World Championships At the 2007 World Championships in

Chiang Mai Chiang Mai, sometimes written as Chiengmai or Chiangmai, is the largest city in northern Thailand, the capital of Chiang Mai province and the List of municipalities in Thailand#Largest cities by urban population, second largest city in Thailan ...

Thailand Thailand, officially the Kingdom of Thailand and historically known as Siam (the official name until 1939), is a country in Southeast Asia on the Mainland Southeast Asia, Indochinese Peninsula. With a population of almost 66 million, it spa ...

, Nazik Avdalyan didn't quite come close to

's performance with 235 kg (102-135) and ended up in the 5th place. 2008 European Championships In 2008 she won her first title at the European Championships in

Lignano Lignano Sabbiadoro (; ) is a town and (municipality) in the Regional decentralization entity of Udine, in the Friuli-Venezia Giulia region of north-eastern Italy. It is one of the main summer resorts in northern Italy and on the Adriatic Se ...

. She won the class up to 69 kg body weight with 242 kg (106-131) ahead of Tatyana Matveyeva from

Russia Russia, or the Russian Federation, is a country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia. It is the list of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the world, and extends across Time in Russia, eleven time zones, sharing Borders ...

, who scored 239 kg. At the 2008 Olympic Games in

Beijing Beijing, Chinese postal romanization, previously romanized as Peking, is the capital city of China. With more than 22 million residents, it is the world's List of national capitals by population, most populous national capital city as well as ...

, she was actually a sure contender for a medal but didn't take part. 2008

World University Championships The FISU World University Championships are part of the sporting events of the International University Sports Federation. Launched the FISU World University Championships in 1963, with Lund, Sweden hosting the Handball event. Championships In ...

Nazik Avdalyan took part at the 2008

Komotini Komotini (, , ), is a city in the Modern regions of Greece, region of East Macedonia and Thrace, northeastern Greece and its capital. It is also the capital of the Rhodope (regional unit), Rhodope. It was the administrative centre of the Rhodope- ...

Greece Greece, officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. Located on the southern tip of the Balkan peninsula, it shares land borders with Albania to the northwest, North Macedonia and Bulgaria to the north, and Turkey to th ...

(up to 69 kg body weight) and ended up in the 2nd place. 2009 European Championships In 2009, Nazik Avdalyan achieved 245 kg (110-135) in a duel at the

European Championships A European Championship is the top level international sports competition between European athletes or sports teams representing their respective countries or professional sports clubs. In the plural, the European Championships also refers t ...

Bucharest Bucharest ( , ; ) is the capital and largest city of Romania. The metropolis stands on the River Dâmbovița (river), Dâmbovița in south-eastern Romania. Its population is officially estimated at 1.76 million residents within a greater Buc ...

and with this performance she took the 2nd place. 2009 World Championships At the 2009 World Championships in

Goyang Goyang (; ) is a city in Gyeonggi Province in the north of South Korea. It is part of the Seoul Metropolitan Area, making Goyang one of Seoul's Satellite city, satellite cities. It is one of the largest cities in the Seoul Metropolitan Area, w ...

South Korea South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia. It constitutes the southern half of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and borders North Korea along the Korean Demilitarized Zone, with the Yellow Sea to the west and t ...

, she surprised her competitors and the professional audience with an increase to 266 kg (119-147), with which she became the new

world champion A world championship is generally an international competition open to elite competitors from around the world, representing their nations, and winning such an event will be considered the highest or near highest achievement in the sport, game ...

in the class up to 69 kg body weight. For the first time at an international championship, she defeated Oksana Slivenko, who achieved 264 kg and came in the 2nd place. Since 2009 nobody has ever recorded such a result in the world. 2015 World Championships In 2015 after having had six years of career break since 2009, 7 months after being operated, she returned to

professional sport In professional sports, as opposed to amateur sports, participants receive payment for their performance. Professionalism in sport has come to the fore through a combination of developments. Mass media and increased leisure have brought larger a ...

and had a trial participation in the

held in the

USA The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 contiguous ...

Houston Houston ( ) is the List of cities in Texas by population, most populous city in the U.S. state of Texas and in the Southern United States. Located in Southeast Texas near Galveston Bay and the Gulf of Mexico, it is the county seat, seat of ...

