Artur Akopyan

Artur Akopyan
— Gymnast —
Full name Artur Akopyan
Country represented  United States
Former countries represented  Soviet Union
Born (1961-09-28) September 28, 1961
Yerevan, Soviet Armenia, USSR
Hometown Los Angeles, U.S.
Height 5 ft 8 in (1.73 m)
Discipline Men's artistic gymnastics
Level Senior International Elite
Years on national team 1976-1985
Club Trudoviye Reservi Club
Gym All Olympia Gymnastics Center (AOGC)
Head coach(es) Genrikh Vanisyan
Retired 1985
Medal record
World Championships
1981 Moscow Team
1983 Budapest Vault
1981 Moscow High-Bar
1981 Moscow Vault
1983 Budapest Team
1983 Budapest All-round

Artur (Arthur) Akopyan (Armenian: Արթուր Հակոբյան born September 28, 1961) is an Armenian-American gymnastics coach for the USA Gymnastics National Team and a former gymnast on the USSR Olympic Gymnastics Team. He is credited as the first athlete to do a Tsukahara double twist. Akopyan received three scores of 10 at the 1981 World Championships in Moscow. His competitive career included the 1983 World vault title, in addition to three other World individual medals.

Coaching career

Akopyan currently coaches 2012 Olympic champion McKayla Maroney. His past national team members include Mattie Larson and Samantha Shapiro. He served as a member of the national team coaching staff from 1989-2004. He coaches at All Olympia Gymnastics Center in Los Angeles, California.[1] Akopyan gained recognition in the United States after Bela Karolyi asked him to help gymnast Kim Zmeskal. Within a couple of days, Akopyan was able to help Zmeskal with elements of her compulsory routine that she had been working on for a year.[2][3][4][5]

Competitive history

Year Event AA Team VT HB PH FX
1976USSR Cup (junior)1st
1977USSR Championships (junior)1st
Friendship Tournament6th1st
All-Union Youth Sports Games1st
1978USSR Championships (junior)2nd
Friendship Tournament (junior)4th1st2nd
1979USSR Spartakiade13th5th
USSR Championships6th5th4th
USSR-ROM Dual Meet1st1st
USSR-GDR Dual Meet1st1st
USSR Cup1st2nd3rd1st
Chunichi Cup3rd
Tokyo Cup1st1st
1980USSR Cup6
Moscow News3rd
1981USSR Cup11th2nd
USSR Championships5th1st2nd
University Games3rd5th6th7th
Milan Grand Prix4th
World Championships8th1st2nd2nd
1983USSR Spartakiade3rd1st
USSR Cup2nd1st3rd
USSR Championships5th1st4th6th
USA-USSR Dual Meet6th1st
Dynamo Spartakiade3rd
Riga International1st1st1st
World Championships3rd2nd1st
1985USSR Cup6th
USSR Championships6th8th

References

  1. ↑ "USA Gymnastics: Artur Akopyan".
  2. ↑ "USA Gymnastics: Artur Akopyan".
  3. ↑ Zakharian, Lianna (Jan–Feb 2011). "Spotting the Champions". Yerevan Magazine. Retrieved December 23, 2012.
  4. ↑ "All Olympia Gymnastics Center: Staff". All Olympia Gymnastics Center. Retrieved December 23, 2012.
  5. ↑ "USA Gymnastics: McKayla Maroney". USA Gymnastics. Retrieved December 23, 2012.
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