WAINAO N°16 - THE LORD OF RINGS
WHY NOW? BECAUSE ALBERT AZARIAN COMPETED, LIKE THE OTHER GYMNASTS AGAINST HIS CONTEMPORARIES FOR TITLES, BUT MOSTLY FOR A PLACE IN HISTORY. NOT ONLY HE DID THAT, BUT HE PUT HIS COUNTRY ON THE MAP TOO. We all would like to do something that will stay as long as possible in time after you finished your career. And
As good as you are, your records will be broken one day or another. So the ultimate goal is to create a move that even your opponent will do like azaryan did. He established his immortality .
LEGEND 1
“ For an athlete, create a movement and see your opponents do it …is the ultimate win. It’s like graving your name on all their future trophies ”
LEGEND 2
“ His name is AZARYAN....He came from ARMENIA......
He won twice.....just to be sure the world of gymnastic will never forget BOTH of these facts."
THAT DAY
23 August, 2004: Albert Azaryan, who invented an iconic movement in gymnastic and the first man to win two Olympic gold medals in the rings, is the the flag bearer at the Olympics.
Albert Azaryan is a former Soviet Armenian artistic gymnast who competed internationally representing the Soviet Union. Albert was born , in Armenian SSR. Albert was only 15 years old when his father died, so the young man had to get a job. At that time teenagers and adults had to work very hard, there were not too many jobs available. Albert was taken as an apprentice. the hard work of the assistant blacksmith helped him reach an impressive physique and he became interested in wrestling and weightlifting. “In the beginning I was engaged in wrestling and weightlifting, as there was no gymnastics school in Kirovakan". where we had moved to in 1939
When he was 17, a group of elite Armenian gymnasts gave an exhibition in his town. Afterwards, Albert and other young boys went on the apparatus and tried to perform the skills they had just seen. . Together with the boys of our neighborhood I practiced those other sport types."
The gymnasts were so impressed with Albert that he was invited to move to Yerevan to train with them. After only three years, he became the Armenian champion on rings and earned a Master of Sport ranking.
in 1953, Albert Azaryan decided to compete at the USSR Championship . Azaryan performed a very unique technique that he had mastered. The judges (russian) had never saw that and gave him a low score. The explanation given to the coach was that he had not hold the position long enough.....3 seconds. Azaryan was furious and the next time he lowered to his iron cross and turned his head to face one of the judges: “Is this long enough?” he asked — all while holding a steady cross. Then , turned his body sideways and asked the same question two other judges were sitting behind the rings. They answered ‘Yes.’. He turned back the same way and asked the two judges behind him, and they said the same thing: ‘Yes,’” .
The judges had rated Azaryan's innovation as something "unprecedented." This technique has known from that moment as the "Azaryan Cross". Despite that, they still gave him a low score because a rule said that a gymnast is not permitted to speak during a routine BUT....Azaryan was still invited to the next championship.
Because of his success, Azaryan became a member of the Soviet national men's gymnastics team and competed with them at the 1954 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships. The Soviet team won gold in the team competition and Azaryan himself won the gold medal in rings. Azaryan competed at the 1956 Summer Olympics in every men's gymnastics competition. He won the gold medal and became the Olympic Champion in rings.
Two years later came the 1958 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships. Azaryan and the Soviet team defended their World Championship on the team all-around and Azaryan himself defended his own World Championship on the rings, winning gold medals for both.
Azaryan competed at the 1960 Summer Olympics and became the first to become an Olympic Champion in the rings twice.
On August 23 , 2004: Albert Azaryan was the flag bearer for Armenia at the 2004 Summer Olympics. this is a rewarding for all the pride that Azaryan brought to his country.
“The thing is I love Armenia very much and I respect my nation. I have lived here throughout my whole life and do not want to go anywhere else. I want to stay here and to uphold the name of the Armenian nation. Happy New Year and Merry Christmas to everyone….”
Azaryan was voted the top Armenian athlete of the 20th century by journalists from the Armenian Sport Journalists Federation. He is the 1956 and 1960 Olympic Champion on the still rings. Azaryan is the first gymnast to become an Olympic Champion in Rings twice.
To know more about the subject:
Albert Azaryan (USSR)". www.gymn-forum.net. Retrieved 12 December 2012.
Legendary Armenian gymnast Albert Azaryan marks 80th birthday". PanArmenian.Net. Retrieved 12 December 2012.
Haypost issues stamps dedicated to Olympic champions of Armenia". PanArmenian.Net. Retrieved 12 December 2012.
