Historically, only a portion of ethnic Armenian athletes and athletes of Armenian descent have competed for Armenia in the Olympic Games. Classical Armenian historians attest that Armenian kings Tiridates III and Varazdat were recorded as champions in the Ancient Olympic Games. The first Armenians to participate in modern Olympics were athletes Mkrtich Mkryan and Vahram Papazyan, who represented the Ottoman Empire in the 1912. The first Armenian to win a medal was Hal Haig Prieste, a son of Armenian immigrants, who won a bronze medal in diving in the 1920 for the United States. Soviet Armenian gymnast Hrant Shahinyan became the first Armenian gold medalist of the modern Olympics in 1952.
From 1952 to 1988, most Armenian athletes represented the Soviet Union. Although Armenia became independent in 1991, it and other former Soviet states (except the Baltic states) were part of the Unified Team in 1992. The National Olympic Committee of Armenia was founded in 1990 and became an International Olympic Committee member in 1993. Since the 1994 Winter Olympics, Armenia participates separately. Some Armenian athletes, including ethnic Armenians born abroad and those who emigrated from Armenia, compete under other flags.
Ancient Olympic Games Although athletics never spread into Armenia in antiquity, two Armenian kings may have been champions in the ancient Olympic Games. According to Agathangelos (further corroborated by Movses Khorenatsi), one of the most prominent ancient Armenian kings, Tiridates III, who is best known for converting Armenia to Christianity in the early 4th century, was an Olympic champion prior to his reign. Modern scholars have calculated his victory in wrestling at the 265th Olympics in 281 AD, aged 22–23.
Later king Varazdat (Varazdates), also from the Arsacid dynasty, who reigned between 374 and 378,According to Faustus of Byzantium; see has been widely cited as the last Olympic victor known by name, with a victory in fisticuffs (boxing) in 385 AD. It is supported by a memorial plate at the museum in Olympia, Greece. Other authors have placed the event in 369, 365, or 393. According to Movses Khorenatsi, while a prince living at the court of Roman Emperor Valens in Constantinople, he won the "pugilistic contest" by killing lions. According to Remijsen, Varazdates is the highest up the social ladder of all late-antique athletes. His victory, however, has been questioned in recent decades. Young noted that his "supposed victory is attested only in a murky Armenian source" (Movses Khorenatsi). While Nina Garsoïan considered the purported victories of Tiridates and Varazdates "improbable" and "unlikely.""...his celebration of Trdat and Varazdat's improbable "Olympic" victories..." p. 17 "Xorenac'i's [...] celebration of Trdat and Varazdat's improbable "Olympic" victories [...] are surely forced and far-fetched."; p. 40, n. 132 "The allusion to Trdat's Olympic victories may be taken from [Agathangelos], whom Xorenac'i acknowledges as a source, although the earlier author mentions these victories only in passing, and not in the section relating to Trdat, borrowed by MX at this point. Varazdat's pugilistic and other triumphs are MX's own invention."
