Jurik Vardanyan

Jurik Vardanyan
Award ceremony in Moscow, 1980.
Personal information
Surname:	Yuri Norairowitsch Vardanyan
Nationality:	USSR
Date of birth:	June 13, 1956
Place of birth:	Leninakan
Date of death:	1st November 2018
Size:	171 cm
Medal table
Olympic games 1 × 0 × 0 × World championships 20 × 3 × 1 ×

Jurik Wardanyan ( Armenian Յուրիկ Վարդանյան , Russian Юрий Норайрович Варданян , Transk.Juri Norairowitsch Wardanyan ; born June 13, 1956 in Leninakan ; † November 1, 2018 ) was a Soviet weightlifter of Armenian descent. He was Olympic champion in Moscow in 1980 as well as multiple world and European champion in middle, light and middle heavyweight.

Career

Jurik (actually Juri) Vardanyan grew up in Leninakan and practiced various sports such as athletics, volleyball and weightlifting in his youth. From the age of 16 he devoted himself entirely to weightlifting. He started for the sports club "Lok" Leninakan . His first coach to look after him throughout his career was his uncle Sergei Vardanyan. With a height of 1.70 meters, he had ideal conditions for weightlifting. He began his competitions in the middleweight division (class up to 75 kg body weight). However, in the course of his career he grew into the light and medium-heavy weight classes (classes up to 82.5 kg and 90 kg body weight).

In 1975 Jurik Wardanjan appeared for the first time at an international championship, the Junior World Championship in Marseille . He achieved there in the middleweight duel 325 kg and won before Jordan Mitkow from Bulgaria , who reached 320 kg. He was also junior world champion in 1976 in Gdańsk . He increased his performance in the middleweight division compared to the previous year to 335 kg in a duel. With this performance he won over Todorow from Bulgaria, 315 kg. Towards the end of 1976 he increased his performance in the middleweight division at the Soviet Cup tournament in Sverdlovsk to 342.5 kg (tearing 150 kg, pushing 192.5 kg) and thus defeated the Soviet champion in the seniors Vartan Militosjan , who came to 335 kg.

In 1977 Jurik Wardanyan became the first Soviet champion. In the middleweight division, he achieved the new personal best of 347.5 kg (157.5 - 190) in a duel. In that year he also took part for the first time in a world championship (e.g. European championship) that took place in Stuttgart . He was unbeatable there and reached in the duel in the middleweight 345 kg (152.5-192.5), with which he won ahead of the two GDR athletes Peter Wenzel , 337.5 kg and Günter Schliwka , 330 kg.

In 1978 Jurik Wardanjan switched to the light heavyweight division, whose weight limit at that time was 82.5 kg. Also in this new weight class he dominated right away and was first in Havířov with 372.5 kg (170-202.5) European champion and then in the American Gettysburg with 377.5 kg (170-207.5) also world champion . At both events, the Hungarian Peter Baczako took 2nd place, with his performances of 357.5 kg in Havirov and 352.5 kg in Gettysburg, clearly behind Jurik Wardanjan.

At the European Championships in 1979 in Varna , he had the mishap of two-armed tearing with 165 kg to fabricate three failed attempts in the light heavyweight division. He was eliminated from the duel, which the new Bulgarian star lifter Blagoj Blagojew won with 380 kg. At least in the push he won with 207.5 kg. At the World Championships of the same year in Saloniki he was not in top form, but still won with 370 kg (170-200) clearly against Blagoj Balgojew, who remained with his performance of 362.5 kg 17.5 kg below his performance from Varna and had no chance against Jarik Wardanyan in this championship.

In 1980 Jurik Wardanjan was European light heavyweight champion in Belgrade . Whereby his performance with 367.5 (167.5-200) was rather mediocre for his circumstances. It was all the more impressive at this year's Olympic Games in Moscow . He achieved in a duel with 400 kg (177.5-222.5) a new world record and thus clearly won ahead of Blagoj Blagojew, who reached 372.5 kg and the Czech Dusan Poliacik , who increased to 367.5 kg.

In 1981 Jurik Vardanyan started at the Soviet middle heavyweight championship. He achieved 402.5 kg (182.5-220) and thus won just ahead of the young Russian "miracle lifter" Yuri Sakharevich , who achieved 400 kg. At the World and European Championships this year in Lille he started again in the light heavyweight division and achieved 392.5 kg (170-222.5) in a duel, beating Assen Slatew , a young Bulgarian who reached 372.5 kg, and Dusan Poliacik who reached 367.5 kg.

