Armenia’s Artur Aleksanyan Becomes World Wrestling Champion for Third Time

PARIS (A.W.)—Reigning Armenian Olympic champion Artur Aleksanyan became the world Greco-Roman Wrestling champion (98 kg) after beating Russia’s Musa Yevloyev 3-1 by decision at the World Wrestling Championship in Paris on Aug. 21.

Aleksanyan is now a three-time World Champion (2014, 2015, 2017), and a three-time European Champion (2012, 2013, 2014).

Artur Aleksanyan won Armenia’s first gold medal at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, after defeating Yasmany Daniel Lugo Cabrera of Cuba in the Greco-Roman Wrestling 98 kg final on Aug. 16. Aleksanyan, the two-time reigning world champion, won back-to-back matches by technical fall in the quarterfinals and semifinals. He beat Turkey’s Cenk İldem in the semifinals.

During the Olympic medal ceremony, Aleksanyan wore a shirt with an image of Robert Abajyan—a junior sergeant killed in Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabagh/NKR) in early April. Abajyan was posthumously awarded with the “Hero of Artsakh” award, which is Artsakh’s highest honorary title. Abajyan, who was 19 years old when he was killed, is the youngest person to be awarded the title.

Aleksanyan was born on Oct. 21, 1991 in Gyumri. He started Greco-Roman wrestling in 2000 under the guidance of his father, Gevorg Aleksanyan, a respected wrestling coach in Armenia.