Norik Vardanian (Norayr Vardanyan) | |
Birth Date: | 15 May 1987 |
Birth Place: | Leninakan, Armenian SSR, USSR |
Weight: | 94kg (207lb) |
Country: | Armenia United States |
Sport: | Weightlifting |
Show-Medals: | yes |
Norayr (Norik) Vardanyan (Armenian: Նորայր Վարդանյան, born 15 May 1987 in Leninakan, Armenian SSR) is an Armenian and American weightlifter.
Norayr is the son of legendary Soviet weightlifter Yurik Vardanyan (1956-2018).[1]
Vardanian initially won the bronze medal in the 94 kg class at the 2009 Pan American Weightlifting Championships but was later disqualified after testing positive for cannabis.[2] [3]
He competed for Armenia in the 94 kg weight class at the 2012 Summer Olympics where he placed 11th.[4] He was also the silver medalist at the 2015 Pan American Games.
On 6 October 2016, the IWF reported that as a consequence of the IOC's reanalyses of samples from the 2012 Olympic Games, a sample produced by Norayr Vardanyan, who represented Armenia, had returned a positive result. In line with the relevant rules and regulations, the IWF imposed a mandatory provisional suspension upon Vardanyan, who will remain provisionally suspended until his case is closed.[5] On 12 January 2017 it was confirmed that because of a doping violation he had been disqualified from the 2012 Olympic Games.[6]