Armenian Weightlifters Welcomed with Medals at Zvartnots

7 gold, 2 silver, and 2 bronze medals—that's the result of Armenian weightlifters at the European Championships for under 20 and under 23-year-olds. With this achievement, the Armenian team is the best in the European Championship.

The weightlifters returned to Armenia from the European Championship held in Bucharest, where they were welcomed at Zvartnots Airport, fittingly for champions and a championship team.

Champion titles at the under 20 European Championship were awarded to Liana Gyurjyan (81 kg category), Karen Avagyan (89 kg category), Arpine Dalalyan (+87 kg category), and Varazdat Lalayan (+109 kg category). Rafik Harutyunyan (81 kg category) earned a silver medal, while Ara Aghanyan (89 kg category) claimed a bronze medal.

In the under 23 competition, European champions were crowned as Hakob Mkrtchyan (89 kg category), Samvel Gasparyan (109 kg category), and Simon Martirosyan (+109 kg category). Tatev Hakobyan (87 kg category) took second place, and David Hovhannisyan (89 kg category) also won a bronze medal.

The Armenian national team surpassed the national teams of Russia and Turkey with their accomplishments at the European Championship. Armenian weightlifters have consistently made it a norm to bring home medals after each championship. This was no exception during the European Championships for under 20 and 23-year-olds held in the Romanian capital, where the Armenian national anthem echoed in the sports hall almost without interruption.

No one doubted that Hakob Mkrtchyan and Simon Martirosyan would give their competitors a run for their money in their age group. They don’t give their opponents chances in the senior men’s and women’s championships, let alone in the under 23 championships. However, there are other champions alongside them, and they represent our future.

The victories in these age categories are doubly important as there are significant competitions ahead, and it is encouraging that we have new athletes who can provide Armenian fans with new victories in the future.