, where she took the 12th place.

2016 European Weightlifting Championships The 2016 European Weightlifting Championships were held in Førde, Norway from 10 April to 16 April 2016.Entry list

< ...

In 2016 after seven years of absence, Nazik Avdalyan made an incredible comeback and won a gold medal at the

2016 European Weightlifting Championships The 2016 European Weightlifting Championships were held in Førde, Norway from 10 April to 16 April 2016.Entry list

< ...

Førde Førde is a former municipality in the county of Sogn og Fjordane, Norway. It was located in the traditional district of Sunnfjord. The administrative center was the town of Førde which in 2016 had 10,255 inhabitants. Other villages in Før ...

Norway Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic countries, Nordic country located on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. The remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen and the archipelago of Svalbard also form part of the Kingdom of ...

. 31st Olympic Games (2016) In 2016, Nazik Avdalyan achieved 242 kg (107-135) in the 31st

Olympic Games The modern Olympic Games (Olympics; ) are the world's preeminent international Olympic sports, sporting events. They feature summer and winter sports competitions in which thousands of athletes from around the world participate in a Multi-s ...

Rio de Janeiro Rio de Janeiro, or simply Rio, is the capital of the Rio de Janeiro (state), state of Rio de Janeiro. It is the List of cities in Brazil by population, second-most-populous city in Brazil (after São Paulo) and the Largest cities in the America ...

Brazil Brazil, officially the Federative Republic of Brazil, is the largest country in South America. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by area, fifth-largest country by area and the List of countries and dependencies by population ...

and ended up in the 5th place.

Weightlifting statistics

Honors

2007,

European Championship A European Championship is the top level international sports competition between European athletes or sports teams representing their respective countries or professional sports clubs. In the plural, the European Championships also refers t ...

,1 bronze and 2 silver medals 2008,

, 3 gold medals 2008
World University Championship
1 bronze and 2 silver medals 2009,

, 1 bronze and 2 gold medals 2009,

, 3 gold medals 2016,

, 1 silver and 2 gold medals

Certificates of Honor

1. Certificate of Appreciation from the European Weightlifting Federation (EWF) for outstanding performance and dedication during the 10th European Weightlifting Championships, which was held in

Yerevan Yerevan ( , , ; ; sometimes spelled Erevan) is the capital and largest city of Armenia, as well as one of the world's List of oldest continuously inhabited cities, oldest continuously inhabited cities. Situated along the Hrazdan River, Yerev ...

in 2023. 2. Nazik Avdalyan has successfully completed a

Bodybuilding Bodybuilding is the practice of Resistance training, progressive resistance exercise to build, control, and develop one's skeletal muscle, muscles via muscle hypertrophy, hypertrophy. An individual who engages in this activity is referred to a ...

and Fitness Coaching Training short course and examination held by the Armenian Association of Sport Medicine & True Vector LLC 04/03/23 in

. 3. Certificate by the European Weightlifting Federation (EWF) to Nazik Avdalyan for her outstanding performance and dedication during the 10th European Senior Championship held in

in 2022. 4. Nazik Avdalyan is encouraged for her contribution to the World Weightlifting Championship in

Korea Korea is a peninsular region in East Asia consisting of the Korean Peninsula, Jeju Island, and smaller islands. Since the end of World War II in 1945, it has been politically Division of Korea, divided at or near the 38th parallel north, 3 ...

and for being the winner of the championship. Awarded by the Ministry of Education and Science of

. 5. Awarded to the winner of the first place in the shooting competition of the inter-university sports games "Lecturer's Cup” in 2021. 6. Certificate from the

Union of Armenians of Europe The Union of Armenians of Europe (UAE) () is a pan-European international organization. It is headquartered in Yerevan, Armenia and maintains branches in ten European countries. History and objectives The Union of Armenians of Europe was establ ...

, conferring the title of "Honorary Member" upon Mrs. Nazik Avdalyan. The certificate is dated November 11, 2017. 7.

Shirak Region Shirak (, ) is a provinces of Armenia, province () of Armenia. It is located in the north-west of the country, bordering the provinces of Lori Province, Lori to the east and Aragatsotn Province, Aragatsotn to the south and southeast, and the cou ...

