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Yuriy SarkisyanAustralian, formerly Soviet, Armenian weightlifter
Date of Birth: 14.08.1961
Country:  Australia |
Content:
Biography of Yuri Sarkisyan
Early Life and CareerYuri Sarkisyan, an Australian-born, former Soviet and Armenian weightlifter, was born in the village of Samagar in the Echmiadzin district of the Armenian SSR. He started practicing weightlifting at the age of 13 and by the age of 16, he had already achieved the rank of Honored Master of Sports of the USSR. At 18, Sarkisyan achieved the rank of International Class Honored Master of Sports of the USSR.
Achievements
In 1980, Yuri Sarkisyan was selected to represent the USSR in weightlifting at the Olympic Games in Moscow, where he set a world record in the clean and jerk and won a silver medal. He became the Junior World Champion in 1981 and went on to win the World and European Championships in 1982 and 1983, setting multiple world records in the process. Sarkisyan was considered a favorite for the 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles, but he was unable to participate due to the Soviet Union's decision to boycott the Games.
Later Career and Retirement
In 1985 and 1987, Sarkisyan won silver medals at the World Championships but was not selected to represent the USSR at the Seoul Olympic Games. After this disappointment, he took a break from training and considered retiring from the sport.
In 1993, Sarkisyan joined the Armenian national team and competed at the World Championships in Melbourne, where he won a bronze medal. Following his success, he signed a contract with the Australian Weightlifting Federation and began representing Australia. Sarkisyan competed at the Olympic Games in Atlanta and Sydney, finishing in seventh and ninth place, respectively. He also participated in the Commonwealth Games in 1998 and 2002, winning a silver and gold medal, respectively.
In 2006, Sarkisyan announced his retirement from competitive weightlifting and turned his focus to entrepreneurship and coaching. He currently trains his son David, who is one of Australia's top weightlifters. David has achieved podium finishes at the Oceania Championships in the 69kg and 77kg weight categories in 2004 and 2008.
