Sports: Maksim Manukyan Becomes World Greco-Roman Wrestling (80 kg) Champion

The Armenian Weekly

Aug 22 2017

PARIS (A.W.)—Armenia’s Maksim Manukyan became the world Greco-Roman Wrestling champion (80 kg) after beating Belarusian Radik Koulin 5-2 at the World Wrestling Championship in Paris on Aug. 22.

Armenia’s Maksim Manukyan (Photo: Artur Aleksanyan/Facebook)

Manukyan’s gold medal win comes one day after his Armenian teammate and reigning Olympic champion Artur Aleksanyan became the world Greco-Roman Wrestling champion in the 98 kg category after beating Russia’s Musa Yevloyev 3-1 by decision on Aug. 21.

Manukyan competed at the 2016 Summer Olympic Games, taking the 16th spot out of 21. He was eliminated from medal contention by Hungary’s Viktor Lorincz.

Emil Lazarian

“I should like to see any power of the world destroy this race, this small tribe of unimportant people, whose wars have all been fought and lost, whose structures have crumbled, literature is unread, music is unheard, and prayers are no more answered. Go ahead, destroy Armenia . See if you can do it. Send them into the desert without bread or water. Burn their homes and churches. Then see if they will not laugh, sing and pray again. For when two of them meet anywhere in the world, see if they will not create a New Armenia.” - WS