Armenian Weightlifting Champ Wins Best Female Athlete Title

Olympic medalist Hripsime Khurshudyan

BY LILLY TOROSYAN
From The Armenian Weekly

YEREVAN—Just months after winning the “Best Athlete of the Kotayk Province” title in Armenia, Olympic medalist Hripsime Khurshudyan has added another accolade to her name. On Fri., March 8, Khurshudyan won the award for the 2013 “Best Female Athlete” in Armenia.

The 25-year-old weightlifting champion is best known for her breakthrough performance at the London Olympics this past summer, where she won the bronze medal in the women’s +75 kg. class.

Her latest award was unexpected for the athlete. “I could not believe when I heard my name announced for the title of the Best Female Athlete of 2013,” Khurshudyan told the Armenian Weekly in an interview. “It was really unexpected. I could not find the words to describe the moment.”

Khurshudyan was so honored by the award that she did not know how to release her emotions. “I decided to post it on my Facebook page, something I didn’t even do when I won the bronze at the Olympics!” she said.

Her current goal is to win the Olympic gold, but she will be taking it easy for the next few months—at least until her baby is born in October. “I will then return to work towards the 2014 World Championships, and afterwards I will go for the gold at the Olympics in 2016,” she said.