Wrestling in Armenia

Wrestling (Armenian: ըմբշամարտ əmbšamart) has deep historical roots in Armenia.^[1][2] Wrestling existed in the Armenian Highlands since ancient times. Armenians have their own variant of the game called Kokh. It was recorded that King Tiridates III of Armenia won the Ancient Olympic Games in wrestling in 281 AD. During the Soviet era, wrestling became one of the most practiced sports in Armenia and remained popular after Armenia's independence in 1991. Armenian athletes have been successful at international competitions in the last two decades. Many have become World and European champions, both in Greco-Roman and Freestyle wrestling. Over half of the fifteen Armenian Olympic medalists and the two gold medal winners were wrestlers.

History

Ancient history

At the 265th Olympiad (281 AD) the Armenian King Tiridates III (286–342 AD), who in 301 AD adopted Christianity as the state religion, making Armenia the first Christian nation, became an Olympic Champion in wrestling.^[3][4]

A 1963 Soviet stamp depicting traditional Armenian Kokh

Kokh

Kokh (Armenian: Կոխ) is the Armenian national wrestling,^[5][6] known since the Early Middle Ages.^[7] It's considered to be one of the oldest forms of wrestling.^[5] It had influenced the Soviet martial sport Sambo.^[8]

The winner is the one who throws the opponent on the mat without boosting and/or turning him. Pushing the opponent out of the mat, which has a radius of 7–9 meters,^[9] also results in winning. A Kokh fight usually lasts from 5 to 10 minutes. The Kokh fights are often accompanied with Armenian folk music and before the beginning of a fight wrestlers do folk dances.^[5]

Two varieties of Kokh are Lori Kokh and Shirak Kokh. The main difference between two styles is between the clothing. In Shirak Kokh, wrestlers wear shalwar pants and are topless and were allowed to grab the legs of the opponent. In Lori Kokh, they wear chokha (traditional Caucasian dress) and have to grab the opponent's dress to throw or push them out. Until the late 1980s, Kokh was practiced in rural areas of Armenia, although no professional Kokh athletes existed. Today, about 700 children in Armenian practice Kokh.^[7]

Soviet period

Sports in general and wrestling, particularly, became popular in Armenia in the 1920s and 1930s, but it wasn't until the end of the World War II, when Armenian and Soviet athletes started to appear on international competitions. Sargis Vardanyan became the Soviet champion of Greco-Roman wrestling twice, in 1940 and 1944. In later years, Armenian Greco-Roman wrestlers had significant role in Soviet wrestling. Notable ones included Artem Teryan (First wrestling Olympic medalist), Suren Nalbandyan (1976 Olympic champion), Sanasar Oganisyan (1980 Olympic champion), Norayr Musheghian (1958 World Champion), Benur Pashayan (1982 and 1983 World Champion), Levon Julfalakyan (1986 World Champion), Mnatsakan Iskandaryan (1990, 1991, 1994 World Champion).^[10]

Independent Armenia

The Federation of Freestyle Wrestling of Armenia and the Federation of Greco-Roman Wrestling Federation were founded in 1992 and were merged in 1996 forming the Wrestling Federation of Armenia. It is the national governing body of the sport in the country.^[11] According to Razmik Stepanyan, secretary of the Armenian Olympic Committee, there were 25 wrestling schools in 10 provinces of Armenia, 304 coaches and 7,454 athletes engaged in wrestling as of 2009.^[12][13]

Records

Wrestler Armen Nazaryan is Armenia's first Olympic champion

Olympics

8 of the 15 Olympic medals of Armenia are from wrestling.

Games	Athlete	Style and weight	Position	Ref
1996 Atlanta	Nazaryan, ArmenArmen Nazaryan	Greco-Roman 52 kg	Gold	[14]
1996 Atlanta	Mkrtchyan, ArmenArmen Mkrtchyan	Freestyle 48 kg	Silver	[15]
2008 Beijing	Amoyan, RomanRoman Amoyan	Greco-Roman 55 kg	Bronze	[16]
2008 Beijing	Patrikeyev, YuryYury Patrikeyev	Greco-Roman 120 kg	Bronze	[17]
2012 London	Julfalakyan, ArsenArsen Julfalakyan	Greco-Roman 74 kg	Silver	[18]
2012 London	Aleksanyan, ArturArtur Aleksanyan	Greco-Roman 96 kg	Bronze	[19]
2016 Rio	Arutyunyan, MigranMigran Arutyunyan	Greco-Roman 66 kg	Silver	[20]
2016 Rio	Aleksanyan, ArturArtur Aleksanyan	Greco-Roman 98 kg	Gold	[21]

