Famous athletes from Armenia have had an incredible impact on the world of sports. From the Olympic games to professional soccer, Armenians have been fierce competitors in countless sports. For centuries, Armenians have looked to sports and physical fitness as a way to escape the struggles of their homeland and hone their competitive skills. From soccer superstars to NBA stars, here are just a few of the most famous Armenian athletes you should know about when you’re done using your sports betting lines – 20Bet account.
Arsen Ghazaryan: Gymnastics
Arsen Ghazaryan is one of Armenia’s best-known gymnasts and an Olympic bronze medalist who competed in the 2004 games in Athens. He is also the country’s most decorated athlete, with 11 international medals, including 8 gold and 3 silver. Arsen won 5 gold medals at the 2005 World Championships, as well as multiple gold medals at the European Championships. He also holds the record for the most gold medals won in the Pan-Armenian Games and is an inductee into the International Gymnast Hall of Fame.
Gagik Tsarukyan: Weightlifting
Gagik Tsarukyan, who was born in Armenia in 1968, is a world-renowned weightlifter who competed at five Olympic Games, winning a total of six medals. He also won several international weightlifting championships, including the 2000 World Weightlifting Championships and a silver medal at the 2000 Summer Olympics. He has maintained several world records, including the snatch of 203 kg and the clean and jerk of 257 kg. Tsarukyan remains an admired and revered athlete in Armenia, with his hometown naming a stadium in his honor.
Artur Aleksanyan: Wrestling
Another famous Armenian athlete is Artur Aleksanyan. Born in Yerevan in 1992, Aleksanyan is an Olympic gold medalist in freestyle wrestling and a four-time world champion. Aleksanyan’s success started as an amateur wrestler when he became a European champion in 2010. In addition, he qualified for the 2012 Summer Olympics, winning a bronze medal. By the 2016 Rio Olympics, Aleksanyan was a top talent, earning a gold medal in the men’s 97-kilogram weight class. Aleksanyan has since won another world title (2017) and his latest gold medal was at the 2018 European Championships.
Hovhannes Danielyan: Wrestling
Hovhannes Danielyan is a wrestler from Armenia who is a four-time world champion and has won numerous medals in international competitions. Danielyan made headlines when he won a gold medal at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, becoming the only Armenian to win a gold medal at that edition of the Games. He has since won a silver medal at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing and holds numerous world titles, as well as European and Mediterranean crowns.
Armen Nazaryan: Boxing
Armen Nazaryan is Armenia’s most famous athlete. He is a world champion boxer and one of the best-ever amateur competitors in the sport. As an amateur, Armen was a six-time amateur champion and a three-time Olympian. He also won gold medals at the 2004 and 2008 Olympics and was named Sportsman of the Year by the International Boxing Association in 2011.
Hovhannes Davtyan: Weightlifting
Hovhannes Davtyan is an Armenian weightlifter and two-time Olympic champion. He won two gold medals at the 2004 and 2008 Summer Olympics and is the current world record holder in the snatch weightlifting event. In 2009, he was named an International Weightlifting Federation legend, becoming the first Armenian athlete to receive this honor.
Tigran Gevorgyan: Tennis
Tigran Gevorgyan is an Armenian tennis player and an Olympic finalist. He has been ranked as high as 76 in the ATP world rankings and has claimed two singles titles, one doubles title, and four ITF Futures singles titles. He had his best performance in the 2008 Beijing Olympics, where he reached the quarterfinals of the singles event.