Summer Olympics Medal Name Country Games Sport Event United States 1920 Antwerp Diving Men's 10 metre platform Soviet Union 1952 Helsinki Gymnastics Men's team all-around Soviet Union 1952 Helsinki Gymnastics Men's individual all-around Soviet Union 1952 Helsinki Gymnastics Men's rings Soviet Union 1952 Helsinki Gymnastics Men's pommel horse Soviet Union 1952 Helsinki Weightlifting Men's Featherweight Soviet Union 1952 Helsinki Wrestling Men's Greco-Roman Bantamweight Soviet Union 1956 Melbourne Boxing Men's Light Welterweight Soviet Union 1956 Melbourne Gymnastics Men's team all-around Soviet Union 1956 Melbourne Gymnastics Men's Rings Soviet Union 1956 Melbourne Football Men's tournament Soviet Union 1956 Melbourne Water polo Men's tournament Armenian father; see Soviet Union 1960 Rome Athletics Men's long jump Soviet Union 1960 Rome Gymnastics Men's rings Soviet Union 1960 Rome Gymnastics Men's team all-around Soviet Union 1964 Tokyo Athletics Men's long jump Soviet Union 1964 Tokyo Basketball Men's basketball Bulgaria 1972 Munich Weightlifting Men's Featherweight Soviet Union 1972 Munich Gymnastics Men's artistic team all-around Soviet Union 1972 Munich Football Men's tournament Soviet Union 1972 Munich Football Men's tournament Bulgaria 1976 Montreal Weightlifting Men's Bantamweight Soviet Union 1976 Montreal Weightlifting Men's middleweight Soviet Union 1976 Montreal Wrestling Men's Greco-Roman 62 kg Soviet Union 1976 Montreal Wrestling Men's Greco-Roman 68 kg Soviet Union 1976 Montreal Rowing Men's coxless fours Soviet Union 1976 Montreal Volleyball Women's tournament Soviet Union 1976 Montreal Boxing Men's Flyweight Soviet Union 1980 Moscow Weightlifting Men's 56 kg Soviet Union 1980 Moscow Gymnastics Men's artistic team all-around Soviet Union 1980 Moscow Diving Women's 10 metre platform Soviet Union 1980 Moscow Fencing Men's team foil Soviet Union 1980 Moscow Weightlifting Men's 82.5 kg Soviet Union 1980 Moscow Diving Men's 10 metre platform Soviet Union 1980 Moscow Fencing Men's team épée France 1980 Moscow Judo Men's Half Middleweight Soviet Union 1980 Moscow Field hockey Men's tournament Soviet Union 1980 Moscow Wrestling Men's freestyle 90 kg Soviet Union 1980 Moscow Football Men's tournament Soviet Union 1988 Seoul Weightlifting Men's Bantamweight Soviet Union 1988 Seoul Weightlifting Men's Lightweight Soviet Union 1988 Seoul Wrestling Men's Greco-Roman 68 kg Soviet Union 1988 Seoul Fencing Men's team sabre Soviet Union 1988 Seoul Wrestling Men's freestyle 62 kg Armenian mother; see Bulgaria 1988 Seoul Tennis Women's Singles Unified Team 1992 Barcelona Wrestling Men's Greco-Roman 52 kg Unified Team 1992 Barcelona Wrestling Men's Greco-Roman 74 kg Unified Team 1992 Barcelona Weightlifting Men's Lightweight–67.5 kg Unified Team 1992 Barcelona Shooting Men's 50 metre rifle three positions Armenian father; see Unified Team 1992 Barcelona Basketball Women's tournament Unified Team 1992 Barcelona Fencing Men's team sabre Armenia 1996 Atlanta Wrestling Men's Greco-Roman Flyweight Uzbekistan 1996 Atlanta Judo Men's Middleweight Armenian father; see Russia 1996 Atlanta Fencing Women's team épée Armenia 1996 Atlanta Wrestling Men's Freestyle Light Flyweight Armenian father; see United States 1996 Atlanta Tennis Men's singles Russia 2000 Sydney Fencing Women's team épée France 2000 Sydney Gymnastics Men's horizontal bar Armenia 2000 Sydney Weightlifting Men's Middleweight–77 kg Russia 2000 Sydney Wrestling Men's Greco-Roman 63 kg Bulgaria 2000 Sydney