Varazdat Lalayan Becomes World Championship Silver Medalist

In the super heavyweight category of the World Weightlifting Championships ongoing in Saudi Arabia, Varazdat Lalayan earned a silver medal with a total lift of 460 kg.

Our two athletes made their presence felt, with Simon Martirosyan being the first to step onto the competition platform, successfully lifting 195 kg in his first attempt. He also exceeded that with a second lift, achieving a total of 200 kg.

Following Simon, Varazdat Lalayan began his lifts, successfully raising 205 kg in his first attempt. Simon had requested the same weight for his third attempt but was unable to lift that weight, placing 6th in the snatch category.

The competition for the podium remained intense among Varazdat Lalayan, Gor Minasian, and Lasha Talakhadze. Varazdat secured his medal by successfully lifting 212 kg. Gor responded with a lift of 213 kg, while Lasha raised 215 kg. The athletes had one final attempt remaining. Lalayan attempted to lift 217 kg but was unsuccessful, securing a bronze medal instead. Gor Minasian aimed for 220 kg but also fell short and took the silver medal. Talakhadze succeeded in his third attempt with 220 kg, claiming victory in this exercise.

In the clean and jerk segment, Martirosyan started the round, successfully lifting 240 kg. Lalayan's attempt was also efficient as he lifted 242 kg, followed by an impressive 248 kg. Martirosyan approached 250 kg and successfully completed the lift, earning him a silver medal in the clean and jerk category. Unfortunately, Lalayan's third attempt was not successful, but this did not deter the Armenian weightlifter from claiming the silver medal in the overall combined lift. Meanwhile, Simon Martirosyan with his 250 kg lift earned a minor silver medal and finished fourth in the combined total with 450 kg.

The title of world champion in the combined total was again claimed by Lasha Talakhadze with an impressive 473 kg, marking his 7th consecutive title. Thus, the Armenian team secured two medals in the combined lift—silver and bronze—along with gold and other medals in individual events. The exact ranking earned by the Armenian weightlifters and the number of participants we will have in the Olympic Games will be known in the near future.