Ymer Pampuri - Life and Career

Life and Career

Ymer Pampuri was born on 30 April 1944 in Tirana. 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.