Malkhas Amoyan: I will do everything to return from Paris Olympics also with gold medal

By Lusine Shahbazyan

The gold medal at the European championship gave me more confidence to be able to move forward better. World champion, and now three-time European Greco-Roman wrestling champion of Armenia, Malkhas Amoyan, told this to reporters at Zvartnots International Airport of Yerevan.

Last night, the world champion returned to his homeland from Bucharest, along with the rest of the Armenian national Greco-Roman wrestling team.

Amoyan on Tuesday won the champions title for the third time at the European Wrestling Championships being held in the capital of Romania.

"It was very difficult to win the third gold medal. Everyone's preparing against you when you're the champion. There is a good saying, they say becoming a champion is difficult, retaining a title is more difficult. In this sense, the third championship was really difficult compared to the previous European championships. Thanks to my coaches, I was able to wrestle correctly and be recognized as the winner.

I prepare against all my opponents with the same attitude, with one goal: to go on the mat only for victory. The Turk, Emre Basar, also is not an exception in this regard, and it is not important whether my opponent is Turkish or of another nationality. It’s just that my matches with him turn out better. This final turned out even more enjoyable.

The Olympic Games [in Paris] are ahead. Sixteen wrestlers will participate in the Olympic Games in our weight class. All 16 of them are serious competitors for me. I will do everything to return from Paris as well with a gold medal.

The European championship was the first tournament of this year, I started with a victory. This gold medal gave me more confidence to be able to move forward better," said Amoyan.

Malkhas Amoyan defeated Yunus Emre Basar (Turkey) 7-0 in the final of the 77kg weight category at the European Greco-Roman wrestling championship.

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