ARMENIA'S OLYMPIC ATHLETES IN LONDON
Asbarez
Thursday, July 26th, 2012
On Tuesday the Armenian National Olympic Committee hosted a sendoff
for Team Armenia
LONDON-Athletes representing Armenia in the Olympic Games arrived in
London where they will be competing in a variety of sports, including
boxing, weightlifting, wrestling judo, swimming, gymnastics, shooting,
track & field and taekwondo.
The 25-person team includes four women, two of whom will compete in
weightlifting and the other two in swimming and track each. On the
men's side, seven will compete in wrestling, six in weightlifting,
four in track & field, two in swimming, two in judo and one each in
boxing, taekwondo, gymnastics and shooting.
President Serzh Sarkisian also left for London Thursday to attend the
opening ceremonies of the Olympic Games, which will be held on Friday.
Prior to his departure, Sarkisian issued an encouraging statement to
the athletes.
"Our compatriots in Armenia and the Diaspora will attentively follow
your performances. I believe you will meet the expectations, and will
join Olympic champions and prize winners from Armenia and find your
place in the history book of Armenian athletics," said Sarkisian in
his statement.
"I am confident that you will represent our country with honor, embark
on fair competition, fully demonstrate your skills, and protect the
honor of Armenia's athletic flag," said Sarkisian, who added that he
would like to become an "eyewitness of your victories to share with
you the joy of triumph."
Armenia took away six bronze medals in the 2008 Beijing Games. This
time, too, they are looking to come back winners.
Boxer Andranik Hakobyan, told RFE/RL's Armenian service (Azatutyun.am)
on Wednesday before leaving for London that he is in good form and
aiming for an Olympic medal. "We are going [to London] with high
expectations," said Hakobyan. "We should try to do our utmost to
return home with a medal."
The youngest of the Olympic team members are 18-year-old swimmer
Anahit Barseghyan and 19-year-old gymnast Artur Davtyan. Also on
the team are wrestling champion Artur Aleksanyan, 20, who earlier
this year won a gold medal at the European Wrestling Competition and
weightlifter Norayr Vardanyan, 24. Vardanyan trained with his father,
Yuri, who won a gold medal in the 1980 Moscow Games. The team also
includes 2008 bronze medal winners 24-year-old Tigran Martirosyan
(weightlifting and 32-year-old Yuri Patrikeyev (wrestling). Veteran
Olympians Armen Nazarian, 30 (Judo), and Norayr Bakhtamyan, 41
(shooting) will compete in their third Olympic Games.
Chairman of Armenia's National Olympic Committee Gagik Tsarukian, has
pledged a $700,000 bonus to athletes for each gold medal. Meanwhile the
government has said it would reward the equivalent of about $72,000,
$48,000 and $24,000 to gold, silver and bronze medalists, respectively.
Aside from the 25 athletes competing in Team Armenia, an estimated
seven athletes of Armenian descent will represent other countries.
Artur Ayvazyan, who won a gold medal in 2008, will again represent
Ukraine in shooting competitions, while Misha Aloyan (boxing, 52 kg),
David Ayrapetyan (boxing, 49 kg) and Arsen Galstyan (judo, 60 kg) will
be competing for the Russian team. Vazgen Safaryants will represent
Belarus (boxing, 60 kg). Tvin Moumjoghlian, 23 (table tennis) and
Gretta Taslakian, 27 (track & field) will compete in the Lebanon team.
Below is the list of athletes (in alphabetical order) and the field
of their competition.
Name Age Competition
Artur Aleksanyan 20 Greco-Roman wrestling, 96 kg Norayr Bakhtamyan
41 Pistol and Air Pistol shooting Anahit Barseghyan 18 Swimming,
100 m backstroke Meline Daluzyan 24 Women's weightlifting, 69 kg
Artur Davtyan 19 Gymnastics Hovhannes Davtyan 28 Judo, 60 kg
Andranik Hakobyan 30 Boxing, 75 kg Kristine Harutyunyan 21 Javelin
throw Mihran Jaburyan 27 Freestyle wrestling, 55 kg Melik Janoyan
27 Javelin throw Arsen Julfalakyan 25 Greco-Roman wrestling, 74
kg Ara Khachatryan 29 Weightlifting, 85 kg Hripsime Khurshudyan
24 Women's weightlifting, 75 kg Mikael Koloyan 29 Swimming,
100m freestyle
Tigran Martirosyan 24 Weightlifting, 77 kg
Arakel Mirzoyan 22 Weightlifting, 69 kg
Armen Nazaryan 30 Judo, 66 kg
Gadzhimurad Nurmagomedov, 25 Freestyle wrestling, 84 kg Vardan
Pahlevanyan 24 Long jump Yuri Patrikeyev 32 Greco-Roman
wrestling, 120 kg David Safaryan 22 Freestyle wrestling, 66 kg
Arsen Sargsyan 27 Long jump Norayr Vardanyan 25 Weightlifting,
94 kg Hovhannes Varderesyan 23 Greco-Roman wrestling, 66 kg Arman
Yeremyan 26 Taekwondo, 80 kg
Asbarez
Thursday, July 26th, 2012
On Tuesday the Armenian National Olympic Committee hosted a sendoff
for Team Armenia
LONDON-Athletes representing Armenia in the Olympic Games arrived in
London where they will be competing in a variety of sports, including
boxing, weightlifting, wrestling judo, swimming, gymnastics, shooting,
track & field and taekwondo.
