Armenia's Artur Davtyan: I am happy, proud to return from Turkey with gold medal (PHOTOS, VIDEO)

By Lusine Shahbazyan

I am happy and proud to return from Turkey with a gold medal. Artur Davtyan, Armenia’s two-time world and European artistic gymnastics champion, told this to reporters.

European champion Artur Davtyan, silver medalist Vahagn Davtyan, and the rest of Team Armenia returned from Turkey Last night, and they were welcomed with great pomp at Zvartnots International Airport of Yerevan.

"I am very happy and proud to return from Turkey with a gold medal. It was a tough fight in the Vault. Englishman Jake Jarman made his jump four-tenths higher. My second jump, which was very clean, gave me the gold medal. The difference in points between me and my English competitor was small, but I am happy that I won a gold medal. It was difficult, but I successfully did what I was doing in training.

"There was a little tension in the sense that we were in Turkey. Of course, we were received very well, there were no problems, but, regardless of everything, there was a little feeling that you are in Turkey. In any case, I am very happy that I was able to raise our [Armenian national] flag and play the national anthem. It does not matter whether you are in Turkey or another country; the fact that you are a winner in all of Europe is a happy thing.

"I'm also very happy for the bronze medal in the Pommel Horse. Unfortunately, the [other Armenian] boys could not overcome the qualification stage and reach the final. I was able to perform my exercise well and get a chance to fight for a medal. In the final, we made some changes in the exercise, and I won a bronze medal due to clean [execution]," said Artur Davtyan.

On April 16, Davtyan achieved a glorious victory at the 2023 European Artistic Gymnastics Championships. The world and European champion became the European champion in Antalya in the men’s Vault event, and the Armenian national anthem was played and the flag was raised in his honor. 

Artur Davtyan had become the European champion in the Vault in 2021, too.