16-Year-Old Armenian Wrestler Fights Through Fractured Elbow to Raise Armenian Flag in Baku
- 2 days ago
- 2 min read
Armenian wrestler Gevorg Harutyunyan, 16, battled through what his club said was a fractured elbow to win a bronze medal at the U17 World Wrestling Championships in Baku, refusing to withdraw from the tournament after suffering the injury in his opening bout against an Azerbaijani opponent.
Speaking to reporters after returning to Armenia, Harutyunyan said he injured his arm during the match, a setback he believes prevented him from advancing in the main draw.
"When I lost to the Azerbaijani wrestler in my opening match, I felt a deep pain in my heart," Harutyunyan said. "I injured my hand during the bout, and it prevented me from fighting until the end and beating him."
The Ararat Wrestling Club later disclosed that the injury was a fractured elbow. The club said Harutyunyan completed the match despite the fracture and alleged that he ultimately lost because of unfair officiating.
Instead of withdrawing, Harutyunyan chose to continue wrestling after learning he still had a chance to compete for bronze through the repechage rounds.
"When I realized I could still fight for the bronze medal, I went all the way," he said. "I stopped paying attention to the pain in my hand. My only goal was to wrestle and win the bronze medal."
Harutyunyan said another difficult challenge came against a wrestler from Kazakhstan. According to the Ararat Wrestling Club, he defeated the reigning Asian champion from Kazakhstan before overcoming Georgia's Saba Abashidze in the bronze-medal match.
Harutyunyan secured the medal with a commanding 5-0 victory over Abashidze in the 51-kilogram division, completing a remarkable comeback after the opening-round defeat.
The Ararat Wrestling Club described the teenager's performance as an extraordinary display of determination, saying he ignored the pain of a fractured elbow to continue competing.
The club also called his decision to remain in the tournament an act of patriotism.
"At any cost, our athlete wanted to raise the Armenian tricolor in Baku, and he succeeded," the statement said.
Harutyunyan said his injury is already improving and that he expects to make a full recovery.
His bronze medal carried significance beyond the result. The championships were held in Azerbaijan's capital, where Armenian athletes competed under intense public attention because of the long-standing conflict between the two neighboring countries. Despite a serious injury sustained in his first match, Harutyunyan fought his way back onto the podium, ensuring the Armenian flag was raised at the world championships in Baku.
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