Wrestling Men's Greco-Roman flyweight–58 kg Armenian father; see Russia 2000 Sydney Handball Men's tournament Russia 2004 Athens Fencing Women's team épée Greece 2004 Athens Wrestling Men's Greco-Roman 55 kg Sweden 2004 Athens Wrestling Men's Greco-Roman 84 kg Greece 2004 Athens Water polo Women's competition Kazakhstan 2004 Athens Wrestling Men's Greco-Roman 66 kg Bulgaria 2004 Athens Wrestling Men's Greco-Roman 60 kg Russia 2004 Athens Wrestling Men's Greco-Roman 74 kg Armenia 2008 Beijing Weightlifting Men's Middleweight (69 kg) Ukraine 2008 Beijing Wrestling Men's Greco-Roman 66 kg Armenia 2008 Beijing Weightlifting Men's Middleweight (77 kg) Armenia 2008 Beijing Weightlifting Men's Middleweight (85 kg) Ukraine 2008 Beijing Shooting Men's 50 metre rifle prone Netherlands 2008 Beijing Water polo Women's competition Armenia 2008 Beijing Boxing Men's Lightweight Russia 2012 London Judo Men's extra-lightweight–60 kg Russia 2012 London Athletics Women's high jump Armenia 2012 London Weightlifting Women's +75 kg Armenia 2012 London Wrestling Men's Greco-Roman–74 kg Armenia 2012 London Wrestling Men's Greco-Roman–96 kg Russia 2012 London Boxing Men's light flyweight–49 kg Russia 2016 Rio Handball Women's sabre Russia 2016 Rio Fencing Women's sabre Russia 2016 Rio Gymnastics Women's artistic team all-around Russia 2016 Rio Shooting Men's 50 metre rifle prone Russia 2016 Rio Fencing Women's team sabre Armenia2016 RioWeightliftingMen's 105 kg Armenia2016 RioWrestlingMen's Greco-Roman 66 kg Armenia2016 RioWrestlingMen's Greco-Roman 98 kg Armenia2016 RioWeightliftingMen's +105 kg Germany2016 RioBoxingMen's light welterweight 64 kg 2020 Tokyo Gymnastics Men's artistic team all-around 2020 Tokyo Tennis Men's singles Armenia 2020 Tokyo Gymnastics Men's Vault Armenia 2020 Tokyo Wrestling Men's Greco-Roman 97 kg Armenia 2020 Tokyo Weightlifting Men's 109 kg Armenia 2020 Tokyo Boxing Men's lightweight Mariya LasitskeneArmenian mother 2020 TokyoAthleticsWomen's high jump Armenia 2024 Paris Gymnastics Man's vault Armenia 2024 Paris Wrestling Men's Greco-Roman 97 kg Armenia 2024 Paris Weightlifting Men's +102 kg 2024 Paris Weightlifting Men's +102 kg
By games
By sport
By country
Disqualified athletes Ashot Danielyan of Armenia was stripped of his medal and suspended following a positive drug test after winning a bronze medal at the 2000 Sydney Games in Men's +105 kg Weightlifting. Ara Abrahamian of Sweden was disqualified after winning a bronze medal at the 2008 Beijing Games in Men's Greco-Roman 84 kg Wrestling due to "violating the spirit of fair play."
Winter Olympics Medal Name Country Games Sport Event Grigory Mkrtychan Soviet Union 1956 Cortina d'Ampezzo Ice hockey Men's tournament Vicki Movsessian United States 1998 Nagano Ice hockey Women's tournament Evgenia Medvedeva OAR 2018 Pyeongchang Figure skating Team event Evgenia Medvedeva OAR 2018 Pyeongchang Figure skating Ladies' singles
By games GamesGoldSilverBronzeTotal 1956 Cortina d'Ampezzo 1 0 0 1 1998 Nagano 1 0 0 1 2018 Pyeongchang 0 2 0 2 Total 2 2 0 4
By sport
By country
Armenian coaches Adam Krikorian, the head coach of the United States women's national water polo team, which won gold medals at the 2012, 2016, and 2020 Olympics. Brian Goorjian, the head coach of the Australia men's national basketball team, which won a bronze medal at the 2020 Olympics. Rafael Arutyunyan, coach of Nathan Chen
See also Armenia at the Olympics
References Notes
Citations
Bibliography [a list of ethnic Armenian medalists up to 2000]