IWF120y/119 – 2016: 19-year-old Simon Martirosyan shines for Armenia
Simon Martirosyan is the only lifter representing Armenia with two Olympic medals so far. Born in 1997, he was still a junior athlete, when in Rio 2016 he won the silver medal in the 105kg category, lifting 190-227-417. Some months earlier, at the Europeans in Forde (NOR), he was third, and before that, in 2014, at 17, he won his category at the second edition of the Youth Olympic Games, in Nanjing (CHN). After the Brazilian achievement, Martirosyan (photo) continued to shine, namely by getting two world titles, in 2018 and 2019. In 2021, at the Tokyo Olympics (in the 109kg), the Armenian ace is again very consistent, earning a second silver medal, this time in 195-228-423. Not qualified for the Paris 2024 Games, he shone again in 2025, finishing second at the European Championships. In 2023, despite his fifth place at the Worlds, he performed his best international result, with 200-250-450. As an independent country (since 1996 – before that, many Armenians also shone on the Olympic scene, but under the flag of the Soviet Union), Armenia has a total of 22 Olympic medals, including seven (five silver, two bronze) in weightlifting (the second most prolific sport, after wrestling, the only one with two Olympic champions). Other Armenian lifters with Olympic medals are Tigran Vardan Martirosyan (silver, 2008), Gor Minasyan (silver, 2016), Varazdat Lalayan (silver, 2024), Arsen Melikyan (bronze, 2000), and Gevorg Davtyan (bronze, 2008).