Topic: News: Yourik Sarkisian Hangs Up Shoes At Commonwealth Games

[Chris Ⓐ LeRoux]

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Veteran lifter hangs up shoes
By Hugh Martin

AFTER 26 years, time finally caught up with veteran Australia weightlifter Yourik Sarkisian today.

The Armenian-born strongman, one of the most experienced competitors at these Games, finally conceded that at 44 years of age, his time in the sport is over.

He had his work cut out in Melbourne today with serious challenges from the young bucks like Arun Murugesan of India and Chinthana Vidanage of Sri Lanka who took silver and gold respectively.

After failing to lift 146kg Sarkisian conceded, and in a symbolic gesture of retirement, removed his shoes before leaving the platform.

It marked the end of a distinguished career.

More than a quarter of a century ago, Sarkisian represented the Soviet Union at the 1980 Moscow Olympics, where he won a silver medal in the 56kg class.

Since then has competed in three Olympic Games and two Commonwealth Games.

He won three silver medals in the 1998 Kuala Lumpur Commonwealth Games, and three gold medals in Manchester in 2002, all in the 62 kg class.

However, Sarkisian said after the competition that his retirement might not be permanent.

"Today, I am stopped, next year I don't know," he said.

He finished in seventh place after lifting a total of 255kg. Sri Lanka's Chinthana Vidanage's gold medal winning total was 271kg total.

Sarkisian said he had felt he had the ability to win gold, but had faltered under pressure in front of his home crowd.

"Too much pressure, I never feel this pressure before," he said.

"I feel nervous, that never happened before too."

With the final lift of the competition, Vidanage had to lift 153kg, after failing in his previous attempt at 150kg, when the jury overturned an earlier majority decision of the judges, who had awarded him the lift.

It made it all the sweeter for him when he then hoisted the 153kg weight, giving him the gold medal, Sri Lanka's first medal of the weightlifting in these Games.