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Russian weightlifting Olympic champion Arkady Vorobiev has died at the age of 88.

“On December 22, the outstanding athlete and scientist, two-time Olympic champion Arkady Vorobiev died at the age of 88,” the federation said in a statement published on its website.

Vorobiev won the gold medal at the 1956 Olympic Games in Melbourne and the 1960 Olympics in Rome in the under-90kg division.

He then became a doctor of medicine and wrote several books on weightlifting, local media reported.

He served in the marine infantry during the Second World War and was awarded with a Medal for Courage before starting his sports career.

The veteran became a five-time world and European champion, two-time Olympic champion in his extraordinary life. He entered the International Weightlifting Federation Hall of Fame in 1995.

The Russian Weightlifting Federation expressed its “deepest condolences” to the family and relatives of Vorobiev, said the statement.

Born in 1924, Vorobiev was the Olympic Bronze medalist in 1952 (82.5kg category), then won Gold medals in 1956 and 1960 (both in the 90kg category). He was Silver medalist at the World Championships in 1950 (82.5 category) then won the title of World Champion in 1953 in the 82.5kg category, then repeated in the 90kg category in 1954, 1955, 1957, and 1958.

In 1959 he won the 90kg category Silver medal, and ended his international career by winning the Bronze medal in 1961. Vorobiev set a total of 16 World records in his career. Later he was head coach of the USSR National team for many years and led to Soviet team at the 1964 and 1968 Olympic Games.

Source: R-SPORT and Mr. Michael Noonan