Armenian Sports News Podcast · Andre Khatchaturian

Armenian Cool Runnings: Armenia’s First Olympians Relive Improbable Bobsled Journey To 1994 Olympics

·57 min·3 clips

We walked in behind the Armenian flag for the first time as an independent nation—that mattered more than anything.

This episode of the Armenian Sports News Podcast features host Andre Katchatourian interviewing Ken Topalian and Joe Almacian, the first athletes to represent independent Armenia in the Winter Olympics. Their improbable journey to the 1994 Lillehammer Games as a two-man bobsled team is a story of diaspora pride and grassroots effort. The conversation centers on their unique path to becoming Olympians for a newly independent nation. The idea originated with Paul Varadian, a Providence alumnus and skeleton athlete, who approached the two track athletes in late 1992. Topalian was a record-holding hurdler and Almacian a sub-50-second 400-meter runner, chosen for their sprinting prowess needed to push the sled. They attended a crash-course training camp in Calgary, Canada, with no prior bobsled experience. For their first season, they trained every weekend in Lake Placid, driving five hours each way and repairing old, borrowed sleds themselves. They recruited their coach, Jim Hickey, a former U.S. team slider, from a local hardware store after being turned down by a bar owner. The trio shared this coach and travel expenses with the Greek and American Samoan teams, eventually renting their Olympic sled from the latter. Funding was entirely personal, with the duo joking that their sponsors were each other and their Visa credit cards. Qualification required racing on multiple international tracks and earning points over two seasons, culminating in a last-chance World Cup race in St. Moritz, Switzerland. Their Armenian citizenship, essential for competing, was not formally granted until they were literally checking into the Olympic Village, adding immense uncertainty. At the Games, they were joined by a skier named Arsene from Tsaghkadzor, who carried the flag in the opening ceremony but could not compete due to equipment failure and visa issues. A profound moment was hearing "Hayastan" announced as they entered the opening ceremonies, making the race itself feel secondary. They describe a surreal pause in the Olympic Village snowfall, realizing they were grandchildren of genocide survivors representing Armenia on the world stage. The flag-raising ceremony inside the village, honoring Armenia for the first time as an independent nation, was particularly emotional. They shared lighter moments, like Arsene being mesmerized by the novelty of MTV in the village cafeteria. The tone is warmly conversational, nostalgic, and filled with camaraderie, blending personal memoir with historical significance. Listeners interested in Olympic history, underdog sports stories, and Armenian diaspora identity will find this episode deeply engaging. Those seeking highly technical sports analysis or a focus on modern athletic training might find the retrospective, story-driven approach less compelling.

As heard by us

A steady, human look at Armenia's first Winter Olympic appearance, shaped by memory, uncertainty, and pride.

Andre Katchatourian's conversation with Ken Topalian and Joe Almacian makes a plainspoken case for the human side of Armenia's first Winter Olympic appearance in 1994.

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You want the first-hand story from the two men who became the first Armenians to compete in the Winter Olympics in 1994.

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