PanARMENIAN.Net - Armenian weightlifter Gor Minasyan will perform under the flag of Bahrain, the National Olympic Committee says.

Head coach of the national team Pashik Alaverdyan cited international regulations and laws for such a decision. At the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, for example, each NOC will only be able to qualify one athlete per weight class, and three per gender across all weight categories – down from four each at Tokyo 2020.

“We now have three super heavyweights of nearly equal strength and capability,” Alaverdyan said.

“Each country can send two sportsmen and women in each of the five weight classes at the European and World Championships. In this case, one of our leading Hercules will be deprived of participation.”

The coach said Minasyan decided to accept the invitation from the Bahrain Federation and is now aiming to qualify for the Paris Olympics.

Minasyan is an Olympic silver medalist. Also, he was the bronze medalist at the 2015 World Weightlifting Championships, and the silver medalist at the 2016 European Weightlifting Championships, 2017 European Weightlifting Championships, 2018 World Weightlifting Championships. In 2021, he won the bronze medal in the men's +109 kg event at the World Weightlifting Championships held in Uzbekistan.