Ymer Pampuri
Encyclopedia
Ymer Pampuri is a well-known Albania
n weightlifter who in the 1972 Summer Olympic Games became the first Albanian to break an Olympic record in weightlifting and also the first Albanian to become World Champion in this sport.
. Since he was a kid he had a passion for the circus. When he was seven years old he entered in the Cirku i Tiranes ("Tirana City Circus"). But as he grew up he developed a talent in weightlifting. It was Telat Agolli that discovered the young talent and his abilities. He decided to train the young weightlifter and took him to his gym and started training him. Pampuri became a national champion in weightlifting when he was only twenty years old, lifting 120 kg. In 1972 he was chosen to represent Albania
in the European Championship in Romania
. He lifted 125 kg, the same weight with the champion, but ended second only losing by his body mass. In the same year he participated in the 1972 Summer Olympics
. At the age of 27, the 17 Nentori weightlifter broke the Olympic record established by Yoshinobu Miyake
in the clean and press
style by lifting 127,5 kg. It was 29 August 1972 when Pampuri broke the record and became World Champion. However he didn't manage to win the Olympic medal as he was injured in the snatch
style and he finished only ninth. Apart from the titles and medals, he is awarded the "Mjeshter i Madh i Punes" ("Great Master of Work") and the highest title of the Albanian Republic
, the First Class Naim Frasheri title. In 1981 he retires from the sport which gave him so many emotions. He goes back in the Cirku i Tiranes where he retires in 1994. In 2006, Ymer Pampuri returned once again in weightlifting in the age of sixty three years old. He participated in the Masters World Championship along with other retired weightlifters. The tournament was held in France from 26 August to 2 September 2006.
, many of the directors of the Albanian sports laughed. Pampuri's declarations became an object of humour and debates as many of the Ministry of Sports officials couldn't think that an Albanian could reach the podium. So big was the amusement that before his departure he was sent to neurologist Bajram Preza. After his medical visit, Dr. Bajram Preza found him totally healthy and so Ymer Pampuri was able to depart for Munich
.
Albania
Albania , officially known as the Republic of Albania , is a country in Southeastern Europe, in the Balkans region. It is bordered by Montenegro to the northwest, Kosovo to the northeast, the Republic of Macedonia to the east and Greece to the south and southeast. It has a coast on the Adriatic Sea...
n weightlifter who in the 1972 Summer Olympic Games became the first Albanian to break an Olympic record in weightlifting and also the first Albanian to become World Champion in this sport.
Life and career
Ymer Pampuri was born on 30 April 1944 in TiranaTirana
Tirana is the capital and the largest city of Albania. Modern Tirana was founded as an Ottoman town in 1614 by Sulejman Bargjini, a local ruler from Mullet, although the area has been continuously inhabited since antiquity. Tirana became Albania's capital city in 1920 and has a population of over...
. Since he was a kid he had a passion for the circus. When he was seven years old he entered in the Cirku i Tiranes ("Tirana City Circus"). But as he grew up he developed a talent in weightlifting. It was Telat Agolli that discovered the young talent and his abilities. He decided to train the young weightlifter and took him to his gym and started training him. Pampuri became a national champion in weightlifting when he was only twenty years old, lifting 120 kg. In 1972 he was chosen to represent Albania
Albania
Albania , officially known as the Republic of Albania , is a country in Southeastern Europe, in the Balkans region. It is bordered by Montenegro to the northwest, Kosovo to the northeast, the Republic of Macedonia to the east and Greece to the south and southeast. It has a coast on the Adriatic Sea...
in the European Championship in Romania
Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
. He lifted 125 kg, the same weight with the champion, but ended second only losing by his body mass. In the same year he participated in the 1972 Summer Olympics
1972 Summer Olympics
The 1972 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XX Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event held in Munich, West Germany, from August 26 to September 11, 1972....
. At the age of 27, the 17 Nentori weightlifter broke the Olympic record established by Yoshinobu Miyake
Yoshinobu Miyake
is a former Japanese weightlifter and Olympic champion.He received a silver medal at the 1960 Summer Olympics in Rome. He won a gold medal at the 1964 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, and again a gold medal at the 1968 Summer Olympics in Mexico City....
in the clean and press
Clean and press
The clean and press is a weight training exercise, and was part of the sport of weightlifting in the Olympics until 1972. It was removed from Olympic weightlifting due to difficulties in judging proper technique....
style by lifting 127,5 kg. It was 29 August 1972 when Pampuri broke the record and became World Champion. However he didn't manage to win the Olympic medal as he was injured in the snatch
Snatch (weightlifting)
The snatch is one of the two olympic weightlifting events .The essence of the event is to lift a barbell from the platform to locked arms overhead in a smooth continuous movement. The barbell is pulled as high as the lifter can manage at which point the barbell is flipped overhead...
style and he finished only ninth. Apart from the titles and medals, he is awarded the "Mjeshter i Madh i Punes" ("Great Master of Work") and the highest title of the Albanian Republic
Albania
Albania , officially known as the Republic of Albania , is a country in Southeastern Europe, in the Balkans region. It is bordered by Montenegro to the northwest, Kosovo to the northeast, the Republic of Macedonia to the east and Greece to the south and southeast. It has a coast on the Adriatic Sea...
, the First Class Naim Frasheri title. In 1981 he retires from the sport which gave him so many emotions. He goes back in the Cirku i Tiranes where he retires in 1994. In 2006, Ymer Pampuri returned once again in weightlifting in the age of sixty three years old. He participated in the Masters World Championship along with other retired weightlifters. The tournament was held in France from 26 August to 2 September 2006.
Trivia
In 1972, when Ymer Pampuri and his coach, Zydi Mazreku, declared before their departure that they were going to bring a medal from the Munich Olympics1972 Summer Olympics
The 1972 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XX Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event held in Munich, West Germany, from August 26 to September 11, 1972....
, many of the directors of the Albanian sports laughed. Pampuri's declarations became an object of humour and debates as many of the Ministry of Sports officials couldn't think that an Albanian could reach the podium. So big was the amusement that before his departure he was sent to neurologist Bajram Preza. After his medical visit, Dr. Bajram Preza found him totally healthy and so Ymer Pampuri was able to depart for Munich
Munich
Munich The city's motto is "" . Before 2006, it was "Weltstadt mit Herz" . Its native name, , is derived from the Old High German Munichen, meaning "by the monks' place". The city's name derives from the monks of the Benedictine order who founded the city; hence the monk depicted on the city's coat...
.
External links
- http://foreignaffairs.tripod.com/armillotta/pampuri.html – An article talking about Ymer Pampuri.