January 20, 2020 - 11:53 AMT
Armenia’s Artur Aleksanyan wins 1st prize at French Grand Prix

Armenian wrestler, Olympic champion Artur Aleksanyan defeated all his opponents in the 97 kg event of the Grand Prix de France Henri Deglane in the French town of Nice.

A Greco-Roman wrestler, Aleksanyan is an Olympic Champion (2016) and bronze medalist (2012), a three-time World Champion (2014, 2015, 2017), and a four-time European Champion (2012, 2013, 2014, 2018). He is the second Olympic gold medalist of Armenia since regaining independence in 1991 and is the most decorated Olympian of independent Armenia as well. Aleksanyan has been nicknamed the "White Bear" and is one of the most renowned Armenian athletes of the 21st century.

In his final bout, Aleksanyan beat Azerbaijan's Orkhan Nuriyev 3-1 to become the champion.

Armenians Rudik Mkrtchyan (55 kg) and Karapet Chalyan (77kg), meanwhile, took the second spot in their respective categories, while Gevorg Gharibyan (60 kg), Slavik Galstyan (67 kg), Malkhas Amoyan (72 kg) and Ruben Gharibyan (82 kg) came in the third.