The message reads, in part:
“Yury Vlasov was a famous athlete, an Olympic champion and a person of character, strong will and purpose. Thanks to his exceptional diligence and self-discipline, he realised his remarkable potential and added several bright and truly epic pages to the national and global history of weightlifting, achieved a great deal as a public figure.”
Yury Vlasov died on February 13, 2021 at the age of 85.
Yury Vlasov won an Olympic gold in 1960 and a silver in 1964, four gold medals at world championships and six at European tournaments. He also set 31 world records, including three in powerlifting, and 41 national records. After finishing his sports career, Vlasov became a writer and was president of the Soviet Weightlifting Federation (1985–1987). In 1996, he ran for the president of Russia.