Albert Azaryan facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Albert Azaryan
Personal information
Country represented	Armenia
Former countries represented	Soviet Union
Born	(1929-02-11)11 February 1929 Gharakilisa, Armenian SSR, Transcaucasian SFSR, USSR
Died	5 September 2023(2023-09-05) (aged 94) Yerevan, Armenia
Height	5 ft 9 in (175 cm)
Discipline	Men's artistic gymnastics
Club	Spartak Yerevan
Medal record Olympic Games Gold 1956 Melbourne Rings Gold 1956 Melbourne Team competition Gold 1960 Rome Rings Silver 1960 Rome Team competition World Championships Gold 1954 Rome Rings Gold 1954 Rome Team competition Gold 1958 Moscow Rings Gold 1958 Moscow Team competition Silver 1958 Moscow Horizontal Bar European Championships Gold 1955 Frankfurt Rings Silver 1955 Frankfurt Individual Silver 1955 Frankfurt High bars Gold 1955 Frankfurt Parallel bars

Albert Azaryan (born February 11, 1929 – died September 5, 2023) was a famous artistic gymnast from the Soviet Union. He was known for his amazing strength and skill on the still rings. An artistic gymnast performs routines on different equipment, and the still rings are two rings hanging from cables where gymnasts show off incredible strength and balance.

Albert Azaryan won gold medals at the Olympic Games in 1956 and 1960, both times on the still rings. He was the very first gymnast to win the Olympic rings title twice. This was a huge achievement! He also created a special move on the rings called the Azaryan Cross. This move is a difficult variation of the famous "Iron Cross," where a gymnast holds their body straight out to the sides. The Azaryan Cross adds a quarter turn to the side, making it even harder.

Early Life and How He Started Gymnastics

Albert Azaryan was born in a town called Gharakilisa (now Vanadzor) in the Soviet Union. When he was 14 years old, his father passed away. Albert had to leave school to work as an ironsmith, which is someone who shapes metal, to help his family.

When he was 17, some top Armenian gymnasts came to his town to perform. After their show, Albert and other teenagers tried out the gymnastics equipment. The gymnasts were very impressed with Albert's natural talent. They invited him to move to Yerevan to train with them. Just three years later, he became the best in Armenia on the rings. He also earned a high sports title called "Master of Sport."

His Amazing Gymnastics Career

Albert Azaryan first competed at the USSR Championship in 1953. He was a bit nervous because the judges were very strict. When it was his turn, he performed his own special technique on the rings. The judges were so surprised they didn't give him a score right away. But they invited him to the next championship! Later, they said his new technique was "unprecedented," meaning it had never been seen before. This special move became known as the "Azaryan Cross."

Winning Gold Medals

Azaryan joined the Soviet national gymnastics team and competed at the 1954 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships. His friend and fellow Armenian gymnast, Hrant Shahinyan, was also on the team. The Soviet team won the gold medal in the team competition. Albert Azaryan also won a gold medal for himself on the rings.

A year later, he competed at the 1955 European Men's Artistic Gymnastics Championships. He became the European Champion on the rings. He also won a gold medal on the parallel bars, sharing the win with two other gymnasts. He earned silver medals in the individual all-around and on the high bars.

Olympic Glory

In 1956, Albert Azaryan went to the 1956 Summer Olympics in Melbourne, Australia. He competed in many gymnastics events. The Soviet team won the gold medal in the team competition. Albert also won the gold medal on the still rings, becoming an Olympic Champion!

Two years later, at the 1958 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships, Azaryan and the Soviet team won gold again in the team event. Albert also defended his individual World Championship title on the rings, winning another gold. He also earned a silver medal on the horizontal bar.

His final Olympic appearance was at the 1960 Summer Olympics in Rome. The Soviet team came in second to the Japanese team this time. But Albert Azaryan made history! He won the Olympic gold medal on the still rings for a second time. This made him the first gymnast ever to win the rings title twice at the Olympics. Only one other gymnast, Akinori Nakayama, has matched this amazing feat since. Albert Azaryan retired from gymnastics soon after.

After Retirement

Even after retiring, Albert Azaryan remained a respected figure in sports. He was chosen to be the flag bearer for Armenia at the 2004 Summer Olympics and 2008 Summer Olympics. The flag bearer is the person who carries their country's flag during the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games. He was the first person to carry Armenia's flag twice. He was supposed to carry it again in 2012, but the decision was changed because of his age. From 1998 to 2021, Azaryan was the President of the Armenian Gymnastics Federation.

Personal Life

Albert Azaryan had two daughters and one son with his wife. His son, Eduard Azaryan, followed in his father's footsteps and also became an international gymnast. Albert coached Eduard throughout his career. Eduard competed in the 1980 Olympics and won a gold medal in the men's artistic team all-around.

Many important people in Armenia congratulated Albert Azaryan on his birthdays. A special stamp was even printed in Armenia in 2009 to honor him and other Armenian Olympic Champions.

There is an artistic gymnastics competition called the Albert Azaryan Cup, which is named after him. It is held in Yerevan, Armenia. Journalists from the Armenian Sport Journalists Federation voted Albert Azaryan the top Armenian athlete of the 20th century.

Albert Azaryan passed away on September 5, 2023, at the age of 94.

See also

In Spanish: Albert Azaryan para niños

• List of multiple Olympic gold medalists
• List of multiple Olympic gold medalists at a single Games
• List of multiple Olympic medalists