Athens Olympics official website
Aug 13 2004

NAZARIAN aims for third gold in third weight class

ATHENS, 5 August – Two-time Olympic champion Armen NAZARIAN of
Bulgaria will be attempting to become the second Greco-Roman wrestler
in Olympic history to claim a title in three different weight
classes.

NAZARIAN, 30, won gold at the 1996 Olympic Games at 52 kg, when he
competed for his birth country, Armenia. At Sydney, he took gold at
58 kg. At the 2004 Athens Olympic Games, he will compete at 60 kg.

Sweden’s Carl Westergren is the only Greco-Roman wrestler who has won
gold medals in three different weight classes.

Cuban Filiberto AGUILERA AZCUY won Greco-Roman gold at 74kg at the
1996 Games, moved down to 69 kg to take gold in Sydney, and has now
returned to 74kg.

Hamza YERLIKAYA, 28, of Turkey won Greco-Roman gold at 82 kg in 1996
and at 85 kg in 2000, and has returned to 84 kg for Athens.

Only four Olympic wrestlers have won three gold medals, only two
achieving the feat in consecutive Olympic Games.