The 25-person team includes four women, two of whom will compete in
weightlifting and the other two in swimming and track each. On the
men's side, seven will compete in wrestling, six in weightlifting,
four in track & field, two in swimming, two in judo and one each in
boxing, taekwondo, gymnastics and shooting.
President Serzh Sarkisian also left for London Thursday to attend the
opening ceremonies of the Olympic Games, which will be held on Friday.
Prior to his departure, Sarkisian issued an encouraging statement to
the athletes.
"Our compatriots in Armenia and the Diaspora will attentively follow
your performances. I believe you will meet the expectations, and will
join Olympic champions and prize winners from Armenia and find your
place in the history book of Armenian athletics," said Sarkisian in
his statement.
"I am confident that you will represent our country with honor, embark
on fair competition, fully demonstrate your skills, and protect the
honor of Armenia's athletic flag," said Sarkisian, who added that he
would like to become an "eyewitness of your victories to share with
you the joy of triumph."
Armenia took away six bronze medals in the 2008 Beijing Games. This
time, too, they are looking to come back winners.
Boxer Andranik Hakobyan, told RFE/RL's Armenian service (Azatutyun.am)
on Wednesday before leaving for London that he is in good form and
aiming for an Olympic medal. "We are going [to London] with high
expectations," said Hakobyan. "We should try to do our utmost to
return home with a medal."
The youngest of the Olympic team members are 18-year-old swimmer
Anahit Barseghyan and 19-year-old gymnast Artur Davtyan. Also on
the team are wrestling champion Artur Aleksanyan, 20, who earlier
this year won a gold medal at the European Wrestling Competition and
weightlifter Norayr Vardanyan, 24. Vardanyan trained with his father,
Yuri, who won a gold medal in the 1980 Moscow Games. The team also
includes 2008 bronze medal winners 24-year-old Tigran Martirosyan
(weightlifting and 32-year-old Yuri Patrikeyev (wrestling). Veteran
Olympians Armen Nazarian, 30 (Judo), and Norayr Bakhtamyan, 41
(shooting) will compete in their third Olympic Games.
Chairman of Armenia's National Olympic Committee Gagik Tsarukian, has
pledged a $700,000 bonus to athletes for each gold medal. Meanwhile the
government has said it would reward the equivalent of about $72,000,
$48,000 and $24,000 to gold, silver and bronze medalists, respectively.
Aside from the 25 athletes competing in Team Armenia, an estimated
seven athletes of Armenian descent will represent other countries.
Artur Ayvazyan, who won a gold medal in 2008, will again represent
Ukraine in shooting competitions, while Misha Aloyan (boxing, 52 kg),
David Ayrapetyan (boxing, 49 kg) and Arsen Galstyan (judo, 60 kg) will
be competing for the Russian team. Vazgen Safaryants will represent
Belarus (boxing, 60 kg). Tvin Moumjoghlian, 23 (table tennis) and
Gretta Taslakian, 27 (track & field) will compete in the Lebanon team.
Below is the list of athletes (in alphabetical order) and the field
of their competition.
Name Age Competition
Artur Aleksanyan 20 Greco-Roman wrestling, 96 kg Norayr Bakhtamyan
41 Pistol and Air Pistol shooting Anahit Barseghyan 18 Swimming,
100 m backstroke Meline Daluzyan 24 Women's weightlifting, 69 kg
Artur Davtyan 19 Gymnastics Hovhannes Davtyan 28 Judo, 60 kg
Andranik Hakobyan 30 Boxing, 75 kg Kristine Harutyunyan 21 Javelin
throw Mihran Jaburyan 27 Freestyle wrestling, 55 kg Melik Janoyan
27 Javelin throw Arsen Julfalakyan 25 Greco-Roman wrestling, 74
kg Ara Khachatryan 29 Weightlifting, 85 kg Hripsime Khurshudyan
24 Women's weightlifting, 75 kg Mikael Koloyan 29 Swimming,
100m freestyle
Tigran Martirosyan 24 Weightlifting, 77 kg
Arakel Mirzoyan 22 Weightlifting, 69 kg
Armen Nazaryan 30 Judo, 66 kg
Gadzhimurad Nurmagomedov, 25 Freestyle wrestling, 84 kg Vardan
Pahlevanyan 24 Long jump Yuri Patrikeyev 32 Greco-Roman
wrestling, 120 kg David Safaryan 22 Freestyle wrestling, 66 kg
Arsen Sargsyan 27 Long jump Norayr Vardanyan 25 Weightlifting,
94 kg Hovhannes Varderesyan 23 Greco-Roman wrestling, 66 kg Arman
Yeremyan 26 Taekwondo, 80 kg