In 1982 Jurik Wardanyan raised a new world record in a duel at the Soviet championship in middle heavyweight with 415 kg (190-225). At the 1982 World Cup in Ljubljana , however, he suffered a heavy defeat against Blagoj Blagojew. He reached in Ljubljana in a duel only 395 kg (185-210) and remained well behind Blagojew, who set the world record of Jurik Wardanjan with 415 kg (192.5-222.5).

In 1983 Jurik Wardanyan dodged another duel with Blagoj Blagoev at the World Championships in Moscow and trained in the light heavyweight division. In this weight class he was with 392.5 kg (180-212.5) narrow winner against Assen Slatew, who scored 390 kg and was world champion for the sixth time . In 1984 Jurik Wardanyan had no chance of becoming Olympic champion for the second time , as the socialist states boycotted the Olympic Games in Los Angeles . At a replacement event of the social states in Varna he achieved a new world record with 405 kg in a duel.

In 1985 Jurik Wardanjan became world champion for the last time in Södertälje . With 397.5 kg (177.5–220) he won again in the light heavyweight division. Assen Slatew was again vice world champion with 392.5 kg.

After this World Cup, Jurik Wardanyan resigned. The attempt at a comeback in 1988 with the aim of qualifying for the Olympic Games in Seoul failed.

Jurik Vardanyan has never tested positive for doping tests in his entire career. Nevertheless, the following must be pointed out: It is now a fact recognized by all experts that the 1970s and 1980s were the years of doping par excellence in weightlifting history. The doping controls that were carried out at the time were not very effective. Almost no doping tests were carried out in the Soviet Union . Nevertheless, his toughest rival Blagoj Blagojew was convicted of doping. When the international weightlifting federation stepped up the doping tests after 1990, the performance of weightlifters declined rapidly. In 1992, for example, Pyrros Dimas from Greece became the light heavyweight with 370 kg in a duel Olympic champion . Jurik Wardanjan achieved several times in his career as a light heavyweight over 400 kg in duels. Since the international weightlifting association recognized this problem, it changed the weight class classification several times in the last 20 years. For example, the weight limit of the light heavyweight was first increased to 84 kg and then to 85 kg. All world records up to now, Jurik Wardanyan achieved no less than 41 in his career, were canceled at the same time. Even today, in 2008, the Olympic champion in light heavyweight, the Chinese Lu Yong with 394 kg in a duel less than Jurik Wardanjan in his prime, although he is 2.5 kg heavier than him. This weight advantage should actually bring Lu Yong a performance advantage of at least 10 kg.

Further life

After the fall of the Soviet Union , Jurik Wardanyan went to the United States with his family. He worked as a trainer for the American Weightlifting Association in its training center in Colorado Springs . After his contract with the Weightlifting Association expired, he went to Chicago and worked for four years as a physical therapist with the Chicago Bulls basketball team. Then he went to California . Jurik Wardanyan was involved in the community of 1.5 million Armenians in the United States from the start of his stay in the United States. He was the spokesman for this group and as such was politically active for this community.

One of his three sons, Norik , is also a weightlifter and was American champion in the 94 kilogram class in 2008 and 2009.

Political career

In 2009 the then Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan appointed him his personal advisor. From 2013 to 2014, Vardanyan served briefly as the Armenian Minister of Sports and Youth. Most recently he was the Armenian Ambassador to Georgia; a position he held from 2014 to 2017.

