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Yurik Sarkisyan (, born August 14, 1961, in Samaghar,
Armenian SSR The Armenian Soviet Socialist Republic (ArSSR), also known as Soviet Armenia, or simply Armenia, was one of the constituent republics of the Soviet Union, located in the Caucasus region of Eurasia. Soviet Armenia bordered the Soviet republics ...
) is a former Soviet Armenian
weightlifter 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 ...
. He was awarded the
Honoured Master of Sports of the USSR Unified All-Russian Sports Classification () is a system which regulates the Russian physical education system requirements for both athletes and coaches. History In the Soviet period Unified Sports Classification System of the USSR () exist ...
title in 1982. In 2007, Yurik Sarkisyan included into the
International Weightlifting Federation The International Weightlifting Federation, aka IWF, is the international governing body for the sport of Weightlifting. Headquartered in Lausanne, Switzerland, it has 193 affiliated national federations. Mohammed Hasan Jalood has been its presid ...
Hall of Fame weightlifting.


Early life

Yurik Sarkisyan was born in the village of
Samagar Samagar, also Cemakar, was a Mongol general of the Il-Khan ruler Abaqa Khan (1234–1282), mentioned as leading a Mongol invasion force in 1271, in attempted coordination with the Ninth Crusade. Background Little is known about Samagar, but he ...
,
Armenian SSR The Armenian Soviet Socialist Republic (ArSSR), also known as Soviet Armenia, or simply Armenia, was one of the constituent republics of the Soviet Union, located in the Caucasus region of Eurasia. Soviet Armenia bordered the Soviet republics ...
in the
Echmiadzin Vagharshapat ( ) is the 5th-largest city in Armenia and the most populous municipal community of Armavir Province, located about west of the capital Yerevan, and north of the closed Turkish-Armenian border. It is commonly known as Ejmiatsin ...
region. He began weight training at the age of 13. In 1980, Sarkisyan was brought into the USSR national weightlifting team. He became a Weightlifting World Champion among juniors the following year. He trained at VSS Sevan in
Echmiadzin Vagharshapat ( ) is the 5th-largest city in Armenia and the most populous municipal community of Armavir Province, located about west of the capital Yerevan, and north of the closed Turkish-Armenian border. It is commonly known as Ejmiatsin ...
.


Career

At the age of 18, Sarkisyan competed at the
1980 Summer Olympics The 1980 Summer Olympics (), officially known as the Games of the XXII Olympiad () and officially branded as Moscow 1980 (), were an international multi-sport event held from 19 July to 3 August 1980 in Moscow, Soviet Union, in present-day Russ ...
, the same year he joined the Soviet national team. He came in second place in the bantamweight (56 kg) division and won an Olympic silver medal. Following the Olympic Games, Sarkisyan moved up to the featherweight (60 kg) division, where he would compete at for the rest of his career. In 1982, Sarkisyan cemented his place as the best featherweight weightlifter in the world by winning gold medals at both the 1982 European Weightlifting Championships and 1982 World Weightlifting Championships. Sarkisyan repeated the accomplishment to following year at the 1983 European Weightlifting Championships and 1983 World Weightlifting Championships, making him a consecutive two-time European and World Champion. He had also set several world records at this point. He was a clear gold medal favorite for the
1984 Summer Olympics The 1984 Summer Olympics (officially the Games of the XXIII Olympiad and commonly known as Los Angeles 1984) were an international multi-sport event held from July 28 to August 12, 1984, in Los Angeles, California, United States. It marked the ...
, but was unable to participate at them because of the
1984 Summer Olympics boycott The boycott of the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles followed four years after the American-led boycott of the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow. The boycott involved nineteen countries: fifteen from the Eastern Bloc led by the Soviet Union, w ...
. Sarkisyan continued to rank among the top weightlifters in the world for years after the 1984 Olympic Games, but was not included in the USSR weightlifting team at the
1988 Summer Olympics The 1988 Summer Olympics (), officially the Games of the XXIV Olympiad () and officially branded as Seoul 1988 (), were an international multi-sport event held from 17 September to 2 October 1988 in Seoul, South Korea. 159 nations were represe ...
in Seoul. After that, he did not train for a while and thought about the end of his weightlifting career. In 1991, Sarkisyan continued weightlifting again. He had soon started competing for his native
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 ...
, which gained its independence from the
Soviet Union The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR), commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 until Dissolution of the Soviet ...
that same year. Yurik Sarkisyan was named the national team leader for the 1993 World Weightlifting Championships in Melbourne. He became the bronze medalist of the tournament. Afterward, Sarkisyan was invited to stay in
Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...
by the Australian weightlifting officials and later was offered an Australian citizenship. He signed a contract with the Australian Weightlifting Federation and later competed for Australia. Sarkisyan represented this country at the
1996 Summer Olympics The 1996 Summer Olympics (officially the Games of the XXVI Olympiad, also known as Atlanta 1996 and commonly referred to as the Centennial Olympic Games) were an international multi-sport event held from July 19 to August 4, 1996, in Atlanta, ...
in Atlanta and
2000 Summer Olympics The 2000 Summer Olympics, officially the Games of the XXVII Olympiad, officially branded as Sydney 2000, and also known as the Games of the New Millennium, were an international multi-sport event held from 15 September to 1 October ...
in Sydney, coming in seventh and ninth place, respectively. Sarkisyan also competed at the
Commonwealth Games The Commonwealth Games is a quadrennial international multi-sport event among athletes from the Commonwealth of Nations, which consists mostly, but not exclusively, of territories of the former British Empire. The event was first held in 1930 ...
in 1998 and 2002. He won silver in 1998 and, at the age of 41, won the gold medal in 2002.


