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David RigertWeightlifter, Honored Master of Sports
Date of Birth: 06.07.1950
Country:  Russia |
Content:
Early Life and Family
David Rigert was born on March 12, 1947, in the village of Nagornoye in the Kazakh SSR. His maternal grandfather, Rudolf Horn, was a baron and served as an officer. His father, Adam Adamovich, a German who had become Russian, was his grandfather's steward. A romance blossomed between the young man and the baron's daughter, Elizaveta, and the couple married. They had nine children, with David being the sixth. He was born when his parents were deported from the Kuban region to Northern Kazakhstan. Due to the family's financial struggles, David was forced to work and help with farming from a young age.
Personal Life
Rigert found happiness in his personal life with Nadezhda Viktorovna, a former javelin thrower. The couple, both strong-willed and disciplined, quickly realized they were meant to be. They had two children together, sons Denis and Vladislav, who would later continue their father's sporting legacy.
Weightlifting Career
From a young age, David displayed exceptional physical strength and enjoyed boxing. However, after witnessing Yuri Vlasov's performance at the Rome Olympics, he discovered his true passion: weightlifting. He began training independently and, upon his family's return to the Kuban in 1964, made his own barbell using scrap metal and combine counterweights.
While serving in the army, he was assigned to a sports battalion. During training in Sverdlovsk, he met the legendary weightlifting coach Rudolf Plyukfelder and became determined to train under him. After completing his military service, Rigert traveled to Tuapse, where the Soviet weightlifting team was training. There, he impressed Plyukfelder with his technique and was invited to join him in Shakhty.
In Shakhty, Rigert became a miner and attended Plyukfelder's school after work. The legendary coach's methods were rigorous. He demanded discipline, respect for opponents, and did not hesitate to physically punish athletes who violated the rules.
Rigert eventually left the mines to focus on weightlifting full-time. As training sessions were held twice a day - an innovative approach at the time - he moved into the gym and slept in the coaching room. His dedication soon paid off, and he qualified for his first Olympic Games in Munich in 1972. However, he was unable to secure a medal, as another Plyukfelder disciple, Vasily Alekseyev, became the champion. This disappointment fueled Rigert's determination to prove his worth.
In the run-up to the next Olympics, Rigert became a three-time world champion and set multiple world records. In 1976, in Montreal, he delivered a stunning performance, bench-pressing 202.5 kg. His main competitors were Atanas Shopov of Bulgaria and Philip Grippaldi of the United States.
After securing the victory and receiving his gold medal, Rigert attempted to set a new world record by lifting 212.5 kg. Speaking to reporters after the competition, he admitted to being dissatisfied with the gold medal, stating that the medal he missed out on in Munich was worth two of these.
Upon returning to Shakhty, Rigert transitioned into coaching, and soon eight of his young disciples became masters in their own right. In 1978, he competed in the European Championships in Czechoslovakia, where he took first place. The Moscow Olympics were approaching in 1980, and high hopes were pinned on the record-holding athlete. However, he began experiencing health problems.
Rigert attributed his health issues to his outspoken nature. During training, two athletes in the 90 kg weight class, Gennady Bessonov and Valery Shary, were pushing themselves too hard. Seeing the rivalry, Rigert declared that he would lose weight to compete against them and outdo their results.
In four months, he lost 10 kg, but the rapid weight loss disrupted his water-salt balance. As a result, his thigh muscles began to tear. In the end, Rigert was unable to lift the required weight in his three Olympic attempts. He subsequently retired from competitive weightlifting and focused on coaching young athletes.
Later Life and Legacy
In 2002, the D.A. Rigert Academy of Weightlifting was established in Taganrog. The facility featured state-of-the-art training equipment and hosted not only Russian but also international athletes. Numerous sports masters have been trained within its walls. In 2004, Rigert served as the head coach of the Russian weightlifting team at the Summer Olympics.
Today, at the age of 75, David Rigert remains the head of the academy, where his sons Denis and Vladislav are also involved. He maintains an active Instagram account (Rigert Workout) where he posts videos and images of his training sessions. He also runs a farm with his wife, Nadezhda Viktorovna, on a plot of land near Taganrog.
