Armenia’s Artur Aleksanyan, who won a silver medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics, has spoken out for the first time since his defeat in the Men’s Greco-Roman (97 kg) wrestling final, reports Armenpress. The judges scored the match 4-1 (technical scores) in favor of Aleksanyan’s opponent, Iran’s Mohammad Hadi Saravi, who was awarded the gold medal.
Speaking to reporters on Friday, August 9, Aleksanyan claimed that the referees were biased against him during the final match, failing to penalize his opponent for a blatant rule violation. He was visibly upset during the award ceremony and removed his silver medal as a sign of protest.
“I came here for gold, but everyone saw what happened during my match,” Aleksanyan stated. “At one point, the Iranian wrestler was outside the mat with both legs. I noticed it and told the coaches to challenge. If you go out with both legs, I should have been awarded one point, but instead, they gave two points to the Iranian athlete, plus an additional point for the challenge. Everyone is asking me why I took off the medal”this is why! That one point should have been mine, and the final score should have been 2-1 in my favor.”
He continued, “I am confident that the point in that incident should have been mine. In tournaments like this, especially in the final, even the smallest details can make a significant difference.”
Aleksanyan voiced his deep disappointment over the “injustices” he experienced, highlighting similar biases against fellow Armenian wrestlers Slavik Galstyan and Arsen Harutyunyan in their matches. He suggested that there was “hostility” directed against the Armenian national team.
Despite his frustration, Aleksanyan expressed uncertainty about his future but assured that he would “remain in wrestling” and expressed hope that justice would be served. He also took the opportunity to thank the Armenian fans who were present in the arena.
The Aleksanyan-Saravi match was refereed by Ferenc Gyarmati (Romania). The judge was Nedyalko Kirov Kireziev of Bulgaria, and the Mat Chairman was Stanislav Sernek of Slovenia.
In response to the controversial outcome, Armenia’s Deputy Minister of Education, Science, Culture, and Sports, Karen Giloyan, stated that the Armenian government would support the appeal process. “We are waiting for a written response, which will be attached to the appeal by the Armenian National Olympic Committee and submitted to the relevant authorities. I assure you that we will strive to restore justice,” Giloyan said.
Armenia’s National Olympic Committee has backed Aleksanyan’s claim and has filed an appeal with the International Olympic Committee. The Armenian Wrestling Federation has also filed an appeal, citing bias against Aleksanyan during the final match.
