The Armenian Weightlifting Federation Receives a Rare Historical Artifact

The Weightlifting Federation of Armenia has acquired a unique souvenir — a medal from the 1983 World Championship, which was originally planned to be held in Yerevan.

That year’s competition was supposed to become a major sporting event for the country, but due to technical issues with the capital’s sports complex, the tournament was moved to Moscow. The medals prepared specifically for the Yerevan championship never reached their rightful winners. Decades later, one of these rare pieces has returned to the national federation — symbolically, on the eve of a new historic event.

In 2027, Yerevan will host the World Weightlifting Championship, which will be especially significant: athletes will compete not only for medals but also for Olympic licenses for the 2028 Games in Los Angeles.

The 1983 medal holds exceptional value: it was minted at the Leningrad (now St. Petersburg) Mint in a limited edition of only one thousand pieces. The design was created by renowned Armenian sculptor Hovsep Papikyan.

Thus, more than 40 years later, Yerevan receives not only a sporting future but also a symbolic reminder that the long-awaited world championship is finally returning to Armenia.