Armenian Olympic Athletes Off To London
Hovannes Shoghikian
26.07.2012
A group of Armenian athletes have left for London to take part in the
2012 Olympic Games that will officially start there on Friday.
A total of 25 athletes will represent Armenia at the 2012 games,
competing in sports such as judo, boxing, weightlifting, wrestling,
swimming, gymnastics, shooting, track and field athletics and
taekwondo.
Boxer Andranik Hakobian, one of the Armenian Olympians departing from
Yerevan's Zvartnots Airport Wednesday night, told RFE/RL's Armenian
service (Azatutyun.am) that he is in good form and aiming for an
Olympic medal. `We are going [to London] with high expectations,' said
Hakobian. `We should try to do our utmost to return home with a
medal.'
`We expect a good result,' said Karen Aghamalian, the head coach of
Armenia's national boxing team. `He [Hakobian] has worked hard to
approach [the Olympics] in good form. He is the sole representative
[of Armenia] in boxing, but he's got real quality.'
Judo fighters Armen Nazarian and Hovannes Davtian are also part of
Armenia's Olympic team in London.
`They both are quite experienced judokas with achievements made in the
past,' David Khitarian, deputy chairman of the Armenian Judo
Federation, told RFE/RL's Armenian service at Zvartnots. `The Olympic
games will be the heights that they have so far been unable to
climb. We hope we can win medals at these games.'
Nazarian, 30, won a European title in 2005 and also became a bronze
and silver medalist at European championships before and after
that. And Davtian, 28, won a silver medal at the 2007 European
championship and a bronze medal at the world championships two years
later.
For the first time ever, Armenia will have a taekwondo fighter
competing in the Olympics.
Gagik Tsarukian, the head of the Armenian National Olympic Committee,
has promised a $700,000 bonus to athletes for each gold medal won in
London. In addition, the government said it would pay an equivalent of
about $72,000, $48,000 and $24,000 to gold, silver and bronze
medalists, respectively.
Armenian athletes won six bronze medals at the 2008 Olympic games held
in Beijing, China.
RFE/RL Report
Armenia’s Olympic Athletes in London
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
TURKISH-ARMENIAN REFEREE DIES IN LONDON
news.am
July 27
Turkish-Armenian Olympic boxing referee Karnik Garip Erkuyumcu was
found dead in a London hotel room, Sport Express informs.
The 73-year-old referee had arrived in London to officiate in the
London 2012 boxing matches. According to preliminary data, Erkuyumcu
lost his life from a heart attack.
He was an International Amateur Boxing Association (AIBA) Refereeing &
Judging Commission member, and he was to help the ring referee during
the London Olympics.
Karnik Garip Erkuyumcu was found dead by his colleague, and his body
will be transferred back to Turkey next week. To note, the 2012 London
Olympics will officially kick off on Friday and come to a close on
August 12.
ARMENIA BECOMES PART OF RUSSIA? - LONDON 2012
news.am
July 26
Organizers of the 2012 London Olympics have made yet another mistake
by including former-USSR countries within Russia.
After Georgia and Ukraine, this time it was Armenia's and Kazakhstan's
turn in this regard. In the information about world boxing champion
Misha Aloyan, Armenia is indicated as his place of birth, whereas
Russia is indicated as the region.
Aside from Aloyan, similar information is made public about the
birthplaces of judoist Arsen Galstyan and boxer David Ayrapetyan. The
entry for Galstyan lists his place of birth as "Armenia (RUS)"
while Ayrapetyan is listed as having been born in "Baku (RUS)",
RFE/RL informs
To note, representatives from the Georgian National Olympic Committee
had sent a letter of complaint on Wednesday to the organizers of
London 2012.
The 2012 London Olympics will officially kick off on Friday and come
to a close on August 12.
BRITISH EMBASSY IN ARMENIA TO MARK THE START OF LONDON
OLYMPIC GAMES IN YEREVAN'S LOVERS' PARK
arminfo
Friday, July 27, 13:57
The Embassy of the United Kingdom in Armenia will mark the start of
the 2012 Summer Olympic Games in London in Yerevan's Lovers' Park on
Friday evening.
The press service of the Embassy reports that at 11:00 PM they will
present the best British songs and at midnight they will broadcast
the opening of the games on a big screen to be placed in the park.
The games are starting today. They will involve as many as 10,500
sportsmen from 205 countries and will be covered by over 28,000
journalists.