Representation of the Armenian National Olympic Committee is presenting an award to Nazik Avdalyan for her 2016

31st

69kg with 242 kg 107-135 achievement of securing the first place in both the individual and team competitions at the 2016

European Weightlifting Championships European Weightlifting Championships is an annual event organised by the European Weightlifting Federation (EWF). It has been held since 1896. A separate event for women was held from 1988 to 1997, after which both championships have been held ...

. 8. In the category of "Female Athlete of the Year", European and World Champion, Honored Master of Sports Nazik Avdalyan has been awarded the "LADY OF ARMENIA 2016" prize. 9. Certificate is awarded to Nazik Avdalyan by the Ministry of Culture, Youth Affairs and Sports of Armenia (N001) as a Master of Sport of

. Issued in 2009. 10. The Administration of Gyumri Sports High Mastery School awards athlete Nazik Avdalyan for being recognized as the best athlete of the 2008 "Competition Season". 11. The Gyumri Municipality is presenting a Certificate of Honor to an individual who was recognized as the best athlete of

city during the 2007 "Competition Season". 12. Certificate awarded to Nazik Avdalyan for being recognized as the best young athlete of the

Shirak Province Shirak (, ) is a provinces of Armenia, province () of Armenia. It is located in the north-west of the country, bordering the provinces of Lori Province, Lori to the east and Aragatsotn Province, Aragatsotn to the south and southeast, and the cou ...

in the “Tournament-2006”. 13. Certificate is awarded to Nazik Avdalyan by the Ministry of Culture, Youth Affairs and Sports of Armenia as a Master of Sport of Armenia. Issued in 2001. 14. Awarded to Nazik Avdalyan for being included in the top ten best school-age athletes of the

in the "Tournament-2000".

Personal life

On April 26, 2010, Nazik Avdalyan got in a car crash on Yerevan-Gyumri motorway and was taken t
Gyumri Medical Center
She had received multiple bone fractures and a spine injury. Nazik Avdalyan was transferred to Yerevan'
Erebuni Medical Centre
for additional examination and underwent lumbar surgery on April 28. After the rehabilitation process, Avdalyan said that she would be able to compete in sports again in 2015. After seven years of absence Avdalyan made a huge comeback and won a gold medal at the

2016 European Weightlifting Championships The 2016 European Weightlifting Championships were held in Førde, Norway from 10 April to 16 April 2016.Entry list

< ...

. She has been married to former weightlifter Erik Karapetyan (from 2012-2019). On November 27, 2013 Avdalyan gave birth to a son, Vache. Along with the brilliant victories recorded during her sports career, Nazik's path has been difficult, full of numerous injuries ( ankle ligament injury, total tear of the anterior cruciate ligament in the left

knee In humans and other primates, the knee joins the thigh with the leg and consists of two joints: one between the femur and tibia (tibiofemoral joint), and one between the femur and patella (patellofemoral joint). It is the largest joint in the hu ...

meniscus tear A tear of a meniscus is a rupturing of one or more of the fibrocartilage strips in the knee called menisci. When doctors and patients refer to "torn cartilage" in the knee, they actually may be referring to an injury to a meniscus at the top of ...

, right

wrist In human anatomy, the wrist is variously defined as (1) the carpus or carpal bones, the complex of eight bones forming the proximal skeletal segment of the hand; "The wrist contains eight bones, roughly aligned in two rows, known as the carpal ...

joint injury,

elbow The elbow is the region between the upper arm and the forearm that surrounds the elbow joint. The elbow includes prominent landmarks such as the olecranon, the cubital fossa (also called the chelidon, or the elbow pit), and the lateral and t ...

joint injury, partial rupture of the

ligaments, partial tear of the middle

deltoid Deltoid (delta-shaped) can refer to: * The deltoid muscle, a muscle in the shoulder * Kite (geometry), also known as a deltoid, a type of quadrilateral * A deltoid curve, a three-cusped hypocycloid * A leaf shape * The deltoid tuberosity, a part o ...

