Hripsime Khurshudyan ( hy, Հռիփսիմե Խուրշուդյան, born July 27, 1987 in Kasakh, Armenian SSR) is an

Armenia Armenia (), , group=pron officially the Republic of Armenia,, is a landlocked country in the Armenian Highlands of Western Asia.The UNbr>classification of world regions places Armenia in Western Asia; the CIA World Factbook , , and ' ...

weightlifter Olympic weightlifting, or Olympic-style weightlifting (officially named Weightlifting), is a sport in which athletes compete in lifting a barbell loaded with weight plates from the ground to overhead, with each athlete trying to successfully lif ...

Early life

Hripsime was born in the village Kasakh in the

Nairi Nairi ( classical hy, Նայիրի, ''Nayiri'', reformed: Նաիրի, ''Nairi''; , also ''Na-'i-ru'') was the Akkadian name for a region inhabited by a particular group (possibly a confederation or league) of tribal principalities in the Armen ...

region of Armenian SSR. She has been training in weightlifting since she was 15 under the honored coach of Armenia, Sarmen Yesayan.

Career

Khurshudyan won a silver medal at the

2006 European Weightlifting Championships The 2006 in sports, 2006 European Weightlifting Championships were held in Władysławowo, Poland from 29 April to 7 May 2006. It was the 85th edition of the event, which was first staged in 1896. Medal overview Men Women Medal table Refere ...

. She became the first woman weightlifter from the independent Republic of

to win a medal at the European Weightlifting Championships. The following year, she and

Meline Daluzyan Mel Daluzyan ( hy, Մել Դալուզյան, born 20 April 1988 in Leninakan, Armenian SSR), is a transgender Armenian weightlifter. He received the Honoured Master of Sports of Armenia title in 2006. Biography Mel Daluzyan started weight tra ...

became the first Armenian female weightlifters to become European Champions at the 2007 European Weightlifting Championships. Khurshudyan also became a Junior World Champion in 2007. Khurshudyan competed at the 2008 Summer Olympics in the 75 kg weight class, finishing in 11th place. She was a late substitute for

, who suffered from an acute attack of

pancreatitis Pancreatitis is a condition characterized by inflammation of the pancreas. The pancreas is a large organ behind the stomach that produces digestive enzymes and a number of hormones. There are two main types: acute pancreatitis, and chronic pancr ...

and was forced to withdraw from the Olympics. Since she was not prepared to take part in this competition, Khurshudyan could not perform to the best of her ability. In 2010, Khurshudyan was unable to fit within the weight category of 75 kg and was forced to move up in weight class. She participated in the women's +75 kg weight class at the 2012 Olympic Games in

London London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...

, though weighing in at only 76 kg. She originally won the bronze medal, finishing behind Tatiana Kashirina and

Zhou Lulu Zhou Lulu (; born March 19, 1988) is a Chinese weightlifter Olympic weightlifting, or Olympic-style weightlifting (officially named Weightlifting), is a sport in which athletes compete in lifting a barbell loaded with weight plates from the g ...

. She snatched 128 kg and jerked an additional 166 kg for a total of 294 kg. Khurshudyan originally became not only the first Armenian woman to win an Olympic medal in weightlifting, but also the first Armenian woman to win an Olympic medal. In 2016, the International Weightlifting Federation (IWF) revealed that she was one of 11 weightlifters who failed a doping test. Actual retests of her samples from 2008 revealed the presence of

stanozolol Stanozolol ( abbrev. Stz), sold under many brand names, is an androgen and anabolic steroid (AAS) medication derived from dihydrotestosterone (DHT). It is used to treat hereditary angioedema. It was developed by American pharmaceutical company W ...

, and she was officially disqualified. Actual retests of her samples from 2012 revealed the presence of

dehydrochlormethyltestosterone Chlorodehydromethyltestosterone (CDMT; brand name Oral Turinabol), also known as 4-chloro-17β-hydroxy17α-methylandrosta-1,4-dien-3-one, is an anabolic–androgenic steroid (AAS). It is the 4-chloro-substituted derivative of metandienone (dehy ...

and stanozolol. In November 2016, she was stripped of the Olympic medal.

Personal life

Following the 2012 Olympics, Khurshudyan got married and took some time off from the sport of weightlifting.

References

External links

* * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Khurshudyan, Hripsime 1987 births Living people Olympic weightlifters for Armenia Weightlifters at the 2008 Summer Olympics Weightlifters at the 2012 Summer Olympics Armenian female weightlifters Doping cases in weightlifting Armenian sportspeople in doping cases Competitors stripped of Summer Olympics medals European Weightlifting Championships medalists World Weightlifting Championships medalists Ethnic Armenian sportspeople