statistics

International success

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

• 1975, 1st place , Junior World Championships in Marseille , Wed, with 325 kg, in front of Jordan Mitkow , Bulgaria , 320 kg a. Dilkow, Bulgaria, 300 kg;
• 1976, 1st place , Junior World Championships in Gdańsk , Wed, with 335 kg, ahead of Todorow, Bulgaria, 315 kg a. Lipka, Poland , 290 kg;
• 1976, 1st place , cup tournament in Sverdlovsk , Wed, with 342.5 kg (150–192.5) in front of Wartan Militosjan , USSR , 335 kg a. Smirnov, USSR, 335 kg;
• 1977, 1st place , Pannonia tournament in Budapest , Wed, with 342.5 kg (152.5–190) ahead of Antal Stark, Hungary , 322.5 kg a. Roberto Urrutia , Cuba , 310 kg;
• 1977, 1st place , WM + EM in Stuttgart , Wed, with 345 kg (152.5–192.5) ahead of Peter Wenzel , GDR , 337.5 kg a. Günter Schliwka , GDR, 330 kg;
• 1978, 1st place , Tournament of Friendship in Moscow , Ls, with 375 kg (165–210) in front of Peter Baczako , Hungary, 342.5 kg a. Rabczewski, Poland, 340 kg;
• 1978, 1st place , EM in Havířov , Ls, with 372.5 kg (170–202.5) ahead of Peter Baczako, 357.5 kg a. Kazimir Drandarow, Bulgaria, 340 kg;
• 1978, 1st place , WM in Gettysburg , Ls, with 377.5 kg (170–207.5) in front of Peter Baczako, 352.5 kg a. Rabczewski, 345 kg;
• 1979, 1st place , tournament of the blue swords in Meißen , Ls, with 362.5 kg (152.5–210) in front of Peter Wenzel, 335 kg a. Posdrowski, GDR, 312.5 kg;
• 1979, 1st place , Tournament of Friendship in Leningrad , Ls, with 375 kg (165–210), in front of Orvos, Hungary, 342.5 kg a. Zayas, Cuba, 340 kg;
• 1979, unpl. , EM in Varna , Ls, after 3 failed attempts in the tear; Winner: Blagoj Blagojew , Bulgaria, with 380 kg, ahead of Rabczewski, 352.5 kg;
• 1979, 1st place , WM in Saloniki , Ls, with 370 kg (170–200) in front of Blagoj Balgojew, 362.5 kg a. Dusan Poliacik , CSSR , 350 kg;
• 1980, 1st place , EM in Belgrade , Ls, with 367.5 kg (167.5-200) in front of Detlef Blasche , GDR, 345 kg a. Horst Appel , FRG , 342.5 kg;
• 1980, gold medal , OS + WM in Moscow, Ls, with 400 kg (177.5–222.5), ahead of Blagoj Blagojew, 372.5 kg (175–197.5) and Dusan Poliacik, 367.5;
• 1981, 1st place , WM + EM in Lille , Ls, with 392.5 kg (170–222.5) ahead of Assen Slatew , Bulgaria, 372.5 kg a. Dusan Poliacik, 367.5 kg;
• 1982, 2nd place , World Championships in Ljubljana , Ms, with 395 kg (185–210), behind Balgoj Blagojew, 415 kg (192.5–222.5) and before Frank Mantek , GDR, 377.5 kg (170–207.5);
• 1983, 1st place , WM + EM in Moscow, Ls, with 392.5 kg (180–212.5), ahead of Assen Slatew, 390 kg (180–210) a. Laszlo Barsi , Hungary, 370 kg;
• 1984, 1st place , tournament of the social states in Varna (replacement event for the OS in Los Angeles), Ls, with 405 kg;
• 1985, 1st place , World Championships in Södertälje , Ls, with 397.5 kg (177.5–220), ahead of Assen Slatew, 392.5 kg (177.5–215) and Laszlo Kiraly, Hungary, 375 kg.

EM individual medals

• Gold: 1977 / Tear, 1977 / Push, 1978 / Tear, 1978 / Push, 1979 / Push, 1980 / Tear, 1980 / Push, 1981 / Tear, 1981 / Push, 1983 / Push.
• Silver: 1983 / tear.

USSR championships

• 1977, 1st place, Wed, with 347.5 kg (157.5–190) in front of Tomilow, 322.5 kg a. Denisov, 322.5 kg;
• 1979, 1st place, Ls, with 390 kg (175–215), in front of Valeri Talajew, 355 kg a. Grigoryev, 355 kg;
• 1981, 1st place, Ms, with 402.5 kg (182.5–220), before Yuri Sacharewitsch , 400 kg a. Gennady Bessonov , 385 kg;
• 1982, 1st place, Ms, with 415 kg (190–225), ahead of Adam Saidulajew , 400 kg a. Viktor Solodow , 392.5 kg.

World records

Jurik Wardanyan set a total of 41 world records in his career. None of these world records is valid any longer, as the weight classes have been changed several times in the meantime.

Top performances

• Middle weight: tearing 157.5 kg, thrusting 193 kg;
• Lightweight: tearing 182.5 kg, pushing 224 kg;
• Medium weight: tearing 190 kg, pushing 228 kg.

literature

• Trade journal Athletik , 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 u. 8/1980.

Web links

• Jurik Wardanjan at the Institute for Applied Training Science
• Jurik Wardanjan in the database of Sports-Reference (English; archived from the original )
• Website "sports123.com"
• Website "www.peoples.ru"

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Jurik Wardanjan in the database of Sports-Reference (English; archived from the original )
2. ^ Weightlifting legend, ex-ambassador Yuri Vardanyan dead at 62
3. ↑ Portrait on chidlovski.net