On May 5 in Ismailia, Egypt, Narek Mkrtchyan won silver at the 2026 Junior World Weightlifting Championships in the men's 79 kg class.
Results.
He lifted 151 kg in the snatch, finishing third in that lift. In the clean & jerk he lifted 186 kg — also third. With a 336 kg total Mkrtchyan secured the overall silver.
Gold went to Egypt's Abdelrahman Hamuda with 341 kg (153+188). Bronze: Didarbek Zhumabaev (Turkmenistan, 335 kg).
Mkrtchyan's silver is Armenia's first 'big' medal at the championships. Up to this point the team had collected one small gold (Narek Grigoryan, 71 kg snatch) and one small silver (Hovhannes Hovhannisyan, 71 kg clean & jerk).
Coming up: Meri Misakyan (69 kg, May 5), Anna Amroyan (77 kg, May 6), Emma Poghosyan (86 kg, May 7), Valerik Movsisyan (94 kg, May 7), Grigor Ghazaryan (110 kg, May 8) and Gagik Mkrtchyan (+110 kg, May 8).