Artur Aleksanyan

Also known as the White Bear or Polar Bear, Armenia’s Artur Aleksanyan is one of his country’s most prolific and successful athletes. An Olympic gold and bronze medallist, European Games gold medallist, triple world champion, and five-time European champion, his list achievements is perhaps unsurpassed in Armenian Greco-Roman wrestling. He has even been decorated by his country, receiving the Khorenatsi Medal in 2012 — one of the highest awards an Armenian can receive. In sports, his silver medal in the 2019 World Championships ensured qualification for his third Olympics. As if this wasn’t amazing enough, Aleksanyan is still in his 20s.

Born in Gyumri, Armenia in 1991, Aleksanyan began wrestling at the age of nine. He became a world junior champion at 19 and began competing as a senior at the same age. He instantly made his presence felt when he won silver at the 2011 European Championships. Later that year he achieved top-ten finishes in both the junior and senior world championships. This was clearly a talent to watch. From 2012 onwards, the floodgates opened and Aleksanyan has been European or world champion every since. In 2014, he was both. He started the 2020s in true style by becoming European champion for the fifth time.

Aleksanyan’s triumph at the 2016 Olympics was well deserved. He beat opponents from Italy and Romania before storming to a 3-0 victory over Cuba’s Yasmany Lugo in the final. He became Armenia’s first Olympic gold medallist of the century and her most decorated Olympian. In Tokyo, he will be looking to extend his record.