George Tajirian
George Artin Tajirian | |
|---|---|
جورج أرتين تاجريان | |
 | |
| Born | 5 November 1941 Baghdad, Iraq |
| Died | 30 November 2001[1] |
| Nationality | Iraqi |
| Other names | George the Iraqi |
| Citizenship | Mexican |
| Known for | Iraqi cyclist; smuggler |
| Height | 174 cm (5 ft 9 in)[2] |
| Spouse | Maria Soledad Martinez-Rangel |
| Accomplices | Maria Soledad Martinez-Rangel; Katia Anbousi |
Date apprehended | 1998 |
George Artin Tajirian[a] (Arabic: جورج أرتين تاجريان; 5 November 1941 – 30 November 2001[1]) was a former Iraqi cyclist and convicted smuggler. He competed in the individual road race at the 1968 Summer Olympics.[7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18][19][4][20][21][22][23][24][25][26][27]
Early life
George Artin Tajirian was born on 5 November 1941 in Baghdad, Iraq.[2] When he was young, his parents gifted him a red bicycle because he was a "destructive youngster", thinking that "it would keep him away from the house where [he] would destroy everything in sight." By October 1968, his collection of bicycles had grown to 28, including "two 24-pound white racers" that he took to the 1968 Summer Olympics.[3]
Career
In February of 1967 in Paris, France, Tajirian cycled for 129 and a half hours without eating or sleeping, setting a world record for cycling endurance. He stated that "[his] only nourishment was some water [and that he] had a flask strapped to my racer."[3] At the 1968 Summer Olympics in Mexico, Tajirian competed in the men's individual road race held on 23 October 1968, but did not finish the race.[28]
Later life
Tajirian died on 30 November 2001.[1]
Notes
References
- ^ a b c "Find an inmate". Federal Bureau of Prisons. Retrieved 11 August 2025.
- ^ a b "George Artin". Olympedia. Retrieved 11 August 2025.
- ^ a b c "'Bad Boy' Is One-Man Olympic Team". The New York Times. 4 October 1968. p. 60. Retrieved 11 August 2025.
- ^ a b c Crewdson, John M. (26 March 1981). "IRAQI DEFECTOR WHO DEALT IN VISAS CITES U.S. EMBASSY IN MEXICO". The New York Times. p. 16. Retrieved 13 August 2025.
- ^ Fogel, Helen (14 April 1978). "Iraqi is indicted in entry of aliens". Detroit Free Press. p. 26. Retrieved 15 August 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ a b Doran, Tim (28 February 1998). "Couple charged in smuggling". Detroit Free Press. p. 3. Retrieved 15 August 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "George Artin Olympic Results". sports-reference.com. Archived from the original on 3 December 2013. Retrieved 8 September 2014.
- ^ Katz, Jesse (27 February 1998). "Ex-Olympic Athlete Indicted in Global Smuggling Scheme". Los Angeles Times. Houston, Texas. ProQuest 421323194. Retrieved 11 August 2025.
- ^ "Smuggler gets record federal sentence". UPI. El Paso, Texas. 18 August 1998. Retrieved 11 August 2025.
- ^ Dillon, Sam (26 October 2001). "Iraqi Accused of Smuggling Hundreds in Mideast to U.S." The New York Times. Archived from the original on 27 May 2015. Retrieved 11 August 2025.
- ^ Branigin, William (27 February 1998). "IRAQI ACCUSED OF SMUGGLING MIDDLE EASTERNERS INTO U.S." The Washington Post. Archived from the original on 27 August 2017. Retrieved 11 August 2025.
- ^ Smith, Paul J. (14 May 2002). "Transnational Terrorism and the al Qaeda Model: Confronting New Realities". Parameters. 32 (2). United States Army War College: 7. doi:10.55540/0031-1723.2099. Retrieved 11 August 2025.
- ^ "Terrorism Law Report, 2009 Fall". St. Mary's Law Journal (6). St. Mary's University School of Law: 18. 2009.
- ^ "INS breaks up alien smuggling ring - UPI Archives". UPI. El Paso, Texas. 26 February 1998. Retrieved 11 August 2025.
- ^ Shubinski, Jennifer (1 December 2001). "Immigrant smuggler who made million gets 2½ years". El Paso Times. p. 17 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Malkin, Michelle (9 December 2002). "How many Iraqi sleeper terrorists now in U.S.?". Human Events. 58 (45): 12. ISSN 0018-7194. ProQuest 235876013.
- ^ Smith, Paul J. (2015). "Border Security and Transnational Violence in Southeast Asia". Terrorism and Violence in Southeast Asia: Transnational Challenges to States and Regional Stability. United Kingdom: Taylor & Francis. p. 219-220. ISBN 9781315700441.
- ^ "بعدما ضرب الرقم القياسي في التطاول على الدراجة جورج تاجريان ينظم خمسة سباقات لصالح اطفال ضحايا احداث لبنان(صورة)". As-Safir (in Arabic). No. 1224. 11 September 1977. Retrieved 11 August 2025.
- ^ Wallechinsky, David (2012). The Book of Olympic Lists. Minneapolis, US: The Quarto Group. p. 232. ISBN 978-1845137731. Retrieved 11 August 2025 – via the Internet Archive.
- ^ Crewdson, John (1983). The tarnished door: the new immigrants and the transformation of America. New York, N.Y: Times Books. pp. 33–34. ISBN 978-0-8129-1042-1. Retrieved 13 August 2025 – via Internet Archive.
- ^ "Smuggling mastermind sentenced to 13 years". The Brownsville Herald. Vol. 107, no. 46. El Paso, Texas. Associated Press. 19 August 1998. p. 5. Retrieved 15 August 2025 – via NewspaperArchive.
- ^ "Immigrant smuggling ring indicted". The Daily Texan. Vol. 97, no. 100. El Paso, Texas. Associated Press. 27 February 1998. p. 7. Retrieved 15 August 2025 – via NewspaperArchive.
- ^ "Speedy justice". Detroit Free Press. 2 July 1978. p. 28. Retrieved 15 August 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Iraqi Indicted In Visa Fraud". Petoskey News-Review. Detroit, US. UPI. 14 April 1978. p. 28. Retrieved 15 August 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Doran, Tim (28 February 1998). "Couple charged in smuggling". Detroit Free Press. p. 3. Retrieved 15 August 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Medal Winner Stranded By Luggage Loss". The Times Herald. Vol. 59, no. 33. Detroit, US. UPI. 2 February 1969. p. 10. Retrieved 17 August 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ DeLisle, Tom (2 February 1969). "Cyclist Is Champion Hoaxer". Detroit Free Press. Vol. 138, no. 273. pp. 1, 2. Retrieved 17 August 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Road Race, Individual, Men". Olympedia. Retrieved 15 August 2025.
External links
- George Artin at ProCyclingStats
- George Artin at Olympedia