YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 5, ARMENPRESS. The International Weightlifting Federation extended condolences over the death of Armenian weightlifting legend Yuri Vardanyan, Armenpress reports citing the IWF website.

“The weightlifting world mourns the untimely death of the Armenian legend considered by many as one of the All-Time Greatest. Vardanyan won a gold medal at the 1980 Summer Olympics, becoming the world’s first weightlifter to achieve a 400 kilogram total in the 82.5 kg bodyweight category. He was a seven-times World and five-times European Champion and held 41 world records. IWF offers it’s condolences to the Vardanyan family and the Armenian Weightlifting Federation”, reads the condolence letter.

Yuri Vardanyan has passed away on November 2 in the United States at the age of 62.

Edited and translated by Aneta Harutyunyan