Olympic champion in Greco-Roman wrestling Arthur Aleksanyan is one of the most popular athletes in his homeland. In Armenia, according to the degree of adoration among the fans, only the footballer Henrikh Mkhitaryan, who plays for Manchester United, can compare with him. Arthur burst into the elite of Greco-Roman wrestling at a young age and is not going to give up his leadership in the coming years.
The beginning of the way
Arthur Gevorkovich Aleksanyan was born in October 1991 in Gyumri, in Armenia. He was lucky to grow up in a family where sport was in high esteem. Gevorg Aleksanyan, the boy’s father, was an honored coach of Armenia and raised many strong Greco-Roman style wrestlers.
Like all boys, Arthur played football, was fond of other sports, however, having such a parent, it was difficult for him to avoid training in wrestling. From the age of nine, a native of Gyumri began to seriously engage in sports halls of his native city under the strict guidance of his father.
Armenia is not the richest country, so the future Olympic champion had to learn the basics of sportsmanship in old, dilapidated halls, heating was not always provided in the winter, but the guy worked hard and did not notice the surrounding inconveniences. The result of hard work was getting Arthur Aleksanyan among the best young wrestlers of the country.
Breakthrough
Since 2007, Gevork Aleksanyan’s beloved student has been constantly participating in international junior tournaments. In 2010, Arthur performed well at the European Championships among youth, winning a silver medal. Soon he improved his performance, winning the junior Greco-Roman wrestling world championship.
Every year, Arthur matured, gained muscle mass, and in 2011 the Armenian wrestler decided to move into the weight category up to 96 kg. A very young athlete, he won the national championship among adults and was included in the composition of the upcoming European Championship.
The debut of a fighter from Gyumri at a high level turned out to be very bright. Arthur Aleksanyan did not pay attention to the titles and regalia of his experienced rivals and broke into the finals of the tournament, where the Belarusian athlete Matvey Dzeynichenko was waiting for him. This time, Arthur lost, but managed to brilliantly rehabilitate next year.
Olympic season
At the 2012 European Championships , the Armenian athlete was one of the main favorites of the tournament. Even the most venerable veterans feared and respected the young fighter. Arthur Aleksanyan met the expectations of the Armenian fans and did not give his any chance of victory. In one breath, the heavyweight from Gyumri won all five fights, allowing his rivals to score only one effective point for the whole tournament.
In the status of European champion, Arthur Aleksanyan went to the qualification tournament in Sofia, where vouchers for the 2012 Olympics in London were played. Polar Bear easily obtained the coveted license, having won the competition, and began to prepare for its first Games.
Armenia did not know the taste of Olympic victories for a long time, before Arthur only one athlete from this country won the gold of the main tournament of the four-year period. In this regard, the burden of responsibility placed on the broad shoulders of the young wrestler increased many times.
London 2012
In London, Arthur Aleksanyan was one of the youngest wrestlers in the 98 kg category, nevertheless, the European title obliged him to fight for the highest places on the podium.
He hurriedly went through the sieve of the preliminary rounds and reached the quarter-finals, where Gasem Rezai was waiting for him. The battle of the titans was stubborn and viscous, the venerable Iranian acted more prudent and pragmatic than the hot Caucasian. That evening wisdom and experience prevailed over youth and talent, the Armenian hero lost to the Iranian baklava.
However, Arthur Aleksanyan still had a chance at a comforting award. To do this, it was necessary to win the tournament for a bronze award. Having defeated a fighter from Cuba, Arthur went to one of the losers of the semifinal - the representative of Turkey. The principal duel between the Turk and the Armenian ended in the victory of the latter, who took the bronze medal to his homeland.
Hero of Armenia
Having suffered a relative setback in London, Arthur Aleksanyan began to prepare with renewed vigor for the next Olympics. Over the next four-year cycle, he consolidated his status as the strongest fighter on the planet, having won the World Cup twice - in 2014 in Tashkent, and in 2015 in Las Vegas.
In 2016, the Olympics were no longer the “green” junior, but the two-time world champion, who had a depressing effect on the psychological state of his opponents. Many of them internally surrendered even before meeting Arthur, for whom the Olympic victory was not just a sporting goal, but a matter of national importance.
He brilliantly covered the entire tournament distance and won the final of the Cuban wrestler, who he had already put on his shoulder blades in 2012. Thus, he became the second Olympic champion from Armenia, starting in 1992.
The last significant fight of Arthur Aleksanyan took place in 2017, when he managed to defeat the representative of Georgia in the final of the world championship, becoming the three-time champion of the planet.