The legendary weightlifter Norayr Nourikyan was honored posthumously at the “Athlete of the Year” 2025 ceremony, held in February 2026. The statuette was presented to his son, Aramis Nourikian, who said excitedly – “My father did not just lift weights, he raised Bulgaria in the eyes of the world.”
A commemorative clip was broadcast at the ceremony, collecting historical footage of his golden Olympic triumphs in Munich and Montreal, which brought the hall to its feet for a final bow to the great weightlifter.
The special “Eternal No. 1” award honored the memory of three great figures in Bulgarian sports who left us in the last year, among whom was Norayr Nourikyan, a two-time Olympic weightlifting champion. He remains in history as the first Bulgarian Olympic champion in weightlifting and our only representative in this sport with two gold medals from the Olympic Games (Munich 1972 and Montreal 1976).
The sports hall in his hometown of Sliven bears his name in recognition of his enormous successes.
“Bulgarian Athlete of the Year” is organized by the Bulgarian Association of Sports Journalists and is one of the most prestigious sports awards in the country.