Norair Nurikyan

Medal record
Men's weightlifting
Representing  Bulgaria
Olympic Games
	1972 Munich	-60 kg
	1976 Montreal	-56 kg
World Championships
	1971 Lima	-60 kg
	1972 Munich	-60 kg
	1973 Havana	-60 kg
	1974 Manila	-60 kg
	1976 Montreal	-56 kg
European Championships
	1969 Warsaw	-56 kg
	1972 Constanţa	-60 kg
	1973 Madrid	-60 kg
	1974 Verona	-60 kg
	1976 Berlin	-56 kg

Norair Nurikyan (Bulgarian: Норайр Нурикян; Armenian: Նորայր Նուրիկյան, born July 26, 1948) was a Bulgarian weightlifter of Armenian descent. He is a two-time Olympic Champion and was awarded the Hero of Socialist Labor of Bulgaria and Order of the Bulgaria, First Degree titles. In 1994, Nurikyan was inducted into the International Weightlifting Federation Hall of Fame.

Norair was born in Sliven, Bulgaria to Armenian parents. His father was a baker and was very strong physically. Norair believed he inherited his father's strength. Like most Armenians in Sliven, Nurikyan took violin lessons. In 1958–1959 one of his teachers, who noticed his strong looks, told him "You won't make a violinist. You'd make a boxer."

The first sport Nurikyan took part in was basketball. He used to play with Boycho Branzov, a Bulgarian basketball player who became a key member of the national team. Nurikyan was too short to succeed in basketball. In their spare time, Norair and two of his friends decided to go into the weightlifting hall, where he was spotted by legendary weightlifting coach Ivan Abadjiev. Abadjiev offered Nurikyan to start training with him, feeling his talents were better spent in weightlifting. Nurikyan decided to accept his offer. Abadjiev then promised him he'd make great progress in a year. Exactly one year later, Nurikyan became a Master of Sports.

Nurikyan first had to go to the army and was later discharged. He then went to the Higher School of Sports, where Abadjiev was now the federative coach of Sofia. Nurikyan was not the best at first, but with hard work soon became second in his category on the Bulgarian national weightlifting team, behind Atanas Kirov, the first Bulgarian to become a European Champion. He credited Abadjiev for always believing in him as the reason why he improved.

In 1969, Nurikyan achieved his first international success outside Bulgaria, becoming third in European and fifth in the world that year. He soon became second in European and third in the world in 1971. During preparations in Bulgaria for the 1972 Summer Olympics, Nurikyan broke a bone in his right wrist in January 1972 and couldn't train. Abadjiev then had the genius idea for him to just squat with the barbell. So, while others would snatch, Nurikyan would squat, and while other clean and jerked, he squatted. He did this for three months until his bone healed. Nurikyan's squats improved from 200 kg to 230 kg during this time.

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Wikipedia