Artur Ayvazyan

1.1. Birth and Childhood in Armenia

Ayvazyan was born on 14 January 1973, in Yerevan, the capital of Armenia, which was at the time part of the Soviet Union.

1.2. Introduction to Shooting and Move to Ukraine

Ayvazyan took up sport shooting in 1985. In 1990, he moved to Lviv in what is now Ukraine. This move was prompted by his parents' inability to pay the required bribe for his admission into the Armenian State Institute of Physical Culture. Upon arriving in Lviv, he enrolled in a local infantry school, where he continued to pursue his passion for shooting.

3.1. Early Senior Career and Breakthrough (1994-1999)

Artur Ayvazyan entered his first senior European Shooting Championships in 1994, competing in Strasbourg, France, where he placed 26th in the 10 metre air rifle division. The same year, he also made his debut at the World Championships in Milan, Italy. Among the four events he participated in, his best performance was a 12th-place finish in the 50 metre rifle three positions competition. Over the subsequent three years, he maintained double-digit rankings in the European Championships.

In 1997, Ayvazyan's performance saw significant improvement after he relocated to Simferopol to train with a new coach. This change proved pivotal, as he achieved his first ISSF World Cup victory the following year. In 1998, he also placed fourth at both the World Championships in Barcelona, Spain, and the World Cup Final, all in the 50 metre rifle three positions category. He continued his success in this discipline by earning a bronze medal at the 1999 European Shooting Championships in Bordeaux, France.

3.2. Olympic Debut and Continued Success (2000-2007)

Ayvazyan made his Olympic debut at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, Australia. His performances included a 5th-place finish in the 50 metre rifle three positions, 8th in the 10 metre air rifle, and 30th in the 50 metre rifle prone divisions.

In 2001, he reached the podium at an ISSF World Cup Final for the first time, securing third place in the 50 metre rifle three positions event. The same year, he won his first and only individual European Championship title by claiming gold in the 50 metre rifle three positions at the tournament in Zagreb, Croatia. Leading up to the 2004 Summer Olympics, he won a silver medal at the 2003 European Championships in Plzeň, Czech Republic, in the 50 metre rifle prone competition. At the 2004 Athens Games, he placed 7th in the 50 metre rifle three positions, 9th in the 50 metre rifle prone, and 22nd in the 10 metre air rifle categories. In 2005, he added another bronze medal to his collection at the European Championships held in Belgrade, Serbia, in the 50 metre rifle prone division.

3.3. 2008 Beijing Olympics Gold and Subsequent Career (2008-2013)

In 2008, prior to the 2008 Summer Olympics, Ayvazyan faced a significant challenge upon his return from a World Cup event in Munich, Germany. He was detained by Ukrainian customs authorities under suspicion of weapons smuggling due to an unregistered gun. Half of the Ukrainian team was called in for questioning, and the incident led to considerable disruption in their training schedule during the crucial final preparations for the Olympic Games. After a lengthy legal process involving two courts, it was ultimately determined that the guns were legally registered and that the evidence suggesting otherwise had been planted in an attempt to discredit the head coach of the team. This incident highlighted the potential for political interference and institutional failings to impact athletes' careers.

Despite these difficulties, Ayvazyan delivered a stellar performance at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, winning the gold medal in the 50 metre rifle prone event. He also finished 19th in the 50 metre rifle three positions and 21st in the 10 metre air rifle competitions. His Olympic victory was complemented by other successes that year; he secured his fifth World Cup event win in the 50 metre rifle three positions discipline and achieved his highest ranking in the World Cup Final by placing second in the same division.

In 2009, Ayvazyan won a silver medal in the 10 metre air rifle category at a World Cup event, which marked his last individual podium finish at a major international tournament as of 2012. He continued to compete at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London. At these Games, he finished 10th in the 50 metre rifle three positions, 19th in the 10 metre air rifle, and 21st in the 50 metre rifle prone disciplines. This marked the first time in his four Olympic appearances that he failed to qualify for the final round of any competition.

3.4. Change of Nationality and Representation for Russia (2014-Present)

In 2014, Artur Ayvazyan made the significant decision to change his citizenship to Russia. This decision came after Russia's military intervention and subsequent Russian occupation of Crimea, where Ayvazyan had been residing. Following this change of nationality, he began representing Russia in international shooting competitions.

3.5. Career Statistics and Medals

Throughout his career, Artur Ayvazyan accumulated an impressive array of medals from various international competitions. As of 2012, he had achieved thirteen individual ISSF World Cup podium finishes, with five of these being first-place rankings. He also earned four individual World Cup Final medals.

In team events, Ayvazyan demonstrated strong performance across different disciplines:

• In the 50 metre rifle three positions category, he was a World Champion in 1998, a runner-up in 1998, and a bronze medalist in both 2002 and 2010.
• In the 50 metre rifle prone competition, he was a World Champion in 1994 and a runner-up in 2002.
• He was also a European Champion in both the 50 metre rifle three positions and 50 metre rifle prone team divisions in 1999.
• Individually at the European Championships, he won a gold medal in 2001 (50 metre rifle three positions), a silver medal in 2003 (50 metre rifle prone), and bronze medals in 1993 (junior 50 metre rifle three positions), 1999 (50 metre rifle three positions), and 2005 (50 metre rifle prone).