The key facts
- David Rigert died on October 26 at the age of 79 after a long illness
- His death was announced by the Russian Weightlifting Federation
- The athlete holds 63 world records, six world championship titles and gold at the 1976 Montreal Olympics
Olympic champion of Montreal has passed away
David Rigert, the 1976 Olympic champion in weightlifting, died on October 26 at the age of 79. The death of the celebrated Soviet athlete and Honored Coach of Russia was announced by the Russian Weightlifting Federation (FTAR). According to the federation, Rigert passed away after a long illness; representatives of the organization expressed condolences to his family, loved ones and the athletes he trained.
Career and records
Rigert's greatest achievement was his victory at the 1976 Olympic Games in Montreal, where he won gold in the weight category up to 90 kilograms. Over the course of his career he became a six-time world champion, won European titles nine times and took Soviet championships five times. To his credit are 63 world records and 64 Soviet records, Life.ru notes.
A difficult road to gold
The road to Olympic gold was not easy: at the 1972 Games in Munich, the athlete failed to finish the competition with a valid result. Four years later he won in Montreal, but at the home 1980 Olympics in Moscow he once again ended up without a result in his weight category.
Coaching work and recognition
After retiring from competition, Rigert devoted himself to coaching. In 1985–1987 he headed the Soviet national team, and later served as head coach of the Russian national team, under whose leadership the Russian team, among other things, prepared for the 2004 Olympic Games. In 1999 he was inducted into the Hall of Fame of the International Weightlifting Federation; in the same year, an academy of weightlifting bearing his name opened in Taganrog.
Context
News of Rigert's death came shortly before the International Weightlifting Federation's decision to hold the 2030 World Championship in Moscow — Life.ru reported this on October 25. Moscow last hosted the world weightlifting championship in 1983, and in September 2026 the Russian championship was held in the capital, gathering more than 200 participants. Rigert's death is a loss for the entire Russian school of weightlifting: he was not only one of the most decorated weightlifters of his generation, but also a coach who prepared national teams for the Olympics. For the students of the academy in Taganrog and the athletes preparing for the 2030 World Championship in Moscow, his name will remain part of the living tradition of this sport.
