Armenia Welcomes Home World Champion Karen Aslanyan After Golden Victory Over Azerbaijani Rival
World wrestling champion Karen Aslanyan returned to Armenia to a crowd of supporters at Yerevan’s Zvartnots International Airport, days after defeating an Azerbaijani opponent to claim gold at the Greco-Roman Wrestling World Championships in Kazakhstan.
Aslanyan won the 63-kilogram title in Astana with an 8-4 victory over Azerbaijan’s Nihat Mammadli, securing Armenia’s first gold medal of the tournament.
Speaking to reporters after arriving home, Aslanyan credited his victory to a change in mindset rather than a different approach to training.
“We did the same work we always do, but this time I was calmer, more composed and more focused, and that made the difference,” he said. “I think we did a very good job as a team, and now we're seeing the results.”
Aslanyan entered the final after four dominant performances. He defeated Moldova’s Corneliu Rusu 10-0, Kyrgyzstan’s Aftandil Talaibek Uulu 8-0 and Uzbekistan’s Ozodbek Khalimboev 9-0 before beating Bulgaria’s Edmond Nazaryan 12-4 in the semifinals.
Although he won each of those matches by technical superiority, Aslanyan said finishing his opponents early was never part of his strategy.
“I didn't go into any match trying to finish it quickly,” he said. “I simply went out to do my job, calmly and without unnecessary thoughts. This time, I was very relaxed, and it worked.”
Asked what it felt like to finally become a world champion, Aslanyan said the gold medal brought a deep sense of satisfaction after years of work.
“It's complete satisfaction from all the work I've done, knowing that I finally won that gold medal,” he said.
Aslanyan returned home with five victories and the world championship title, celebrating the achievement alongside the supporters who gathered to welcome him back to Armenia.
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