World Championships

Greco-Roman Year Athlete Weight Position Ref 1993 Stockholm Nazaryan, ArmenArmen Nazaryan 52 kg  Silver [22] 1993 Stockholm Manukyan, AghasiAghasi Manukyan 57 kg  Gold [22] 1995 Prague Nazaryan, ArmenArmen Nazaryan 52 kg  Silver [23] 1995 Prague Manukyan, MkhitarMkhitar Manukyan 62 kg  Bronze [23] 1997 Wrocław Juharyan, VahanVahan Juharyan 54 kg  Silver [24] 2001 Patras Mnatsakanyan, KarenKaren Mnatsakanyan 58 kg  Silver [25] 2001 Patras Galstyan, VaghinakVaghinak Galstyan 63 kg  Gold [25] 2007 Baku Patrikeyev, YuryYury Patrikeyev 120 kg  Bronze [26] 2009 Herning Amoyan, RomanRoman Amoyan 55 kg  Silver [27] 2010 Moscow Amoyan, RomanRoman Amoyan 55 kg  Bronze [28] 2010 Moscow Julfalakyan, ArsenArsen Julfalakyan 74 kg  Silver [28] 2010 Moscow Patrikeyev, YuryYury Patrikeyev 120 kg  Silver [28] 2011 Istanbul Julfalakyan, ArsenArsen Julfalakyan 74 kg  Bronze [29] 2013 Budapest Amoyan, RomanRoman Amoyan 55 kg  Bronze [30] 2013 Budapest Julfalakyan, ArsenArsen Julfalakyan 74 kg  Bronze [30] 2013 Budapest Aleksanyan, ArturArtur Aleksanyan 96 kg  Silver [30] 2014 Tashkent Julfalakyan, ArsenArsen Julfalakyan 75 kg  Gold 2014 Tashkent Aleksanyan, ArturArtur Aleksanyan 98 kg  Gold 2015 Las Vegas Aleksanyan, ArturArtur Aleksanyan 98 kg  Gold

Freestyle Year Athlete Weight Position Ref 1995 Atlanta Mkrtchyan, ArmenArmen Mkrtchyan 48 kg  Bronze [31] 1995 Atlanta Gevorgyan, ArayikArayik Gevorgyan 68 kg  Gold [31] 1997 Krasnoyarsk Gevorgyan, ArayikArayik Gevorgyan 69 kg  Gold [32] 1998 Tehran Gevorgyan, ArayikArayik Gevorgyan 69 kg  Gold [33] 2002 Tehran Margaryan, AramAram Margaryan 60 kg  Gold [34] 2005 Budapest Berberyan, MartinMartin Berberyan 60 kg  Bronze [35] 2006 Guangzhou Basiev, RuslanRuslan Basiev 120 kg  Bronze [36] 2013 Budapest Safaryan, DavidDavid Safaryan 66 kg  Gold [30]

