Greco-Roman wrestler Mihran Harutyunyan.
Greco-Roman wrestler Mihran Harutyunyan has become the first Armenian athlete to win a medal at the first-ever European Games taking place in Baku, Azerbaijan.
Harutyunyan, who competed in the 66 kg category, beat Russia’s Artem Surkov by a score of 0:2 to win the silver medal.
The wrestler beat out Spain’s Navarro Sanchez, Bulgaria’s Konstantin Stas, Serbia’s Alexander Maksimovic and Azerbaijan’s Hasan Aliyev on his way to the finals.
The Armenian national Greco-Roman wrestling team is comprised of Roman Amoyan, Mihran Harutyunyan, Karapet Chalyan, and Maksim Manukyan.
The inaugural European Games endorsed by the International Olympic Committee and organized by the European Olympic Committees, kicked off on June 12 and will run until June 28. The games feature about 6000 athletes from 50 countries competing in 20 sports.
The decision to participate in the multi-sport event in Baku was openly challenged by some of Armenia’s leading athletes and coaches, including Greco-Roman wrestling team world champion Artur Aleksanyan and Olympic silver medalist Arsen Julfalakyan, both of whom will not be heading to Baku.
The National Olympic Committee of Armenia decided in March of this year that Armenian athletes would participate at the summer games. Although Azerbaijan had pledged to ensure the safety and security of the Armenian athletes at the highest level, concerns linger about the event.
Armenia is represented by 25 athletes taking part in six sporting events – four in Greco-Roman wrestling, six in freestyle wrestling, six in boxing, three in judo, two in shooting, three in sambo and one in taekwondo.