Personal life

Sarkisyan announced his retirement from his sports career in 2006 and focused on business and coaching. He coached his son David, who, in 2004 and 2008, became the winner of Oceania Championships in the weight classes of lightweight (69 kg) and middleweight (77 kg), respectively. David Sarkisyan was given a two-year international ban from weightlifting competition after testing positive to
Testosterone Testosterone is the primary male sex hormone and androgen in Male, males. In humans, testosterone plays a key role in the development of Male reproductive system, male reproductive tissues such as testicles and prostate, as well as promoting se ...
supplementation in an ASADA anti-doping test in 2010. Sargsyan has been living in Australia since 1994, but often visits Armenia and had intended to return to homeland. However he told SBS news service World News Australia in 2013 that Australia was now his home, and he could not go more than a week away from the country. He celebrated his 50th birthday at Continental restaurant 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 ...
. Friend and former weightlifter
Yurik Vardanyan Yuri (Yurik) Norayrovich Vardanyan (; , also transliterated Yuri (Yurik) Vardanian, 13 June 1956 – 1 November 2018) was a Soviet Armenian weightlifter. Great Russian Encyclopedia (2006), Moscow: Bol'shaya Rossiyskaya Enciklopediya Publisher, ...
also attended the party. Armenia’s President
Serzh Sargsyan Serzh Azati Sargsyan (, ; born 30 June 1954)Official biography of Serzh Sargsyan
and Prosecutor General sent him congratulatory messages and a certificate of honor. In return, Sarkisyan conveyed the Armenian president a coin with his profile, made in Australia.


Weightlifting achievements

* Senior world champion (1982 and 1983); * Silver medalist in Senior World Championships (1980, 1985, 1987, and 1991); * Bronze medalist in Senior World Championships (1981 and 1993); * Senior European champion (1982 and 1983); * Silver medalist in Senior European Championships (1980, 1981, 1984–1986, and 1991).


References


External links


Yurik Sarkisyan at Lift Up
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Sarkisyan, Yurik 1961 births Living people Soviet male weightlifters Armenian male weightlifters Australian male weightlifters Soviet Armenians Honoured Masters of Sport of the USSR Olympic weightlifters for the Soviet Union Weightlifters at the 1980 Summer Olympics Olympic silver medalists for the Soviet Union Olympic medalists in weightlifting Commonwealth Games gold medallists for Australia Armenian emigrants to Australia Friendship Games medalists in weightlifting People from Armavir Province Olympic weightlifters for Australia Weightlifters at the 1996 Summer Olympics Weightlifters at the 2000 Summer Olympics Weightlifters at the 1998 Commonwealth Games Weightlifters at the 2002 Commonwealth Games Medalists at the 1980 Summer Olympics Commonwealth Games silver medallists for Australia European Weightlifting Championships medalists World Weightlifting Championships medalists Ethnic Armenian sportspeople Medallists at the 1998 Commonwealth Games Naturalised sports competitors 20th-century Australian sportsmen Commonwealth Games gold medallists in weightlifting Commonwealth Games silver medallists in weightlifting