Khurshudyan Hripsime Wins 1 Gold & 2 Silver Medals at the Grand Prix II

The IWF Grand Prix II in Doha, Qatar, has brought us many top-notch performances. Day 10 was no different, where Armenian weightlifter Khurshudyan Hripsime became the leader in the women’s 87-kg category.

She won two silver medals for her 106 kg snatch and 126 kg clean & jerk. This adds up to a leading number of 232 kg, winning her the gold medal. The silver medal for totals went to Rustamova Anamjan from Turkmenistan who lifted 231 kg. Another Armenian lifter, Hakobyan Tatev, came third and won bronze with a total of 230 kg. 

While these numbers are massively impressive, they are nowhere near Khurshudyan’s best. She started training at just 15 years of age under Sarmen Yesayan, the renowned Armenian coach. In over two decades of lifting, the 36-year-old athlete has had some phenomenal performances.

For instance, her 128 kg snatch, 166 kg jerk, and 294 kg total at the 2012 Olympic Games in London is still her best showing overall, to date. It is worth noting, however, that she was later disqualified and stripped of her Olympic medal for failing a dope test. 

Nonetheless, her numbers have gone up by 5 kilos since her last performance at the European Championship, where she won bronze for lifting 227 kg. This goes to show her dedication to improving and outperforming herself, even at this stage in her career. Winning one gold and two silver medals at this IWF qualifier event in Qatar is proof that Khurshudyan Hrispime is one of the sport’s toughest competitors at present.