European Championships

Greco-Roman Year Athlete Weight Position Ref 1994 Athens Armen Nazaryan 52 kg  Gold [37] 1994 Athens Aghasi Manukyan 62 kg  Silver [37] 1995 Besançon Armen Nazaryan 52 kg  Gold [38] 1995 Besançon Aghasi Manukyan 57 kg  Silver [38] 1996 Budapest Armen Nazaryan 52 kg  Silver [39] 1996 Budapest Mkhitar Manukyan 62 kg  Bronze [39] 1997 Kouvola Karen Mnatsakanyan 58 kg  Gold [40] 1999 Sofia Karen Mnatsakanyan 58 kg  Bronze [41] 2000 Moscow Movses Karapetyan 69 kg  Bronze [42] 2001 Istanbul Movses Karapetyan 69 kg  Bronze [43] 2003 Belgrade Roman Amoyan 55 kg  Silver [44] 2003 Belgrade Levon Geghamyan 84 kg  Silver [44] 2004 Haparanda Vahan Juharyan 60 kg  Gold [45] 2005 Varna Roman Amoyan 55 kg  Silver [46] 2005 Varna Movses Karapetyan 74 kg  Gold [46] 2006 Moscow Roman Amoyan 55 kg  Gold [47] 2006 Moscow Karen Mnatsakanyan 60 kg  Gold [47] 2006 Moscow Denis Forov 84 kg  Silver [47] 2008 Tampere Roman Amoyan 55 kg  Silver [48] 2008 Tampere Yury Patrikeyev 120 kg  Gold [48] 2009 Vilnius Arsen Julfalakyan 74 kg  Gold [49] 2009 Vilnius Yury Patrikeyev 120 kg  Gold [47] 2011 Dortmund Roman Amoyan 55 kg  Gold [50] 2011 Dortmund Artur Shahinyan 84 kg  Bronze [50] 2011 Dortmund Artur Aleksanyan 96 kg  Silver [50] 2011 Dortmund Yury Patrikeyev 96 kg  Bronze [50] 2012 Belgrade Arsen Julfalakyan 74 kg  Bronze [51] 2012 Belgrade Artur Aleksanyan 96 kg  Gold [52] 2012 Belgrade Yury Patrikeyev 120 kg  Bronze [53] 2013 Tbilisi Artur Aleksanyan 96 kg  Gold [54] 2013 Tbilisi Vachik Yeghiazaryan 120 kg  Bronze [55] 2013 Tbilisi Artur Shahinyan 84 kg  Bronze [56] 2014 Vantaa Arsen Julfalakyan 75 kg  Silver 2014 Vantaa Artur Aleksanyan 98 kg  Gold 2016 Riga Varsham Boranyan 71 kg  Gold 2016 Riga Roman Amoyan 59 kg  Silver 2016 Riga Karapet Chalyan 75 kg  Bronze 2016 Riga Artur Aleksanyan 98 kg  Silver

Freestyle Year Athlete Weight Position Ref 1993 Istanbul Arayik Gevorgyan 68 kg  Silver [57] 1994 Rome Armen Mkrtchyan 48 kg  Gold [58] 1994 Rome Anushavan Sahakyan 57 kg  Gold [58] 1994 Rome Araik Baghdadyan 62 kg  Silver [58] 1994 Rome Arayik Gevorgyan 68 kg  Silver [58] 1995 Fribourg Arayik Gevorgyan 68 kg  Bronze [59] 1996 Budapest Armen Mkrtchyan 48 kg  Silver [60] 1996 Budapest Arayik Gevorgyan 68 kg  Silver [60] 1997 Warsaw Arayik Gevorgyan 69 kg  Gold [61] 1998 Bratislava Arayik Gevorgyan 76 kg  Silver [62] 2001 Budapest Armen Mkrtchyan 54 kg  Bronze [63] 2003 Riga Mahmed Aghaev 84 kg  Silver [64] 2004 Ankara Martin Berberyan 55 kg  Gold [65] 2006 Moscow Ruslan Kokaev 74 kg  Silver [66] 2006 Moscow Vadim Laliev 84 kg  Bronze [66] 2006 Moscow Shamil Gitinov 96 kg  Silver [66] 2007 Sofia Shamil Gitinov 96 kg  Bronze [67] 2009 Vilnius Zhirayr Hovhannisyan 66 kg  Bronze [68] 2009 Vilnius Edgar Yenokyan 96 kg  Bronze [68] 2009 Vilnius Ruslan Basiev 120 kg  Silver [68] 2011 Dortmund Musa Murtazaliev 74 kg  Silver [50] 2012 Belgrade David Safaryan 66 kg  Bronze [69] 2013 Tbilisi David Safaryan 66 kg  Gold [70] 2013 Tbilisi Musa Murtazaliev 84 kg  Silver [71] 2014 Vantaa Garik Barseghyan 57 kg  Bronze 2014 Vantaa Grigor Grigoryan 70 kg  Silver 2014 Vantaa Musa Murtazaliev 86 kg  Bronze

European Championships (Women)

Year	Athlete	Style and weight	Position	Ref
2006 Moscow	Karine Shadoyan	Freestyle 72 kg	Bronze	[72]

World Cup

Year	Position	Style	Member athletes	Ref
2009 Clermont-Ferrand	Bronze	Greco-Roman
2010 Yerevan	Bronze	Greco-Roman	55 kg: Roman Amoyan & Harutyun Hovhannisyan 60 kg: Artak Harutyunyan & Vahan Juharyan 66 kg: Arman Adikyan & Hovhannes Varderesyan 74 kg: Varsham Boranyan & Arsen Julfalakyan 84 kg: Denis Forov & Tigran Sahakyan 96 kg: Arman Geghamyan & Sargis Tonoyan 120 kg: Yury Patrikeyev & Vachik Yeghiazaryan	[73]

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