, two

rib fracture A rib fracture is a break in a rib bone. This typically results in chest pain that is worse with inspiration. Bruising may occur at the site of the break. When several ribs are broken in several places a flail chest results. Potential complicat ...

s, L1

lumbar vertebra The lumbar vertebrae are located between the thoracic vertebrae and pelvis. They form the lower part of the back in humans, and the tail end of the back in quadrupeds. In humans, there are five lumbar vertebrae. The term is used to describe the ...

fracture), which she has overcome with courage.

Career

2013-2014, senior coach of the Women’s Youth Weightlifting team 2020-2022, lecturer at

Yerevan State Medical University The Mkhitar Heratsi Yerevan State Medical University (YSMU, ), is an Armenian medical school, medical university located in Yerevan, Armenia. History On 31 January 1920, during the First Republic of Armenia, the Yerevan State University, People's ...

, Department of Physical Education 2021-2022, deputy director of Shengavit Children & Youth Complex Sports School Since 2022 she has been working as a fitness trainer Since 2023 international referee

Legacy and Impact Certificates

1. UNIQUE AWARDS Ceremony 2022-2023: Awarded to Nazik Avdalyan for her contribution to the field of sports, for waving the Armenian tricolor many times from international platforms, she is awarded the UNIQUE AWARDS special prize. 2. Nazik Avdalyan is awarded for close cooperation with the Military University named after V. Sargsyan of the

Ministry of Defence of Armenia The Ministry of Defence of Armenia () often abbreviated to the RA Ministry of Defence is an Armenian governmental agency in charge of overseeing the development of the Armed Forces of Armenia. The Ministry of Defence is also the executive body wh ...

in 2021. 3. A certificate of appreciation is awarded to Nazik Avdalyan for her contribution to the film "Voice of the Greats" dedicated to the 100th anniversary of the Museum of Literature and Art in 2021. 4. The certificate appears to be issued by the Armenian Art, Culture, and Development charity (AAD) for Nazik Avdalyan’s contribution to Armenian sports in 2021. 5. A certificate of gratitude is given to Nazik Avdalyan for joining the initiative to donate school furniture to the schools of the

Gyulagarak Gyulagarak () is a village in the Lori Province of Armenia. Stepanavan Dendropark is located near the village. Toponymy The village was formerly known as ''Gyulabarak''. Gallery Gyulagarak church 07.jpg, Gyulagarak Church Եկեղեցի Տ ...

community in 2021. 6. Certificate issued by "El-Mar Cinema Production" on November 28, 2021, for vigorous cooperation and for her efficient work. 7
Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sports of ArmeniaYerevan State College of Culture and Arts
certificate of honor given to World and European Weightlifting Champion Nazik Avdalyan for her contribution to Armenian sports in 2021. 8. A certificate of appreciation is awarded to Nazik Avdalyan for having a great contribution to the development of weightlifting in Artsakh in 2019. 9. The certificate appears to be issued by the Armenian Art, Culture, and Development charity (AAD) for Nazik Avdalyan’s contribution to Armenian sports in 2018. 10. In 2016 Nazik Avdalyan is being awarded by the

Municipality of Armenia for her dedication to sports and for securing the first place in the

. 11. In 2009 Nazik Avdalyan is awarded the "Phenomenon of the Year" and "Person of the Year" titles by th
"Hayeli" Press Club
for her success in winning the gold medal at the

. 12. President S. Sargsyan awarded N. V. Avdalyan with 2nd Degree Medal "For Service to the Homeland", for upholding the athletic honor of the homeland, properly representing Armenia in the international arena, as well as for promoting the development of weightlifting in Armenia in 2009. 13. Certificate is awarded to Nazik Avdalyan by the Ministry of Culture, Youth Affairs and Sports of Armenia as a Master of Sport of Armenia. Issued in 2001. 14. Nazik Avdalyan is being granted the honorary title of "Honorary Citizen of Gyumri."

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Avdalyan, Nazik 1986 births Living people Weightlifters from Gyumri Armenian female weightlifters European champions in weightlifting European champions for Armenia Weightlifters at the 2016 Summer Olympics Olympic weightlifters for Armenia European Weightlifting Championships medalists World Weightlifting Championships medalists 21st-century Armenian sportswomen