Alexander Ayvazyan (USSR), 1954-2020
History in Color:
December 13, 1978, Fergana, Uzbekistan, USSR – 24-year old lightweight Alexander Ayvazyan competes in the 67.5kg weight class at the 1978 USSR Cup in Fergana.
Alexander Ayvazyan (1954-2020) was one of the best Soviet lightweight athletes in the late 1970s and early 1980s. He won the gold at the 1976 USSR Championships (snatch) and became a vice champion of the 1982 USSR Championships (total). In 1982, Alexander won the 3rd place at the USSR Cup in Donetsk.
In his remarkable Olympic weightlifting career, Alexander Ayvazyan was a world records holder – he authored 2 world records in snatch. As a candidate to the national team USSR, he won the 1981 Friendship Cup in Lvov.
His all-time personal best was a total of 352.5kg (160+192.9) in the 75kg class at the 1982 USSR Championships in Dnepropetrovsk.
Alexander Ayvazyan died in his home town of Sergiev Posad, Russia on July 30, 2020.
He was 66.
Our deepest condolences go to his family and friends.
RIP, Champion!