Yurik Vardanyan

:: 11/2/2018: Arthur Chidlovski, , USA
Very sad news. Yurik Vardanyan died today at the age of 62...

:: 7/12/2016: Victor Rosenberg, Cleveland Heights Ohio, USA
I just found out something that a lot of other readers of this website probably know already: Vardanian is now the Armenian ambassador to Georgia. His son Norik is back in the United States.

:: 3/21/2015: steve, sydney nsw, australia
For me the greatest of all time with Suly and Zacha very close. Unless someone can devise a scientific measurement to change my mind. His lifts in 1982 as a mid -heavy at a reported 85.6kg exceed the current WRs in the 85kg class.

:: 7/20/2012: Tony Martini, , U.S.A.
I saw the great one---Yurik---lift at the World Championships in 1978. How in the world could a man with such a slight build, working with only 180 lbs. of flesh, accomplish such a prodigious feat of strength? Of course drugs were involved, but even without drugs, this man was truly stupendous! He imparted such speed to the bar!!!

:: 2/27/2012: Stephen Powell, Columbia SC, United States
The Vardanians returned to Armenia partly for Norik's 2 year suspension. He had 1 minor offense then got busted for Marijuana. Norik hasn't made the smartest decisions concerning his lifting but I hear he is doing better in Armenia although far from being on the National Team.

:: 2/23/2012: Victor Rosenberg, Cleveland Heights Ohio, USA
Does anyone know why Vardanyan decided to return to Armenia? If I remember correctly, he lived in the United States almost twenty years.

:: 1/2/2012: Michael E. Loomis, Woodland CA, USA
Yurik Vardanian currently living in Yerev-an, Armenia with son Norik and family. Yurik enjoyed a most successfull career, Gold Medalist 1980 Moscow Olympics 400 Kg. and 405 kg. (182.5, 224), Sept 1984, Varna, Bulgaria. Both contests 82.5 kg. Class. Yurik was 6 time Senior World Champion 1977-1985. Yurik's 182.5 kg. World Record Snatch stood until 9/22/07, broken 23 years later by Snatch Special- ist Andrei Rybakou, Belarus, with 187 kg. Yurik's son Norik is a world class weight- lifter in his own right. In 2004 in Moor- park, CA, I saw Norik Power Clean 130 kg., Power Snatch off Blocks (33 cm.) 120 kg. and Push Jerk off Squat Rack 170 kg. at 80 kgs. (176 lbs. bodyweight). I was Norik's Assistant Coach for 4 years from Feb. 2002 until Jan. 2006, when he moved to Colorado Springs, CO. Between Feb. 2006 and 2010 Norik had knee surgery, tested positive for drugs and was the Gold Medalist at the 2008 Senior National's in the 94 kg. Class. From Dec. 2002 and Jan. 2012 Norik failed in 8-9 weightlifting contests (DNF), a failure rate around 20%. This failure rate I am not responsible for because I attended only one of Norik's contests. This, the 2005 National Junior Ch., in St. Paul, MN., a Bronze Medalist result. Perhaps Norik's present day Armenian Coaches are 'smart enough' and can 'learn' from his previous successes and failures and turn Norik into a more prod- uctive weightlifter. In conclusion, may Norik enjoy continued success in his native Armenia. Yurik Var- danian, Olympic, Senior World Gold Med- alist, and my friend, I wish you the best! Every word of this weightlifting contribut- ion the Vardanian family will stand by my side. I remain, always, Michael E Loomis.

:: 10/23/2011: pat conroy, n/a n/a, Ireland
Greatest lifter of all time !! But I have to qualify this !! one has to take into account the culture of the time in all explosive events !! Solemanoglu and Zahkarevitch has also to be included in that exalted company !!

:: 8/2/2011: Rick Lujan, Las Vegas Nevada, United States
Simply : We first met in Gdansk,Poland 1976 He and Rigert are and will be my 'Favorite' lifter's and agree with many of the 'statements' made ! Absolutly The 'BEST' Armenia Always in this Cuban born 1957

:: 12/18/2010: Gioacchino Ricci, Rome , Italy
ALFONSO, you forget that before of 1988 there was a massive use of steroids, now W.L. is the less doped of all sports, this because steroids in WL were really getting many athletes sick- only a superhuman could bear 190 kg at 60kg of bodyweight in 1988!(now we have 182 at 62kg bw.)- injuries were too common when urss broke 20 athletes to get one world record!

