World and European champion Nazik Avdalyan proved more that once that she is not only a strong athlete, but a strong person and a wonderful representative of Armenia as well.
Mediamax Sport gladly presents our female weightlifter (69 kg) in this part of Rio-2016 series.
- Nazik, we know that you went through a lot and had to leave sports for a long time. How did you manage to return?
- Love and faith kept me going. I couldn’t train after the car accident and missed sports. That longing brought me to the training hall again. I had simple training, just because I couldn’t do without sport.
- What did you realize in that time?
- I tried different jobs. I even worked as a coach for some time. However, I couldn’t stay anywhere, because I knew I had an unfinished business. I only thought about returning, and finally, I managed to get onto the international platform again.
Nazik AvdalyanPhoto: Mediamax
- Your sport is a very hard one. However, is physical strength enough to be a weightlifter?
- Physical qualities don’t play a key role in weightlifting; technique, the athlete’s mood and psychology are as important. You lift the weight in your mind before the performance, and if you’re ready, you’ll do it in real life.
- What should the athlete-coach relationship be like?
- The most important point is that there should be trust between them. My coach and I are on friendly terms, we share with each other, he understands our problems. We trust one another in the training hall too, we do our work right, that’s why we have great results.
- Who is your biggest fan?
- There are many people who see me in the street and say they’re my biggest fans (laughs - edit.). My special fan is my son, though, he sees me on TV and gets very happy. When my performance is over and the family changes the channel, he asks them to stop, says he wants mommy to perform again. So my family finds online videos of me and shows him.
- Your favourite holiday.
- I like Easter very much.
Photo: Mediamax
- Which famous athlete from the Olympics you’d like to meet?
- Swimmer Michael Phelps. He’s a great sportsman, an Olympic record-holder.
- What do you know about Brazil?
- I know that Brazilian currency is real, and their football team became World champion five times. It’s a colourful, carnival country.
- How many times did South America host Olympic Games?
- I don’t know. (This is the first Olympics that South America hosts - edit.)
- If you took part in the carnival, what would you wear?
- I think I’d put on colourful clothes.
Nazik AvdalyanPhoto: Mediamax
- Nazik, let’s finish sentences. During training, I miss the most…
- My old kilograms, that I used to lift with such ease.
- Every Armenian must…
- Stay Armenian.
- After the Olympics, I…
- I will decide what to do, depending on how the games went.
Gohar Nalbandyan talked to Nazik Avdalyan
Photos by Emin Aristakesyan
The partner of the project 
Comments
Dear visitors, You can place your opinion on the material using your Facebook account. Please, be polite and follow our simple rules: you are not allowed to make off - topic comments, place advertisements, use abusive and filthy language. The editorial staff reserves the right to moderate and delete comments in case of breach of the rules.