Albert Azaryan

Albert Azaryan
Ալբերտ Ազարյան
Personal information
Born(1929-02-11)11 February 1929
Martunashen, Armenian SSR, Transcaucasian SFSR, USSR
Died5 September 2023(2023-09-05) (aged 94)
Yerevan, Armenia
Height5 ft 9 in (175 cm)
Gymnastics career
DisciplineMen's artistic gymnastics
Country
represented
 Armenia
Former countries represented Soviet Union
ClubSpartak Yerevan
Medal record
Olympic Games
1956 MelbourneRings
1956 MelbourneTeam competition
1960 RomeRings
1960 RomeTeam competition
World Championships
1954 RomeRings
1954 RomeTeam competition
1958 MoscowRings
1958 MoscowTeam competition
1958 MoscowHorizontal Bar
European Championships
1955 FrankfurtRings
1955 FrankfurtParallel bars
1955 FrankfurtIndividual
1955 FrankfurtHigh bars

Albert Azaryan (Armenian: Ալբերտ Ազարյան; 11 February 1929 – 5 September 2023) was a Soviet and Armenian artistic gymnast who competed internationally representing the Soviet Union. He was the 1956 and 1960 Olympic Champion on the still rings. Azaryan was the first gymnast to become an Olympic Champion in rings twice, a feat that Akinori Nakayama would also accomplish twelve years later and that no one else has matched since. He was the first person to do one of the rings most famous variations of the Iron Cross called the Azaryan Cross (not to be confused with the Azarian Roll to Cross), which incorporates a quarter turn to the side.