Levon Julfalakyan
1.67 m (5 ft 5+1⁄2 in)
Representing Soviet Union | ||
---|---|---|
Olympic Games | ||
1988 Seoul | 68 kg | |
World Championships | ||
1986 Budapest | 68 kg | |
1989 Martigny | 68 kg | |
European Championships | ||
1986 Piraeus | 68 kg | |
World Cup | ||
1985 Lund | 68 kg |
Levon Julfalakyan (Armenian: Լեւոն Ջուլֆալակյան, born 5 April 1964) is a former Soviet Armenian Greco-Roman wrestler. He is an Olympic, World, and European Champion and was merited Honoured Master of Sports of the USSR in 1988.[1] Julfalakyan is the current head coach of the Armenian national Greco-Roman wrestling team and President of the Union of Armenian Olympians, as well as a member of the executive committee of the NOC.
Early life
Levon Julfalakyan was born in Leninakan, Armenian SSR (now Gyumri, Armenia). Coming from an athletic background, both of his parents had been gymnasts. Levon attended gymnastics sections from an early age, then started wrestling in Gyumri Youth Academy. In 1983, he won the junior championship of the USSR. He graduated from Gyumri State Pedagogical Institute (now Shirak State University).[1]
Career
Julfalakyan joined the Soviet national wrestling team in 1985 and, in that same year, won a gold medal at the Wrestling World Cup team competition. Julfalakyan later became a European Champion when he won a gold medal at the 1986 European Wrestling Championships. Four months later, Julfalakyan also became a World Champion by winning a gold medal at the 1986 World Wrestling Championships.
At the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul, Julfalakyan competed in the weight category of 68 kg. Julfalakyan was very dominant in all of his matches and defeated every opponent by a wide margin of points. Julfalakyan was awarded an Olympic gold medal for his victory.
A year prior to becoming an Olympic Champion, Julfalakyan came in third place at the 1989 World Wrestling Championships. He decided to retire from wrestling afterward.
After retiring from competitions Julfalakyan worked as a wrestling coach. In 1999 he became the head coach of the Armenian national Greco-Roman wrestling team and president of the Union of Armenian Olympians. In 2002 he was appointed as vice-president of the Armenian Wrestling Federation, and next year became a member of the executive committee of the NOC.[1] Julfalakyan was also President of the Armenian Olympians Association.[2]
Personal life
Julfalakyan currently lives in Yerevan. He is married and has two sons Arsen and Aram, who are also wrestlers. His elder son Arsen Julfalakyan won an Olympic silver medal at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London for Armenia and carried the national flag at the closing ceremony.
Awards
Julfalakyan was awarded the "For Merit" 1st degree medal in 2012.[3]
References
- ^ a b c Джулфалакян Левон (in Russian). vayr.ucoz.ru. Retrieved 26 March 2018.
- ^ Evans, Hilary; Gjerde, Arild; Heijmans, Jeroen; Mallon, Bill; et al. "Levon Julfalakyan". Olympics at Sports-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on 3 December 2016. Retrieved 26 March 2018..
- ^ "Հայաստանի Հանրապետության մեդալներով պարգևատրելու մասին" (in Armenian). President.am. 24 December 2012. Retrieved 26 March 2018.
External links
- Levon Julfalakyan at the International Wrestling Database (alternate link)
- Levon Julfalakyan at Olympedia
- Levon Julfalakyan at Olympics.com
- Interview
- v
- t
- e
- 1908 Enrico Porro (ITA)
- 1912 Emil Väre (FIN)
- 1920 Emil Väre (FIN)
- 1924 Oskari Friman (FIN)
- 1928 Lajos Keresztes (HUN)
- 1932 Erik Malmberg (SWE)
- 1936 Lauri Koskela (FIN)
- 1948 Gustav Freij (SWE)
- 1952 Shazam Safin (URS)
- 1956 Kyösti Lehtonen (FIN)
- 1960 Avtandil Koridze (URS)
- 1964 Kazım Ayvaz (TUR)
- 1968 Muneji Munemura (JPN)
- 1972 Shamil Khisamutdinov (URS)
- 1976 Suren Nalbandyan (URS)
- 1980 Ștefan Rusu (ROM)
- 1984 Vlado Lisjak (YUG)
- 1988 Levon Julfalakyan (URS)
- 1992 Attila Repka (HUN)
- 1996 Ryszard Wolny (POL)
- 2000 Filiberto Azcuy (CUB)
- 2004 Farid Mansurov (AZE)
- 2008 Steeve Guénot (FRA)
- 2012 Kim Hyeon-woo (KOR)
- 2016 Davor Štefanek (SRB)
- 2020 Mohammad Reza Geraei (IRI)
- 1908: 66.5 kg
- 1912–1928: 67.5 kg
- 1932–1936: 66 kg
- 1948–1960: 67 kg
- 1964–1968: 70 kg
- 1972–1996: 68 kg
- 2000: 69 kg
- 2004–2016: 66 kg
- 2020–present: 67 kg