Karen Aslanyan, who won gold in the 63 kg category at the Greco-Roman Wrestling World Championships, said the medal holds enormous significance for him after securing the first world title of his career. He made the remarks in an interview with the press service of the Armenian Wrestling Federation.
“This medal means a great deal to me because so many people have been waiting for it, and all of this has been possible with the help of many people. I am grateful to my teammates, coaches, family and everyone who believed in me. Before leaving for the competition, I said that this time I would be more composed and calmer. This time, I had no other thoughts and simply went out to do my job. I think that is what made this championship different. I was also very calm before the final and managed to put distracting thoughts aside,” Aslanyan said, according to Factor.am.
In the decisive bout of the World Championships in Astana, Kazakhstan, Aslanyan faced Azerbaijan’s Nihat Mammadli. He secured an 8-4 victory, claiming the world title and earning Armenia its first medal of the championships.
On his way to the final, Aslanyan defeated all four opponents before the full duration of their bouts.
He beat Moldova’s Corneliu Rusu 10-0 before defeating Kyrgyz wrestler Aftandil Talaibek Uulu 8-0. Aslanyan then overcame Uzbekistan’s Ozodbek Khalimboyev 9-0.
In the semifinal, he defeated ethnic Armenian wrestler Edmond Nazaryan, competing under the Bulgarian flag, 12-4 to secure his place in the final.
Armenia’s Greco-Roman wrestling team competed at the World Championships with ten athletes and finished the tournament with two medals — one gold and one bronze. Gevorg Tadevosyan won bronze in the 87 kg category.
