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Ken Topalian (born 5 July 1963) is an American bobsledder.[1] He competed in the two man event at the 1994 Winter Olympics, representing Armenia.[2] Along with Joe Almasian,[3] they were the first athletes to represent Armenia at the Olympics.[4]
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | 5 July 1963 Pawtucket, Rhode Island, United States |
| Sport | |
| Country | Armenia |
| Sport | Bobsleigh |
Topalian was born in Pawtucket, Rhode Island in 1963.[1] He worked in an auto repair shop in his hometown and attended the University of Rhode Island.[1]
Three years after Armenia had gained independence in 1991, Topalian and Joe Almasian formed a team with the aim to compete in the bobsled event at the 1994 Winter Olympics representing Armenia.[1] This included getting a second-hand bobsled from American Samoa.[3] They both attended the training centre in Lake Placid to learn how to bobsled,[1][5] being trained by Jim Hickey who had previously represented the United States at the Olympics in the event.[1] They could train for three hours each day at the weekend, using a sled from the 1960s.[3] To qualify for the Olympics, both of them gained Armenian citizenship and competed in five international races.[3]
With less than three weeks before the start of the 1994 Winter Olympics, Topalian and Almasian were given permission by the Armenian government to compete at the games.[1] They were the only athletes to represent Armenia at the 1994 Winter Olympics.[3] They finished in 36th place in the two-man event, ahead of seven other teams.[6] Neither of them competed in the event since the Olympics, and they had never been to Armenia.[1]
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