By Paul Vartan Sookiasian
Two Greco-Roman wrestlers representing Armenia won medals at this year’s Summer Olympics in Paris Wednesday evening, bringing the country’s total medal count to three.
Artur Aleksanyan’s loss in the finals to Iran’s Mohammad Hadi Saravi by a score of 4-1 not only earned him a silver medal but also a momentous distinction. He is now the first ethnic Armenian in history to win medals at four separate Olympic games. Aleksanyan, 32, who competed in the 97 kilogram weight class, also won silver at Tokyo 2020, as well as gold at Rio 2016, and bronze at London 2012.
Meanwhile, his teammate Malkhas Amoyan, 25, won bronze in a close-fought match by a score of 6-5 against Aram Vardanyan representing Uzbekistan. The match pitted Amoyan, an Armenia-born Yezidi, against the ethnic Armenian Vardanyan. The exhausted men fell to the mat at the conclusion of the match and shared an emotional embrace as Amoyan was declared the winner.
Armenia has the chance for one more bronze in Greco-Roman wrestling, as Slavik Galstyan will participate in the 67 kilogram weight class bronze medal match Thursday.
Over the weekend, gymnast Artur Davtyan won Armenia’s first medal of the games, earning a silver in men’s vault.
