TASHKENT, Uzbekistan (A.W.)—Arsen Julfalakyan (Armenia, 75 kg) won a gold medal in Greco-Roman wrestling at the World Wrestling Championship here in Tashkent after defeating Neven Zugaj (Croatia) in the final on Sept. 12.
The victory brought Armenia the first world championship gold in Greco-Roman wrestling since 2001, when Vaghinak Galstyan won gold in the 63 kg category at the championship held in Patras, Greece.
Speaking to reporters at Zvartnots Airport in Yerevan, Julfalakyan said he had been waiting for this victory for four years. In 2010, he had lost in the final match by one point.
In the four rounds preceding the final, Julfalakyan defeated wrestlers representing Azerbaijan, Austria, Mexico, and Georgia.
Twenty-seven-year-old Arsen, the son of world and Olympic champion wrestler Levon Julfalakyan, has been wrestling from the age of 11.
To watch the final match between Julfalakian and Zugaj, click here. To watch the match with Azerbaijan’s Mursaliyev, click here.
In 2009, Julfalakyan won a gold medal at the European Wrestling Championship, followed by a silver medal at the World Wrestling Championship a year later. In 2011, he won a bronze at the world championship held in Istanbul.
In 2012, Julfalakyan won a silver medal at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London. The same year, he won a bronze medal at the European championship in Belgrade.
In 2013, Julfalakyan won his second consecutive bronze medal at the world championship held in Budapest. A year later, he won a silver medal at the European championship held in Helsinki.
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