BUCHAREST — Armenian Greco-Roman wrestler Artur Aleksanyan beat Russia’s Magomed Murtazaliyev 6:3 in the finals to clinch the gold at the European Championships under way in Bucharest, Romania.
Aleksanyan made it to the final, defeating Belarusian Abubakar Khaslakhanav in the semi-final with a score of 5:1. The Armenian wrestler started the fight from the 1/8 finals, where he beat Beitula Kaisdagin of Turkey 9:1, and in the quarterfinals he won 8:3 over the representative of the Netherlands, Tyrone Stenkerburg.
One of the greatest Olympians from Armenia, Artur Aleksanyan is the defending champion at the Games. Tokyo will be his third Olympics as he had wrestled the London and Rio editions. He won the gold medal in the Rio Games, outscoring his opponents 25-2. In London, he won a bronze medal.
Earlier, member of the Armenian national team, Malkhas Amoyan, was crowned European champion for the third time in his career, achieving a 7-0 advantage in the finals over the world bronze medalist, two-time European vice-champion, Turkish Yunus Basar.