:: 8/24/2010: ALFONSO A. RODRIGUEZ, PALM BAY FLORIDA, UNITD STATES
ALL I CAN SAY ABOUT THIS EXTRAORDINARY WEIGHTLIFTER IS THAT HIS TOTALS ON BOTH THE LIGHTHEAVY AND MIDDLEHEAVY CLASSES (AT 181 AND 198 LBS OF BODY WEIGHT, NOT 185 AND 209 LBS LIKE TODAY) CAN STILL WIN WORLD AND OLYMPIC CHAMPIONSHIPS. SO, WE EITHER HAVE NOT DONE MUCH PROGRESS IN THE LAST 30 YEARS OR THE MAN WAS JUST SUPERHUMAN. PIRROS DIMAS WAS A GREAT LIFTER AND TRI OLYMPIC CHAMPION BUT HIS CLEAN AND JERK WAS WEAK IN COMPARISON TO VARDANYAN'S. DIMAS BEST WAS 473LBS VS. 491LBS BY VARDANYAN. tHEY WERE EVEN IN THE SNATCH AND DIMAS' ERA STARTED 12 YEARS AFTER VARDANYAN'S 1980 MOSCOW VICTORY. TODAY'S LIGHTHEAVY'S ARE STILL TRYING TO CATCH UP TO HIM 30 YEARS LATER. INDEED THE 1980'S SAW AN INCREDIBLE AMOUNT OF PROGRESS IN WEIGHTLIFTING THAT HAVE NOT BEEN MATCHED IN THE LAST 20 YEARS EXCEPT FOR THE FACT THAT MORE LIFTERS ARE LIFTING HEAVIER WEIGHTS FROM MORE COUNTRIES INSTEAD OF JUST AN ELITE FEW FROM EASTERN EUROPE LIKE IN THE 80'S. YOU CAN THANK MOSTLY THE FORMER SOVIETS AND THEIR SPORT SCIENCE FOR OPENING THE DOORS STARTING IN THE 1960'S.

:: 11/19/2009: Gioacchino Ricci, Rome , Italy
Neither Suleymanoglu matched these results!

:: 11/19/2009: Gioacchino Ricci, Rome , Italy
Pound for pound the best weightlifter ever! Let us remember that his 400kg at Moscow 1980 would have won the gold medal not in one, but in two superior class, up to 100kg!!! And that were 35kg more than the previous Light Heavyweight olympic gold medal in montreal!! But,if i remember well, he did a world record in the shatch of 179kg some week before the olympics, in his epic duel with the great snatcher Blagoev blagoy

:: 9/23/2009: RF Johns, Cambridge Ontario, Canada
I met Yurik in a crowded room at the 1978 World Championships in Gettysburg USA.The funny thing about this incident he was completely ignored by the crowd that had clustered around David Rigert. Yurik out of the blue came up to me to introduce himself and shook my hand.He appeared so humble and a real gentlemen. No one would have thought that he would become one of the greatest light heavy and middleweight lifters and the one to surpass the records of David Rigert!

:: 8/19/2009: José, , Brasil
Vardanyan's 190 kg in snatch (5/21/1982, -90kg) was the fourth attempt?

:: 8/9/2009: Zoltan Kovacs, Budapest , Hungary
I think he was the most talented lifter ever. He was born to be a weightlifter (to be a champion in any sports). He was the representative of the golden era of weightlifting!

:: 9/1/2008: sultansingh, amritsar punjab, india
sir am fan of u.i just ant 2 b like u,always on the top..sir can u please suggest me any thing 2 b my self like u,.,.,.,please sir..!!

:: 8/16/2007: SURRINDER S. Dhah, Fresno ca., U.S.A.
Yurik Vardanyan, now lives in the city of Moorpark, a suburb of Losangeles, Ca. His son Norik Vardanyan, is a very prominent lifter. Norik, reportedly, snatched 150 kg. and clean and jerked 185 kg. in the 105 kg. class and placed second in the 2007 U.S. National Championships.

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