David Adamovich Rigert is a former Olympic weightlifter for the Soviet Union.
Background
Rigert was the son of the Russian-German Adam Adamowitsch Rigert and Jelisaweta Rudolfowna Horn. During World World War II his father was brought to the Ural Mountains as forced laborer together with other Russia-Germans and his mother and children were brought to North-Kazakhstan. David and his siblings grew up in Kuban territory near the Caucasus.
Education
Graduated from the Moscow Institute of Physical Culture, 1978.
Career
Rigert became one of the greatest weightlifters in history. He is of German ancestry. Baron Horns daughter Lisbeth married Adam Rigert"s son Adam.
Two years later, while serving in the Soviet army, Rigert earned the title Master of Sports of the Union of the Soviet Socialist Republics. After demobilization he lived and trained in Armavir.
In 1969 he met the famous Soviet coach Michael Rudolf Plukfelder, who invited him to Shakhty, where Rigert began training at Trud Voluntary Sports Society under Plukfelder. Just 11 months later, in 1970, Rigert made the Union of the Soviet Socialist Republics national team and debuted internationally, earning the bronze at the World Championships.
In 1971 at the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic Championships, Rigert set his first World record. A possible cause was Rigert"s transfer to a lighter weight class, from his favorite "under 100 kg" category to "under 90 kg".
After finishing his career, Rigert moved to Rostov and later to Taganrog.
He coached, studied at The Moscow Institute of Physical Culture, manufactured weights for weightlifting competitions and built some 100 sport facilities in Taganrog. He also created a weightlifting center in Taganrog and coached the Russian National Team. Honorary citizen of Taganrog, Grozny and Chornomorsk.
Politics
In 2004 Rigert was elected deputy of the Taganrog City Council (Duma), and in March 2009 Rigert was reelected deputy of the Taganrog Duma, representing the United Russia political party.
Membership
In 1999 he was elected member of the International Weightlifting Federation hall of fame.