Albert Azaryan is a former Soviet Armenian artistic gymnast who competed internationally representing the Soviet Union. He is the 1956 and 1960 Olympic Champion on the still rings. Azaryan is the first gymnast to become an Olympic Champion in Rings twice, a feat that Akinori Nakayama would accomplish twelve years later and that no one else has matched since. He is the first person to do one of the rings most famous variations of the Iron Cross called the Azaryan Cross, which incorporates a quarter turn to the side.