World Champ Simon Martirosyan (left) with his teammates and Armenia’s National Olympics Chair Gagig Tsarukian at Zvartnots Airport on Monday
YEREVAN—Armenia’s Simon Martirosyan, who on Friday was crowned the world weightlifting champion, returned to Armenia Monday to a hero’s welcome.
Martirosyan, who won a gold medal in the +109 kg category and set a world record during a world championship tournament in Turkmenistan, said he dedicated his victory to the entire Armenian nation.
He and his fellow teammates were welcomed at Zvartnots International Airport by Armenia’s Acting Minister of Sports and Youth Affairs Gabriel Ghazaryan and the president of Armenia’s National Olympics Committee, the businessman Gagik Tsarukyan, as well as a cheering crowd of fans.
“This kind of a welcome motivates me more to repeat and double my success in the coming years,” Martirosyan told reporters at the airport, adding that the world record he set was a result of hard work and perseverance.
Simon Martirosyan during competition in Turkmenistan, where he was crowned world champion on Friday
“My goal is the gold medal at the Tokyo Olympic Games. I hope I will return from Tokyo with a gold medal,” said Martirosyan who won a silver medal for Armenia in the 2016 Rio Olympics.
Armenian weightlifters won two gold and five silver medals at the Turkmenistan championships and were placed 8th in the overall ranking.