r/interesting • u/Green____cat • Oct 04 '24

In 1976, Shavarsh Karapetyan, an Armenian Olympic swimmer, saves 20 people trapped in a bus that sank 80' offshore. It took him several hours to save them all, and he suffered injuries that put him in the hospital for 45 days—it ended his Olympic career. HISTORY

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861

u/mantellaaurantiaca Oct 04 '24

Should be worth more than all gold medals in the world

168

u/rcc777trueblue Oct 04 '24

Ya, maybe a medal for being a hero.

68

u/iraizo Oct 04 '24

....you mean like the order of the the badge of honor he received?

2

u/WrapKey69 Oct 05 '24

https://www.reddit.com/r/OldSchoolCool/s/nYbkXTIX0a

I mean, he definitely has lots of medals.

1

u/Irisgrower2 Oct 04 '24

It's become a trash word, Hero. It was exploited during covid to ensure grocery store clerks and nurses didn't receive raises. It's the driving force in the imagination of so many of the United States's gun sales. The thin whatever color line folks spooge at the term.

2

u/rcc777trueblue Oct 04 '24

Never really thought about that. You make a good point. Hero doesn't have the same strength as it used to .

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u/whyenn Oct 04 '24 edited Oct 04 '24

These days he supervises regional campaign activities for Putin during Russia's "elections".

Pity such a heroic youth ended up just another corpulent proxy of Putin.

Hero worship, crowd mentality. Weird stuff. People's reaction to the realization their heroes aren't absolute angels.

1

u/Triptaker8 Oct 04 '24

So he’s just a lackey and an enforcer that provides some muscle for the campaign, wow.  Vote for Putin or maybe your house burns down 

1

u/ashpynov Oct 05 '24

But may be it is you who is on wrong side? I guess that heroic people know is better to be listened than all that bullshitters on YT and TVs?

I’m proud of this man. Me and him was born in same country USSR. I’m from heartland of Russia, and even never was in Armenia, but he is from my nation - we both soviet.

But already for my kid - he is hero from other country. And That is pitty: Heroes are still here, but for our kids they are less and less.

1

u/BjornAltenburg Oct 04 '24

The curse of corruption makes competent people superfluous and medicore people Gods.

57

u/Winjin Oct 04 '24

As far as I remember, he was invited to be the torch bearer by multiple countries - Armenia and Russia invited him twice, and I think France?

Thankfully there's a lot of recognition for the hero he is.

And he's 71 and still alive btw!

38

u/[deleted] Oct 04 '24

[deleted]

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u/[deleted] Oct 04 '24

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u/Horkrux Oct 04 '24

honestly an organ for a piece of metal? a life saved for a piece of metal? deal

1

u/Downtown_Skill Oct 05 '24

To be fair there are other awards, medals, and honors for these kinds of actions and based on the comments he does seem widely recognized as a hero. He may not have an olympic gold but he does have at least two medals for this incident alone. 

He's absolutely a hero but an olympic gold isn't the right award. It would be like giving the medal of honor to a veteran because they won a superbowl.

5

u/BlueEyesWhiteSliver Oct 04 '24

Rename the Olympic swimming gold medal after him.