Armenia wins team bronze at 2026 European Weightlifting Championships and finishes in top three of medal table

Armenia's national weightlifting team successfully completed its campaign at the 2026 European Junior (U20) and U23 Weightlifting Championships, held from October 12 to 19 in Durrës, Albania.

A total of 19 Armenian weightlifters won 23 medals — 10 gold, 7 silver and 6 bronze. This result secured Armenia third place in the overall medal standings, behind only Turkey and Georgia.

The team's biggest achievement was the bronze medal in the men's U20 team competition. Armenian weightlifter Narek Grigoryan was also named the best athlete of the European Championships in his age category.

All Armenian medalists at the 2026 European Championships

Men's U20 — 4 gold, 2 silver, 3 bronze

• Davit Arakelyan (65 kg) — silver in the snatch (127 kg).

• Samvel Martirosyan (70 kg) — gold in the snatch (139 kg) and bronze in the total (296 kg).

• Narek Grigoryan (75 kg) — three gold medals: snatch (146 kg), clean and jerk (176 kg), and total (322 kg). He set three European junior records.

• Narek Mkrtchyan (85 kg) — two bronze medals: snatch (153 kg) and total (338 kg).

• Valerik Movsisyan (95 kg) — silver in the snatch (160 kg). He finished fourth in the total with 347 kg.

Women's U20 — 2 gold, 1 silver, 1 bronze

• Anna Amroyan (77 kg) — bronze in the snatch (102 kg).

• Emma Poghosyan (86 kg) — gold in the clean and jerk (140 kg) and total (249 kg), plus silver in the snatch (109 kg).

Men's U23 — 1 gold, 4 silver, 2 bronze

• Seiran Khudanyan (60 kg) — two bronze medals: clean and jerk (139 kg) and total (256 kg).

• Tigran Karapetyan (75 kg) — gold in the snatch (148 kg), silver in the clean and jerk (175 kg) and total (323 kg).

• Martin Poghosyan (85 kg) — two silver medals: clean and jerk (190 kg) and total (343 kg).

Women's U23 — 3 gold

• Alexandra Grigoryan (57 kg) — three gold medals: snatch (90 kg), clean and jerk (112 kg), and total (202 kg).

In total, 11 Armenian athletes won medals at the European Championships. The medal count includes awards in three events: the snatch, clean and jerk, and combined total.

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Full team standings at the 2026 European Championships

Women's U20

Medal standings

1. Belarus — 5 gold medals.

2. Turkey — 4 gold, 5 silver, 3 bronze.

3. Finland — 3 gold, 2 bronze.

Armenia — 6th place (2 gold, 1 silver, 1 bronze).

Four Armenian athletes competed in this category.

Team standings by points

1. Turkey — 555 points.

2. Russia — 498 points.

3. Belarus — 403 points.

Armenia — 10th place (224 points).

Men's U20

Medal standings

1. Turkey — 7 gold, 2 silver, 3 bronze.

2. Armenia — 4 gold, 2 silver, 3 bronze.

3. Georgia — 3 gold, 6 silver, 5 bronze.

Eight Armenian weightlifters competed in this category.

Team standings by points

1. Georgia — 556 points.

2. Turkey — 555 points.

3. Armenia — 530 points.

Team trophies and medals are awarded based on points rather than the medal count. Therefore, Armenia secured the bronze team trophy in the men's U20 competition at the European Championships.

Women's U23

Medal standings

1. Poland — 5 gold, 1 silver, 1 bronze.

2. Turkey — 4 gold, 2 silver, 3 bronze.

3. Ukraine — 3 gold, 3 silver, 2 bronze.

Armenia — 6th place (3 gold medals).

All three of Armenia's gold medals in this category were won by Alexandra Grigoryan, the country's only representative in the women's U23 competition.

Team standings by points

1. Russia — 470 points.

2. Poland — 397 points.

3. Spain — 388 points.

Armenia — 18th place (84 points).

Men's U23

Medal standings

1. Ukraine — 4 gold, 5 silver, 2 bronze.

2. Georgia — 4 gold, 3 silver, 5 bronze.

3. Russia — 4 gold, 3 silver, 2 bronze.

Armenia — 7th place (1 gold, 4 silver, 2 bronze).

Six Armenian athletes competed in this category.

Team standings by points

1. Russia — 538 points.

2. Georgia — 509 points.

3. Turkey — 449 points.

4. Armenia — 397 points.

The Armenian U23 men's team therefore finished just outside the team podium, taking fourth place.

Narek Grigoryan named best weightlifter at European U20 Championships

Following the competition, the organizers selected the best athletes across all four age and gender categories.

Men's U20

• 1st place — Narek Grigoryan (Armenia, 75 kg).

Women's U20

• 1st place — Emily Ibáñez Guerrero (Kosovo, 69 kg).

• Best Armenian athlete — Emma Poghosyan (86 kg), 3rd place.

Men's U23

• 1st place — Zurab Mskhaladze (Georgia, 85 kg).

• Best Armenian athlete — Martin Poghosyan (85 kg), 6th place.

Women's U23

• 1st place — Martyna Dolega (Poland, 69 kg).

• Best Armenian athlete — Alexandra Grigoryan (57 kg), 4th place.

Overall medal standings at the European Championships

Combining the results from all four categories, the top three nations were:

1. Turkey — 19 gold, 12 silver, 9 bronze (40 medals in total).

2. Georgia — 11 gold, 17 silver, 10 bronze (38 medals in total).

3. Armenia — 10 gold, 7 silver, 6 bronze (23 medals in total).

Armenia concluded the European Championships in Durrës with 23 medals, a men's U20 team bronze, third place in the overall medal standings, and the award for the best junior weightlifter of the tournament, earned by Narek Grigoryan.

Full results book.