One bronze in the total and worrying results: Armenia’s performance at the 2026 World Weightlifting Championships

Armenia finished the 2026 World Weightlifting Championships in Ningbo, China, with four medals: one bronze in the total, plus one silver and two bronzes in the individual lifts. Varazdat Lalayan won the team’s only medal in the total. With one year to go before Yerevan hosts the World Championships, the Armenian weightlifters’ performance raised plenty of questions.

The team’s main disappointment goes beyond the medal count. Most Armenian athletes were well outside medal contention, and many were also far from the top eight. Five of the 11 competitors failed to register a total, while several athletes’ performances were affected by injuries.

These results carry particular significance because the Ningbo World Championships were the first qualifying event for the 2028 Olympic Games.

Lalayan wins three medals but misses out on gold

Armenia’s main hopes of winning a world title rested on Varazdat Lalayan. The two-time world champion competed in the over-110 kg category but was unable to secure a third consecutive title.

Lalayan finished the competition with a 457 kg total — 210 kg in the snatch and 247 kg in the clean and jerk, earning bronze overall. The Armenian weightlifter also claimed silver in the snatch and bronze in the clean and jerk.

Lalayan therefore contributed three of Armenia’s four medals in Ningbo.

Grigoryan and Poghosyan provide positives

Aleksandra Grigoryan delivered one of Armenia’s strongest performances. Competing in the women’s 57 kg category, she recorded a 205 kg total — 85+120, finished fourth overall and won bronze in the clean and jerk.

In terms of final placing, Grigoryan achieved Armenia’s second-best result behind Lalayan. However, her weight category is not part of the Los Angeles 2028 programme, so her performance in Ningbo did not count towards the Olympic ranking.

Emma Poghosyan also achieved an important objective. In the women’s 86 kg category, she finished eighth with a 249 kg total — 106+143. Poghosyan and Lalayan were the only Armenian athletes to finish these championships in the top eight of an Olympic weight category.

However, a top-eight finish at an individual competition must be distinguished from a position in the Olympic ranking. Ranking-based quota places will be allocated at the end of the entire qualification cycle, counting each athlete’s three best results from the first period and two best results from the second. The top eight athletes in each Olympic weight category will earn quota places, subject to the qualification rules.

Armenia’s full results

Men

• 65 kg: Garnik Cholakyan — 18th place, 285 kg.

• 75 kg: Tigran Karapetyan — no total; lifted 179 kg in the clean and jerk.

• 75 kg: Gor Sahakyan — no total, injury.

• 85 kg: Martin Poghosyan — 23rd place, 337 kg.

• 95 kg: Davit Hovhannisyan — 17th place, 360 kg.

• 110 kg: Garik Karapetyan — no total, injury; lifted 183 kg in the snatch.

• Over 110 kg: Varazdat Lalayan — third place, 457 kg (210+247), silver in the snatch and bronze in the clean and jerk.

Women

• 57 kg: Aleksandra Grigoryan — fourth place, 205 kg (85+120), bronze in the clean and jerk.

• 77 kg: Alina Sukiasyan — no total, injury; lifted 98 kg in the snatch.

• 86 kg: Emma Poghosyan — eighth place, 249 kg (106+143).

• 86 kg: Liana Gyurjyan — no total; lifted 102 kg in the snatch.

Medal results at the last three World Championships

Compared with the previous two World Championships, the outcome in Ningbo marked a step backwards. Armenia failed to win a world title, while the number of medals in the individual lifts also declined.

The team’s depth raises even more questions. Beyond the performances of Lalayan, Grigoryan and Poghosyan, Armenia was largely absent from the battle for the leading places. The reasons behind the disappointing results and injuries require a separate review by the federation and coaching teams.

Yerevan will host the World Championships in 2027. The home event will also form part of Olympic qualification, meaning Armenia must work both to regain its place among the leading teams and to improve its results in the race for Los Angeles 2028.