Mkhitar Manukyan

Mkhitar Manukyan
Personal information
Nationality Armenian
Born (1973-09-20) 20 September 1973
Gyumri, Armenia
Height 1.66 m (5 ft 5 1⁄2 in)
Weight 63 kg (139 lb)
Sport
Country Armenia
Kazakhstan
Sport Wrestling
Event(s) Greco-Roman
Medal record
Representing  Armenia
World Championships
1995 Praha 62 kg
European Championships
1996 Budapest 62 kg
Representing  Kazakhstan
Olympic Games
2004 Athens 66 kg
World Championships
1998 Evle 62 kg
1999 Athens 62 kg
Asian Championships
1997 Tehran 63 kg
1999 Tashkent 63 kg
World Cup
2003 Almaty 66 kg

Mkhitar Manukyan (Armenian: Մխիթար Մանուկյան, born 20 September 1973) is an Armenian-Kazakh Greco-Roman wrestler. He is a two-time Asian Champion, two-time World Champion and Olympic medalist. Manukyan was awarded the Master of Sport of Armenia, International Class title in 1995 and the Honored Master of Sports of Kazakhstan title in 1998.

Biography

Mkhitar Manukyan was born 20 September 1973 in Leninakan (now Gyumri), Armenia. He started Greco-Roman wrestling at the age of ten under the direction of Yuri Karapetyan. Manukyan lost both of his parents and a sister in the 1988 Spitak earthquake. According to him, this tragedy helped him in wrestling. He became a Junior World Champion twice in 1990 and 1991. From 1993 to 1996, Manukyan was a member of the Armenia national Greco-Roman wrestling team. He won bronze medals at the 1995 World Wrestling Championships and 1996 European Wrestling Championships. Manukyan participated at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta.[1]

In 1997, Manukyan received an invitation from the Greco-Roman wrestling head coach of Kazakhstan, Daulet Turlykhanov, and moved to Almaty and continued to compete under the flag of Kazakhstan. In the same year, Manukyan won a gold medal at the 1997 Asian Wrestling Championships. He later won a gold medal at the 1998 World Wrestling Championships. In 1999, Manukyan became a two-time Asian and two-time World Champion at the 1999 Asian Wrestling Championships and 1999 World Wrestling Championships. Manukyan was recognized as the best fighter of the year for 1999 by the International Federation of Associated Wrestling Styles. He was one of the medal favorites for the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, but in the preliminary stage of the competition, he unexpectedly lost to Juan Marén and came in seventh place.

In January 2001, Manukyan underwent a difficult surgery on the cervical vertebrae due to a serious back injury and then spent a long time recovering. He later couldn't get to his previous level. With difficulty, he was able to be selected for the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens. Despite heavily odds against him, Manukyan was able to win an Olympic bronze medal. In the semifinal, he received his only loss to Seref Eroglu. At the end of 3 minutes, Manukyan led 3-2. At the 5th minute of a conflict, Eroglu's coach ran on the carpet and the judge gave a yellow card. The fight ended suddenly. Manukyan lost, although he was leading. Nonetheless, this did not stop Manukyan from winning bronze by defeating Jimmy Samuelsson. An Olympic medal was his dream, and he realized it.[2]

In 2005, Manukyan completed his wrestling career. He became an assistant coach of the Kazakhstan Greco-Roman wrestling team, and later the head coach of the wrestling team.[1]

Personal life

Manukyan is happily married to a wife named Arevik, an Armenian woman who is also from Gyumri. They both have a daughter.[1]

References

  1. 1 2 3 Мхитар Манукян - о жизни (in Russian). borqba.narod.ru. Retrieved 12 February 2013.
  2. ↑ Мхитар Манукян на Олимпийских Играх 2004 (in Russian). borqba.narod.ru. Retrieved 11 February 2013.
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